There are several advantages to using online resources for your career thinking and planning:

• You can draw on the wisdom of crowds at different stages of their own careers 
• You can talk to people in online spaces such as LinkedIn, which they already use for work purposes
• You can even get headhunted without having to reply to job ads

Getting started

To succeed in managing your career online, it is helpful to make a plan before you start. Think about what you want to achieve, for example finding out more about a specific organisation, or exploring a general area of work.

LinkedIn and Sussex Connect– built for career networking

LinkedIn is the obvious platform for career-related networking. You can find job ads, as well as useful features such as the excellent Sussex Alumni page. Whatever type of work you are interested in, there is bound to be someone on LinkedIn from that area. To get started, you need to build up a profile – look at this guide from LinkedIn. 

Sussex Connect is the University’s own eMentoring and networking social platform. You can connect with hundreds of Sussex students and alumni to share your experiences, make valuable contacts and find jobs. 

What to say

Once you have found someone who is happy to talk to you, your previous planning should help you decide what to ask them. You may want to ask questions such as:

• What roles do graduates have in your organisation?
• How important is it to get a postgraduate qualification?
• Where could my salary be in about five years?
• How much experience do I need to land a paying graduate job, rather than an internship?

Avoid going straight to ‘can I have a job?’ – you want to start a conversation, not go begging.

A few tips for networking via social media:

• Start by following influencers in the fields which interest you
• Get a feel for the issues which are being talked about
• Interact with people you follow – asking questions about their own career path is a good starting point
• Build on the conversation from there, and you will have useful contacts who know who you are

How to keep the conversation going

Once you have started building up your network, keep in touch with updates about your progress, questions about current issues – anything which keeps the conversation going (without overloading them). You can start to be clearer about asking for work experience or other opportunities – on a virtual basis if necessary.

Put your new plans into action at Make it Happen 2022

The Make it Happen series of events throughout March give you an ideal opportunity to put the new virtual networking tips you’ve learned into action. Hear from and speak to Sussex alumni in virtual panel events about how they got into the sectors they now work in, and the steps they took to get there.

All speakers are encouraged to sign up to Sussex Connect after the events so you’ll also have a chance to continue your conversations online afterwards.