Tips on Networking and Informational Interviews
Networking and informational interviews are ways to find out about career options and cultivate relationships with people who can be helpful to you professionally.
- Expanding Career Networks (webinar from the Higher Education Recruitment Consortia)
- Writing an Introductory Email (Paula Wisehart explains how to write someone you don't know — yet)
- Mastering the Informational Interview (Shifting Careers blog via the New York Times)
- Steps to Conducting Effective Informational Interviews (from the Georgia Tech Career Center)
- Tooling Up (series by David Jensen)
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Networking Opportunities in Atlanta
- Meet Other Georgia Tech Postdocs
- Upcoming networking events are announced on the events feed and via our e-newsletter.
- Check out these postdoc and graduate student groups:
- Meet Colleagues
- Professional Societies. Ask colleagues if there's a local chapter of a relevant professional society.
- Talks and Conferences. Check the Georgia Tech Events Calendar for events of interest.
- Science Cafes. These events combine socializing with short scientific talks:
- Meet People with Similar Backgrounds and Interests
- Alumni Groups. Look for the Atlanta alumni chapter for your alma matter.
- Employee Resource Groups. These voluntary employee associations have been designed to offer forums where like-minded employees can feel valued, respected, and celebrated.
- Meetup Groups. Meetup helps people with shared interests plan offline events. You can find groups that focus on a discipline such as data science, running groups, book clubs, social groups, and much more.
- Volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to network and develop soft skills. Here are a few places to start looking for an opportunity that interests you:
- At Georgia Tech
- Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC). CEISMC is a partnership uniting Tech with educational groups, schools, corporations, and opinion leaders throughout the state of Georgia.
- Community Relations. Check out the K-12 and Beyond Booklet for a list of outreach programs on campus.
- Mobilizing Opportunities for Volunteer Experiences (MOVE). MOVE exists to serve the community as a whole by facilitating service activities by Tech's faculty, staff, and students.
- Atlanta Science Festival. A week-long celebration of local science and technology, held each spring.
- Hands on Atlanta. Offers many community service opportunities.
- National Postdoctoral Association. An organization that offers volunteer opportunities in advocacy and education, resource development, and community building for postdocs on the national level.
- At Georgia Tech
Networking Online
- LinkedIn. LinkedIn can be a great way to make new connections and keep track of the ones you already have. Try searching for LinkedIn groups that interest you, and get involved in the discussions.
- Twitter
- 10 Commandments of Twitter for Academics (article from Chronicle)
- Social Media for Scientists (article from Scientific American Blogs)
- Guide for Academics on Using Twitter (article from PLOS SciComm)
Join the Georgia Tech Postdocs Newsletter
The Office of Postdoctoral Services sends weekly newsletters that include information about events, fellowships, and other opportunities of interest to postdocs. You are welcome to subscribe to the newsletter. You may also want to ask your colleagues or unit administrator(s) if there are any mailing lists managed by the unit that would be useful for you to subscribe to.