Networking and Finding Mentors

The lessons at a glance

1. What networking really is (and what it is not)

Networking sounds like collecting business cards or using people. In reality it is simply building honest, two-way relationships with people who share your interests, and it starts with people you already know.

• Networking is building honest, two-way relationships over time, not using people.
• You already have a network: family, friends, school, clubs, volunteering and online communities.
• Acquaintances can be especially valuable because they hear about things your close circle does not.
• Give as well as take, and always say thank you and follow up.

2. Talking to new people at events: openers, exits and follow-up

Walking into a room full of strangers is uncomfortable for almost everyone. A few prepared lines, a short introduction and a polite way to leave make it far easier.

• Prepare a 30-second to 1-minute introduction and practise it.
• Ask questions about the event or the other person's work, and avoid sensitive topics.
• Join groups at a pause and invite others in.
• Leave politely with a prepared line, then follow up with something specific.

3. Career fairs and employer events at university

Career fairs and campus employer events put dozens of organisations in one room. With a little preparation, you can learn more in two hours than in weeks of browsing websites.

• A careers fair is for learning, not an interview.
• Research 3 to 5 target employers in advance and prepare questions.
• Introduce yourself, get the person's name and role, and take notes.
• Send a specific thank-you within 24 hours.

4. Finding a mentor and how to ask

A mentor is someone a few steps ahead of you who shares advice and perspective. The best mentoring relationships are led by the mentee: you, so it helps to know who to ask, how to ask, and how to keep it going.

• A mentor is a guide, not a manager, and not a route to a job.
• Look in alumni platforms, careers schemes, school, community and UAE youth programmes.
• Make a short, specific, personalised request with one small ask.
• Follow up once after about a week, then move on if there is no reply.
• You lead the relationship: agree goals, prepare and keep your mentor updated.

5. Alumni networks and professional societies

When you start university you join two networks you may not know about: everyone who graduated before you, and the professional bodies in your field. Both are designed to help students, often for free.

• Alumni networks connect you with people who share your university and often want to help.
• Contact a few alumni at a time with specific, small requests, and never ask for a job first.
• Student membership of professional bodies is often free or heavily discounted.
• Societies, volunteering and UAE youth programmes are networks you can join now.

6. Informational conversations and coffee chats

A coffee chat (also called an informational conversation or interview) is a short conversation where you learn about someone's job and path. The CVs and Interviews module introduces the idea; this lesson shows you how to run one well from start to finish.

• A coffee chat is a short conversation for advice, not a job interview.
• Ask for 15 to 30 minutes, be flexible on format and personalise your request.
• Prepare by researching them, but let the conversation flow.
• Thank them within a day or two, act on their advice, and update them later.

7. Keeping in touch and giving back

Most networks fade because people only get in touch when they need something. A simple system for staying in touch, and a habit of helping others, keeps relationships alive for years.

• Close the loop: tell people what you did with their help.
• Keep a simple contact list and set reminders to check in.
• Get in touch with a genuine reason, and keep it short.
• Give back by helping younger students, sharing useful things and volunteering.

8. Online networking etiquette

Online platforms let you reach people you might never meet in person. The same manners apply as face to face, plus a few extra rules about messages, privacy and safety. For setting up a LinkedIn profile, see the CVs and Interviews module.

• If you would not do it in person, do not do it online.
• Personalise every connection request and never ask for a job in a first message.
• Follow up once, then move on to more responsive people.
• Protect your privacy, and if you are under 18 keep a parent or guardian informed about adult contacts.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

1. What networking really is (and what it is not)
   • List 20 people you already know and note what each person does or studies. Circle three who work or study in an area that interests you.
   • Do one small helpful thing for someone in your network this week, such as sharing a resource, making an introduction or offering help with a subject.
   • Ask one family member or family friend how they got their first job, and write down one thing you learned.
2. Talking to new people at events: openers, exits and follow-up
   • Write and practise a 30-second introduction out loud three times, then try it on a friend or family member and ask for honest feedback.
   • Write three openers and one exit line on your phone notes so you have them ready for the next event, assembly or family gathering.
   • At your next school event, club meeting or community gathering, start one conversation with someone you do not know.
3. Career fairs and employer events at university
   • Find your school's or a local university's next careers or open-day event, and note the date in your calendar.
   • Pick three organisations you are curious about and write two specific questions for each, using the 'good questions' list.
   • Draft a short thank-you email template you can adapt after any fair or employer talk.
4. Finding a mentor and how to ask
   • Make a list of three possible mentors: one teacher or coach, one family contact, and one person a year or two ahead of you.
   • Draft a mentoring request using the five-part structure, and ask a parent, teacher or careers adviser to read it before you send it.
   • Write down two goals you would want a mentor to help with in the next six months.
5. Alumni networks and professional societies
   • Find out whether your target university (or your school) has an alumni platform or mentoring scheme, and note how students sign up.
   • Search for the professional body in a field that interests you and check whether it offers student or young-person membership and what it costs.
   • Look up the nearest UAE Youth Hub or a youth programme in your emirate and note one event or course you could attend.
6. Informational conversations and coffee chats
   • Choose one person (a family friend, teacher's contact or older student) whose path interests you and draft a coffee chat request using the example.
   • Write six questions for that conversation, then cross out any that the organisation's website already answers.
   • Draft a thank-you message template with a space for 'one thing I learned' and 'what I will do next'.
7. Keeping in touch and giving back
   • Start a simple contact list with at least five people who have helped you, with the date you last spoke and one next step for each.
   • Send one 'closing the loop' message to someone whose advice you acted on.
   • Offer to help one younger student with something you know well this month.
8. Online networking etiquette
   • Rewrite one generic connection request into a personalised one using the example structure.
   • Review your public social media profiles and remove anything you would not want a university or employer to see.
   • Join one online group or forum linked to a subject you enjoy, read it for a week, then make one helpful, professional contribution.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

Answer key

1. D: National Careers Service: if you feel nervous or shy, ask the other person a question about themselves; it takes pressure off you and shows interest.
2. D: MIT News: weak ties were better on average for job mobility, and usefulness peaked around 10 mutual connections rather than rising forever.
3. D: University of Bristol Careers Service: an elevator pitch should take around 30 seconds to 1 minute and cover your key skills, experiences and goals.
4. A: Duke Career Hub: listen for a few moments, wait for a pause, then ask whether you can join the conversation.
5. B: University of Bath: a fair is not an interview but a chance to find out more from people who work for the organisation.
6. B: UGA Career Center: pick your top 3 to 5 employers and research them.
7. C: Trinity College Dublin: 'Your mentor is your guide and helper, not your manager.'
8. A: Trinity College Dublin: do not ask for a job or internship, since mentors will likely decline.
9. B: Graduate Recruitment Bureau: send a small number of targeted messages, suggesting starting with three to five.
10. D: TARGETjobs quotes the Institution of Civil Engineers: student membership is often free.
11. B: Fordham Career Center: coffee chats are 10 to 30 minute conversations, not interviews.
12. B: UCSF: send a thank-you 1 to 2 days after the chat, referencing a specific takeaway.
13. D: UCL Careers: keep in touch, update your mentor on your progress and thank them for their help.
14. D: Fordham Career Center: after the first month, send a progress update every couple of months.
15. B: Washburn University Career Services: 'If you wouldn't do it in person, don't do it on LinkedIn.'
16. D: Washburn: customise your request instead of using the default message, keeping it brief, personalised and polite.

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/networking/