How to network effectively? Lessons from a uni student
There’s this really popular sub-stack article that’s been showing up on instagram. The thesis of it is something like increasing your surface area for luck & that "luck" is not merely random, but a proactive pursuit where you increase the probability of serendipitous opportunities by doing more and sharing your passion, often summarized as Luck = (Doing) \(\times \) (Telling). By taking action and sharing your efforts, you expose yourself to more opportunities.
I 100% believe in it and want to share how it has put me in rooms with I’d never have access to/ given me crazy opportunities. Abit of background: I’m 22F university student.
First example: Career networking
Growing up, I used to think making connections are only done through formal networking events. I would go with friends, end up being one of the MANY forgettable people that talk to the HR and then told to apply for jobs on their portal. Honestly, I found those to be quite a waste of my time. So I thought, how do I meet the bosses/ the actual higher ups?
I started attending informal networking events instead. Those smaller, often invite-only events where there are drinks and activities like running, virtual golf, or trivia, and you end up talking to founders and CEOs in a completely different setting. For example, I’m into fintech, so when filling up the application forms I’d include my fintech extracurriculars and explain my interests genuinely. Out of 10 forms I’d probably only get into 3-4, but that’s good enough. I also started going alone no safety net of friends so everytime I went I was FORCED to make new connections.
The atmosphere at these events is completely different from formal networking ones. Attendees rarely enjoy talking about work here. It’s more of a social gathering for founders to meet each other. So you have to read the room and adjust accordingly. If they weren’t local founders, I’d ask about their hometowns, good spots to visit, or introduce them to amazing places in Singapore. There are even a few founders I’ve connected with on a more personal level; talking about life, relationships, the kind of conversations you’d have with a friend. A 15-minute pitch about why you want a job doesn’t work in these settings, but getting to know them as people and forming a genuine friendship does. Weeks later, you can bring up work or collaborations and they’d be more than happy to help.
Most of the time I wasn’t even going in looking for something specific honestly & I just loved meeting interesting, successful people. But months down the line I’d realise I needed advice or a connection, shoot them a message, and they’d reply warmly and be genuinely happy to help.
Second example: How hobbies/ interests help
I enjoy arts and culture and have visited quite a few museums and galleries around the world. I was always just a visitor, but I had this insatiable desire to understand the inspiration behind pieces, to talk to curators, to really get inside the world of it. Part of me also wants to collect art one day. So I thought: how do I actually get into spaces where I can meet these people, learn from them, and maybe one day do business with them?
I searched up a list of private art galleries in my country and put my email on their mailing lists. These galleries run a surprising number of events such as opening shows, foundation talks, special exhibitions and from being on their mailing list I was automatically invited to all of them. I was honestly scared at first because I didn’t have an arts background or any formal credentials, but I RSVP’d and showed up alone anyway.
The rooms at these events are usually filled with three types of people: curators and gallery owners, collectors and the ultra-wealthy, and artists looking for opportunities. Just by bonding genuinely over art, I’ve made friends in the collector crowd who know about my future profession in law and have introduced me to people in their network most of whom are owners/ decision-makers in their own right. From talking to curators and gallery owners, I’ve learned so much about the business side of art and built contacts I’ll reach out to when I’m ready to start collecting. From artists, I learn about their current passions, what’s trending, and again contacts for the future.
The beautiful thing is that by building connections in one space and leaving a good impression, people introduce you to others, invite you to more exclusive events, and the cycle repeats. This is the core of the article: continuously increasing your surface area for luck. Okay but I also think it’s not just luck either. I read extensively about art and culture and have a genuine passion for it. That authenticity is what makes people want to bring you further in.
Now think about your own passions and interests: how can you be more than just a consumer or a visitor?
Final note: just do it alone and scared.
The first few exclusive events I attended alone, I felt like a complete imposter. I would think what am I, a 20+ something university student, doing in a room with incredibly successful people who are three decades older and have built things I can only dream of? In fact most of the time, I was the ONLY university student in the room. But here’s what I’ve realised: they never see you that way. Nobody in that room is thinking you don’t belong. What they respond to is authenticity, someone genuinely there to learn and connect. It’s also a skill, and like any skill, it gets easier the more you practice it. The more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, the more your baseline shifts, the rooms you walk into change, and slowly without even realising it, conversation flows effortlessly and you’re able to talk to the most successful people in the world as though you’re already on your way there. So yes, go alone and scared!
Hope this helps anyone out there!