Strategic Networking
Coursera
University of Minnesota course for graduate students and postdocs on building a professional network. Three modules cover network mapping, elevator pitches, informational interviews, and strategies introverts can use to sustain connections without exhausting themselves.
More resources on Networking
linkedin.com
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform where you can connect with colleagues, explore jobs, and share insights. It features user profiles, company pages, articles, and LinkedIn Learning courses that cover networking skills and other career topics.
meetup.com
Meetup is a platform for discovering and creating local groups and events to connect with like-minded people, helping you grow your network. Browse group pages, RSVP to events, and participate in discussions to build professional and social connections.
Never Eat Alone
Ferrazzi's account of relationship-building as a career discipline, drawn from his own rise through Deloitte and Starwood. Covers reciprocity, warm introductions, follow-up systems and the mindset shifts that separate genuine connection from transactional contact-collecting.
The 20-Minute Networking Meeting
A five-step script for the informational interview, written by two executive recruiters. Readers get a repeatable meeting structure covering agenda, questions, the referral ask, and follow-up, designed to reach the hidden job market efficiently.
mindtools.com
Mind Tools offers practical business and management resources—articles, templates, checklists, and self-assessments—covering business communication, leadership, teamwork, meetings, and professional writing.
Networking Like a Pro
Written by the founder of BNI and two of its trainers, this covers referral networking as a system: choosing the right groups, tracking a contact sphere, and converting acquaintances into a steady referral pipeline.