Haveo · Networking when you need a job

Networking while you are still studying

Being a student is the best position you will ever have for this. "I am a student trying to work out what to aim at" gets answered by people who ignore everyone else — because you are asking for advice rather than a job, and advice is easy to give.

Use the permission while it lasts

A student asking how someone got into their field is charming. The same question from a mid-career person is a networking request with all the friction that carries.

This window closes the month you graduate. Spend it.

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Alumni are the whole game

Shared university is the single most reliable reason a stranger replies. Most schools have a searchable alumni list, and LinkedIn will filter by it.

"I am at [university] now, doing [subject], and I saw you did the same" is a complete opening line.

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Ask for the route, not the role

"How did you get from a degree like mine to what you are doing?" is answerable and interesting to them.

"Do you have any openings?" is a question most people cannot answer and will not enjoy receiving.

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Do things that are visible

A project, a society you actually run, something you built and published. It is the fastest way to have something to talk about that is not your coursework.

It also solves the real problem of student networking, which is not access but having anything specific to say.

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Career fairs are practice, not the goal

Go, get names, and treat the conversations as reps. The applications still go through the website, and the value is the name you can put in them.

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Rehearse it before you walk in.

Haveo builds your intro, lets you practice out loud with an AI coach, and keeps your notes one tap away in the room. Free on iPhone and iPad.

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Common questions

Is it too early in first year?
No, and it is the easiest time. Nobody expects a first-year to know what they want, so the conversations are genuinely low stakes.
What if I have no experience to talk about?
Talk about what you are curious about instead. "I am trying to work out whether X or Y" is a better conversation than a thin resume.
Do professors count?
Very much. They have decades of former students in industry and they are rarely asked. Ask who they would put you in touch with.
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