How to Develop Networking Skills and Be the Most Charming Person in the Room

“Networking” still sounds like something that requires a name tag and a slightly forced smile. But it doesn’t have to be.

Let’s be honest: the word “networking” tends to evoke a very specific image, stiff receptions, questionable cheese cubes, and someone asking you, “So, what’s your dissertation about?” while glancing at the exit. But networking in academia doesn’t have to feel like an awkward party where everyone is secretly wishing they were back in their hotel room, grading papers.

At its best, academic networking is less about selling yourself and more about showing up, staying curious, and building relationships that aren’t transactional but conversational.

 

So how do we network?

While some skills are taught in classrooms, social skills are learned through experience- by observing peers, engaging with seniors and navigating real-world situations. Networking falls firmly into the latter category. Though widely discussed in academic and professional circles, it’s rarely ever taught. It’s assumed to be something we’ll “pick up along the way.” But not everyone is naturally inclined to socialize or initiate conversations, especially in unfamiliar settings, discussing topics they know little about. However, networking is too important a skill to be left to chance and unlike some other tasks, we cannot delegate building genuine connections and advocating for ourselves, to others. So the good news? This skill can be learned and honed with the right strategies, mindset, and tools. And when done well, it not only gives you a professional edge but can also enrich your personal life in unexpected ways.

So here are two key steps to networking at any academic setting:

 

Step 1: Identify ‘why’ you want to network?

Before diving into conversations, take a moment to reflect on ‘why’ you are networking in the first place. Summarised below are the three most important reasons to network in academia.

Research opportunities and academic advancement

At its core, science is collaborative. Networking allows researchers to access expertise and resources beyond their own labs by outsourcing complex methodologies such as proteomics or advanced imaging to collaborators who specialize in them. It can also lead to invitations to visit other laboratories, invitations to speak at conferences, contribute to special issues or book chapters, and even co-edit academic volumes (Faria & Goel, 2010). Many of today’s breakthroughs are happening at the intersection of disciplines and strong networks are crucial for initiating interdisciplinary research collaborations. Whether it’s combining plant biology with computational modeling, or molecular genetics with ecology, these partnerships often begin with a simple conversation at a conference coffee break or a post-seminar chat. So, a well-established network can significantly accelerate career progression (Goel & Grimpe, 2013). Connections within your field can alert you to job openings, editorial internships and funding opportunities before they are formally announced. These informal channels of communication thus often provide the edge in applying for opportunities earlier.

Creative Inspiration and Feedback
Academic networking also supports intellectual growth. By engaging with peers, you get feedback that challenges your assumptions, refines your ideas and improves your work. It is part of a wider scientific communication system, where ideas and discoveries are continually exchanged, critiqued and evolved (Faria & Goel, 2010).

Social and Emotional Support
Finally, networking fulfills a fundamental human need: connection. Academia can be isolating, especially during long research phases or transitions between career stages. Building relationships with fellow researchers fosters a sense of community and shared purpose. Hearing other’s stories of failure, resilience, and discovery, can be deeply validating (Borger, 2024). These social interactions not only make academic life more enjoyable but also help combat the loneliness that often accompanies it, reminding us that we’re not navigating this journey alone.

Having clarity on your goals will guide who you approach, what questions you ask, and how you present yourself at any conference. This sense of purpose makes networking feel more authentic and less performative. It also helps you conserve your energy and focus on the most meaningful conversations. Whether you’re a first-year PhD student or tenured and thriving, chances are your best ideas, projects, and opportunities will come not just from what you know, but from who you know, how and where you know them from.

Once you know your “why,” the next step is to align your approach to networking accordingly.

 

Step 2: Know where to network and optimize your approach

Networking is not one-size-fits-all. How you connect with others could be shaped by your objective, personality, career-stage, cultural background or even gender and social identity. For example, if you’re job hunting, it’s wise to do your homework before the event. Look up the list of attending faculty or researchers (most international conferences publish speaker lists online ahead of time). Read a few recent papers from their lab, so that you can start conversations from an informed and thoughtful place. It is also alright to ask a generic question like “What do you work on?”, or something specific like “I read your recent work on [topic]—I found it incredibly relevant to my own project on [your topic]” and then elaborate your thoughts.

On the other hand, if your goal is to expand your network within your field, focus on peer-to-peer engagement. Spot your peers by their name tags (some conferences provide different colour tags for graduate students, postdocs and professors), let others know what you’re working on, and invite them to your poster/talk. One of the most effective tools here is to prepare a well-crafted elevator pitch in advance- a concise summary of you & your research such that it sparks curiosity and makes others want to know more. This approach not only helps you build professional relationships but also helps you practice communicating your science clearly- an invaluable skill for any researcher. By defining your purpose and tailoring your approach, you can make conference networking more purposeful, engaging, and impactful.

In the figure below, we outline some common networking goals to help you identify yours and share a practical toolkit to help you network.

Knowing how to network is only half the story. Being in the right place (whether physical or virtual) at the right time is equally important. So let’s look at some places where real, human academic connections are hiding in plain sight.

