Networking is a two-way street that can put you in touch with possible mentors, employers, summer internship providers, graduate school professors, and peer professionals; but you must also be ready, and actively look, to return the favor. Networking is communicating with the purpose of achieving a career-related goal. It is not asking for a job. It is asking for advice and suggestions on areas that may include employment opportunities. Look out for possible contacts and remember to reciprocate when the time comes.  Additional tips on networking may be found at the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering and Applied Science career center.

Additional Online Resources

• SCCC Professional Association Directory
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Chapters
• American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapters
• ASME Student Center
• IEEE Student Concourse
• Mathematical Association of America Student Chapters
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Students
• Society of Physics Students
• The Minerals, Metals & Society's Student Chapters

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Profile Excerpts
The following excerpts from Cornerstone profiles address the importance of networking:

Michael W. Dawson, P.E.

Civil Engineer
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Sacramento, CA

"Networking has really helped me out a lot in my career, not only in finding new jobs, but in meeting contacts and helping out with marketing in my company. When I left Caltrans and decided to go into private industry, I was very involved in one of the local professional societies, American Society of Civil Engineers, and through one my contacts in that organization, I was able to find a job and move into private industry."
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Anne J. Gorczyca, P.E.
Assistant Area Construction Manager
Massachusetts Highway Department
Boston, MA

"I've started to network a lot more. And I am grateful that my boss, who I work for now, is very supportive of being involved in professional societies. I think involvement in student engineering societies is important and it's an important step but you're only going to get out of it what you put into it. If you have the ability to be active, to be either on one of the committees or get involved in inviting speakers to come and speak to your school, attending some of the conferences, I think that's very valuable."
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