Being an adoptee from China didn’t just impact my passion for building inclusive communities — it ignited it. My dream was battle-tested as I grew up, switching schools multiple times, dealing with bullying, and ultimately leaving college early to finish online due to my living situation.
Instead of extinguishing my spirit, these experiences crystallized into a unique superpower: I now understood how to use my voice as an agent for positive change.
I’ve persuaded tech executives to crown the mental health nonprofit I founded with an award, encouraged others to speak up in class, and ultimately landed multiple internships and jobs.
I’m now 23, and I’ve secured three internship offers at Bank of America, received offers from multiple startups, and became the first product manager at SeekOut through networking alone. I’ve landed eight roles in total, both temporary and permanent.
Here are my top three tips to channel your voice to maximize your networking.
1. Master cold outreach
I didn’t attend a top school for computer science. Knowing I probably couldn’t rely on my environment for an abundance of career opportunities, I created my own.
My first goal was to get a summer internship. I joined free online career communities, such as Rewriting the Code, to meet other ambitious students. I also emailed my favorite professors to inquire about research internships and consistently posted on LinkedIn. This extremely simple concept of asking for what you want and expressing who you are accelerated my career growth.
If you don’t know where to start, first identify your top career goal and then write a message to someone who can potentially help. Crafting the ideal message requires three simple steps that I honed for years:
- Introduce yourself as who you want to be
- Concise is key — no busy person has time to read multiple paragraphs
- Include a call-to-action as a question that creates a win-win situation
Many say cold outreach is a numbers game and you just get lucky. While it is a numbers game, solidifying the right approach matters, too. If you follow the three steps and reach out to people on LinkedIn, via email, and other platforms, you’ll get closer and closer to your dream career opportunity.
2. Skip school career fairs and attend specialized events instead
My hot take is that most school career fairs won’t truly level up your career. If you have ambitious goals, I recommend meeting actual hiring decision-makers at in-person tech events. San Francisco and NYC offer panels, fireside chats, hackathons, and mixers. You can find these events on apps like Luma or Meetup, and by following LinkedIn Top Voices.
Founders at tech companies can make invaluable introductions, invite you to join their teams as an intern, invest in your ideas, or even mentor you. I attended the free Harvard Women in Entrepreneurship fireside chat with the nonprofit Foundess and connected with multiple clients seeking career coaching.
I teach this approach because many driven students and job seekers don’t try it, which means competition can be nearly nonexistent. Always try to meet the speakers, introduce yourself, and casually mention that you’re looking for your next career move. I’ve seen multiple people succeed with this strategy and eventually land great opportunities.
3. Be a ‘go-giver’
Being a go-giver is a highly underrated hack. If you want to meet decision-makers who can unlock your next career opportunity, ask to interview your role models for your newsletter, podcast, blog, or community.
By giving first, you build genuine connections, strengthen your personal brand, and gain real experience for your résumé. This strategy costs nothing but can dramatically expand both your network and your net worth.
I’m currently a founding team member at Start Your Fashion Business Academy, where we help driven women leave their 9-5s and start fashion empires. These three tips collectively advanced my career in ways I never would’ve imagined.
Abigayle Peterson is a former product manager and founder. Find her on LinkedIn and at [email protected].
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