Conferences: Where Research Meets Small Talk

Conferences are basically the academic Olympics: everyone’s performing their intellectual best, dressed slightly more professionally than usual, and running between events with tote bags and caffeine. But beneath the surface of PowerPoint transitions and poster sessions is something much more valuable, people looking to connect. Some of the most enduring connections happen at conference dinners, or while split between panels wondering if anyone else is also lost. Be it the informal chats while in line for coffee or spontaneous debates after talks, all carry more lasting weight than the presentations themselves. These casual moments foster trust, authenticity, and often, collaboration. If you want to get an interesting overview on connection dynamics in conferences, we would suggest giving Génois et al. (2019), a read.

Tip: Keep your name badge on, keep your mind open, and go to that dinner. Even if the food is questionable, the company might not be, and remember the power of the first 30 Seconds aka first impressions.

 

Department Events: Your Backyard Matters

Before you start booking cross-country flights, consider this: some of the most useful academic connections are right down the hall. Seminars, journal clubs, and interdisciplinary mixers aren’t just academic chores, they’re prime chances to connect. Informal, internal academic networks can introduce you to colleagues whose career journeys offer valuable insights. Conversations with them can help you reflect on your own trajectory, discover new opportunities, and identify concrete steps others are taking to advance in career- steps you might consider adopting yourself. Plus, let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to follow up with someone when they share a hallway.

Tip: Say ‘yes’ to local events. The people you see regularly might just be your most consistent allies, mentors and potential co-authors.

 

Online Platforms: The Digital Water Cooler

Contrary to popular belief, Twitter or X, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and academic Slack channels aren’t just communication tools, but they’re actual spaces where research is discussed, collaborations are initiated, and reputations are built, sometimes 280 characters at a time. Studies show that the “moderately weak ties”- those loser online connections, often prove more powerful than close-knit ones when it comes to finding opportunities or obtaining a mutant strain for your research. Online platforms expand your reach far beyond your institution and discipline. Liu et al. (2012), Association for Computing Machinery, introduce a new concept of networking, event-based social network (EBSN) that links online interactions with offline activities.

Tip: Don’t lurk forever. Post a preprint. Share someone else’s work. Ask a good question. Treat it like a faculty lounge with better lighting.

 

Final Thoughts: Build Connections, Not Just Contacts

Good networking isn’t about handing out business cards or angling for an invitation to the “right” table, it’s about showing up as a human first. The most memorable conversations often happen when you’re not trying to impress, but simply being curious, kind, and open to listening. That said, it’s impossible to ignore that access to networks in academia isn’t evenly distributed. Some doors open more easily for those with well-connected mentors, familiar surnames, or prestigious affiliations. For early-career researchers, especially women and others from underrepresented backgrounds, breaking into established circles can feel like pushing on a door that only opens from the inside. This is where we all have a role to play. If you’re further along in your career, make space for others. Introduce newer researchers to your peers. Invite someone new to your lunch table at a conference. The culture of academic networking shifts when we choose to open doors for each other, not just ourselves.

For those just starting out: You don’t need to be the loudest voice in the room to make an impression. Ask thoughtful questions. Follow up with a kind message. Let people know what excites you about your work. Charm isn’t about being slick—it’s about being sincere. Because in the end, networking isn’t about climbing ladders, it’s about building bridges. And the best networks? They’re made up of people who remember how it felt to be on the other side.

 

References:

Borger, J. G. (2024). The power of networking in science and academia. Immunology & Cell Biology, 102(10), 871–877. https://doi.org/10.1111/imcb.12832

Faria, J. R., & Goel, R. K. (2010). Returns to networking in academia. NETNOMICS: Economic Research and Electronic Networking, 11(2), 103–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11066-010-9048-z

Génois, M., Vestergaard, C. L., Fournet, J., Panisson, A., & Barrat, A. (2019). Building connections: How scientists meet each other during a conference. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1901.01182

Goel, R. K., & Grimpe, C. (2013). Active versus passive academic networking: Evidence from micro-level data. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 38(2), 116–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-011-9236-5

Liu, D., Tang, J., Jin, X., Zhang, Y., & Chawla, N. V. (2012). Event-based social networks: Linking the online and offline social worlds. In Proceedings of the 18th ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD ’12) (pp. 1032–1040). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/2339530.2339693

 

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About the Authors

Katarina Kurtović

Katarina is a final-year PhD student at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic and a 2025 Plantae Fellows. Her research focuses on the evolution of phytohormone auxin transport and response in algal relatives of land plants. When not in the lab, she teaches yoga, goes on hikes, plays with her cat, and visits Croatia where she is from. X: @kat_kurtovic.

Nibedita Priyadarshini

Nibedita is an algal biologist, and a 2024 Plantae Fellow. She has a passion for turning the world into her personal petri dish! When she’s not busy peering through microscopes or waxing poetic about the wonders of plant research, you can find her charming everyone with her quirky sense of humor and an uncanny ability to make phytohormones sound like the coolest party in town. You can find her on X: @nivi_pri.

Rini Rahiman

Rini is a research fellow at the National University of Singapore and a 2025 Plantae Fellows.  Her research focuses on how environmental factors, such as light and temperature, influence the formation and patterning of stomata on the leaf epidermis. At her core, She is a passionate molecular biologist who also deeply enjoys teaching and sharing knowledge! You can find her on X: @rini_rahiman.