Today’s university students are incredibly socially connected, and I have witnessed genius-level capabilities when it comes to building and cultivating their social network and digital identity. Yet, many struggle with leveraging their social networking skills for business purposes.
As a professor of data science at UC Berkeley as well as professor of machine learning and autonomous systems at Kansas State University, I noticed this paradoxical phenomenon at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Despite all their social media presence and know-how, it is less likely for their professional LinkedIn profile to be as well developed if at all.
One benefit of the student experience at a university is the networking potential. Indeed, there are a multitude of career services and resources. As a faculty member, I recognize that for some students, the university or program’s reach still may not be enough. In an effort to increase as many students’ networks as possible, I work to cultivate relationships both in the classroom and outside of the university ecosystem. Here are some practical strategies for aiding my students’ digital networking that I have used and that can be applied to a wide variety of programs:
Invite Industry Leaders to Class
One approach I have used to improve my students’ connection to the industry is inviting Industry Advisory Board members into the digital classroom as guest speakers and to have them review student projects and presentations. IAB members are great at connecting learning content, classroom projects, and use cases. The industry connection was useful for the students and the IAB members in developing a real, professional working relationship on course projects, but the challenge is keeping that connection going after the class has ended. I have also found that the quality of my students’ presentations increased when they knew that an industry professional would be attending!
Leverage LinkedIn
As part of the preparation phase prior to a guest speaker’s talk, I have had each student create and/or update their LinkedIn profile. Each student was required to list their URL link to their LinkedIn profile on all of their project presentations. Integrating a professional networking mechanism that allowed for a student to link to a veteran IAB board member was a great way to jump start their professional networking in a digital space.
IAB member connections within the classroom are mutually beneficial and purposeful as the board members are in the industry and eager for new talent. They get to see students’ actual work product, ask questions, and interact with one another. Additionally, oftentimes IAB members are highly motivated networkers and usually share connections with others in their own professional network. One connection can go a long way to exposing graduating students to so many more professionals.
By creating opportunities for students to network with industry professionals, the students expand their reach, become even more enmeshed in the current industry trends, and have a safe practice with communicating their new knowledge with professionals who are outside of their comfort zone of the class.
A simple share of a LinkedIn profile and a chance to speak with industry professionals in an intimate setting like the digital classroom can make all the difference in giving your students a much needed “in” to their new careers.
Grow your network by joining our Faculty Enrichment group on LinkedIn here.
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