Here you’ll find guidelines for building your professional network and connecting with mentors. For industry-specific advice, be sure to check out the Career Communities.
Networking
Your network—genuine relationships based on trust and mutual respect—will help you expand your knowledge, discover opportunities, increase your visibility, and support your professional growth.
Gain support, build skills, learn valuable professional and academic insights, and identify your goals with the help of a mentor. Grinnellians love to help other Grinnellians! Click here for information about MentorGrinnell and Meetups. Visit Connecting with Grinnell Alumni to learn more.
Networking on LinkedIn: Advice for Students
College students with LinkedIn Profiles can use the site to build a professional network, see real-time job alerts, be discovered by prospective employers, do research to prepare for interviews, and demonstrate dedication to pursuing a career or making a name for themselves in an industry. Getting started with LinkedIn is easy. Here are some resources to help you get and stay LinkedIn.
- Learning LinkedIn (video course, 2021) takes you step-by-step through setting up a profile.
- Rock Your Profile (webinar) helps you tell your story on LinkedIn. Make sure you have an established profile first.
- Leveraging LinkedIn: How to Use LinkedIn This Summer (PowerPoint from CLS workshop)
- Connect with Grinnell Alums on LinkedIn (CLS Essentials Video)
- Find Grinnell Alums on LinkedIn
- Network within Grinnell College (link to the official GC page on LinkedIn)
- How to Communicate Effectively on LinkedIn (handout)
- Quick tips for building a great student profile (handout)
- LinkedIn: Creating Your Profile (general getting started video)
- Using LinkedIn Effectively (a quick guide to using LinkedIn/video)
- Ready to level up? Read 20 Steps to a Better LinkedIn Profile
Second-year students, save the date for the evening of Friday, November 7 and all-day Saturday, November 8, 2025!
Located on the Grinnell College campus, the Second-Year Spotlight brings together our best resources – our alumni paired with networking opportunities and tools …
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Congratulations. You found a job of interest to you, applied, were granted an interview, and were interviewed. You’ve got a ways to go before you get hired, but how do you increase your chances of advancing from your first interview …
