An estimated 80% of jobs are never advertised. Networking allows you to tap into this hidden job market. Develop a bank of contacts. Think of everyone you meet as a potential networking contact.*
*Source: “The Hidden Job Market: How 80% of Jobs Are Never Advertised,” Telescope Recruitment, LinkedIn Pulse, March 18, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden-job-market-how-80-jobs-never-x6k6c
Use social media
- Keep your Facebook clean and free of anything potentially incriminating
- Be cautious and assume anything you post to the internet can be viewed by anyone
- Google yourself to see what you find
- Check your privacy settings often
- Learn how to use LinkedIn to grow your network. Consider keeping your professional network on LinkedIn and your social network elsewhere
- Join our LinkedIn group to connect with employers and career coaches
Develop an elevator pitch.
An elevator pitch is a 60-second “commercial” you can use when introducing yourself to recruiters or potential connections at career fairs, professional meetings, or conferences. Share 1-2 key skills or a past internship experience to help explain how your skills fit their needs.
Conduct informational interviews
Contact people in your intended field to conduct informational interviews. This is a great way to learn more about someone’s company or career path! Be prepared with specific questions you want to ask in a 20-30 minute period: What skill sets do you use most in your job? How do most people enter this field? Given my background, what type of position in this field might I reasonably target? What criteria do you use for hiring at my level? Use this guide to help you with conducting an informational interview.
Connect with alumni
Connecting with App State alumni can be one of the best ways of growing your network! They have been in your place and are often happy to help students interested in similar career paths.
- Connect with the Appalachian State University Alumni Association on LinkedIn and Facebook.
- You can send messages to alumni who are on Handshake to get your career-related questions answered.
- Use Ask A Mountaineer to send questions to alumni.
Interested in hearing from past alumni? See where an App State degree can take you and read other alumni success stories.
