Casual Networking

When I got into Penn in Washington, I figured the tough part was over. Pretty quickly, I realized the harder part was actually getting started. I knew I had to write cover letters, get ready for interviews, and somehow “network,” but I didn’t really know what that looked like in real life. I kept putting it off because it all felt a little intimidating.

Then something simple ended up changing everything. After my Legal Studies class one day, I stayed for a minute to ask my professor about an in-class exercise. We talked about the assignment, then about some of his research, and eventually I mentioned that I’d be in D.C. the next semester and was trying to narrow down what kind of work I wanted to do. I told him I was interested in politics, law, and especially the world of campaign finance.

He paused for a second and said he served on the board of a think tank that worked on those exact issues. I looked it up later and it was basically the perfect match for what I’d been hoping to find. I hadn’t planned on getting career advice that day. I was literally just asking about a class activity.

That conversation showed me something I hadn’t understood before. Networking doesn’t have to be a big, stressful performance. Sometimes it’s just talking to people you already see every week and being honest about what you’re interested in. Penn is full of professors and mentors who want to help. You just have to give yourself the space to connect with them.

- Robin A.