How to Build a Professional Network as a Student

Someone has told you to “start networking” and you don't quite know what that means. The idea sounds either pushy (cold-DMing strangers on LinkedIn) or vague (“go to events”). Neither feels good.

There is a better starting point, and it comes from a 1973 sociology paper that has been cited tens of thousands of times since. The most useful career connections you have are not your closest friends. They are your acquaintances, your former classmates, the alum you met once at an event, the older student in your studievereniging. The people in adjacent circles to yours, not in the middle of yours.

This guide builds on that idea. It covers what “network” actually means at the student stage, the five channels Dutch and international students in the Netherlands have access to, and what pays off when. It is not a list of LinkedIn tactics. Most of what works for a 20-year-old happens in person, on a campus, in a studievereniging room or a faculty committee meeting.

TL;DR

The most useful job leads come from acquaintances, not close friends (Granovetter, 1973). "Networking" for students is mostly about widening your circle of acquaintances, not about being clever or pushy. Five main channels are available to NL students: classmates and study cohort, studieverenigingen (study associations), gezelligheidsverenigingen and disputen, professors and alumni, and internships or committee work. International students have full access to studieverenigingen, ESN, AEGEE, and most committee work. Gezelligheidsverenigingen are often Dutch-language and time-intensive but worth knowing about. Most of what you do as a student pays off in 2-5 years, not 2-5 weeks. The classmate next to you in tutorial today is the hiring manager who replies to your message in 2030.

In 1973, sociologist Mark Granovetter published a paper called “The Strength of Weak Ties” in the American Journal of Sociology. It is now one of the most-cited papers in the social sciences. The core finding has held up for 50 years.

Granovetter studied 282 men in the United States to find out how they got their current jobs. He expected close friends and family (“strong ties”) to be the dominant source. They weren't. Acquaintances and loose connections (“weak ties”) gave more useful job leads. People who got their job through a strong tie were also more likely to have had a period of unemployment between jobs than people who used weak ties.

Why this happens

Your close friends mostly know what you know. They went to the same lectures. They read the same group chats. They share your circle. So the information they have about jobs and opportunities overlaps heavily with what you already know.

Your weak ties are different. The classmate you sit next to in one tutorial each week. The alum you met for ten minutes at a careers event. The older student in your studievereniging who graduated last year. They live in slightly different worlds and see opportunities you wouldn't otherwise hear about.

What this means for a student

Networking as a student is mostly about widening the number of weak ties you have. Not about strengthening the strong ones (those will form on their own through the daily life of your degree). The practical implication: meeting 50 people once is more useful than meeting 5 people ten times.

This also reframes what “good at networking” means. It is not about being charming or extroverted. It is about showing up in places where there are lots of weakly-connected people, being recognisable, and being someone others can place a couple of years later when they need to.

The five networks, side by side

Classmates and study cohort. The 30 to 200 people in your year of your degree. The time cost is already paid, you see them anyway. The payoff lands most at year 5 and beyond, when classmates become hiring managers.

Studievereniging (study association). A course-specific student association running career events, mentorship, and company visits. Time cost is low to medium: membership is cheap, committees take more. Pays off in years 2 to 4, in internships, traineeships, and the first job.

Gezelligheidsvereniging or dispuut. Traditional NL student associations and their closed sub-clubs. Time cost is high: time, money, and an intense intro period. The payoff is a lifelong network, particularly strong in NL elite professions.

Professors and alumni. Your faculty's teaching staff and former students. Time cost is low if used well, often one coffee, one email. Pays off at the internship and first-job stages.

Internships and committee work. Real work alongside professionals or fellow committee members. Time cost is medium to high, a real investment. Pays off across years 2 to 10. Internship contacts often become referees and referrers later in your career.

These are not exclusive. A typical student picks two or three of these to invest in. The trick is not trying to do all five at once.

Almost every degree programme in the Netherlands has its own studievereniging. It is a student-run association tied to one specific study (psychology, economics, civil engineering, history, and so on). Membership is usually 20 to 40 euros per year and gets you a lot of things that have direct career value.

What studieverenigingen actually do

• Career events and company visits. The bigger studieverenigingen run dozens of these per year, with employers ranging from Big 4 to consulting to local companies relevant to the field.
• Older-student mentorship. Members in their final year often informally help younger members with course choices, internship hunts, and CV reviews.
• CV books and recruiter access. Some studieverenigingen publish a yearly book of member CVs that goes to partner employers, which is a low-effort way to get on a recruiter's list.
• Inhouse days and case events. Day-long visits to a single employer, with a small group of students. Highly effective for getting names and faces.
• Course-related social life. Drinks, dinners, study trips. The friendly side.

How to find yours

Search for the name of your degree programme plus “studievereniging” or “study association.” Almost every NL university has a directory. Some examples to recognise the pattern: Asset (Tilburg, economics and business), Sefa (UvA, economics), Aenorm (UvA, econometrics), MIS (RUG, international business), Panacea (RUG, medicine), JFV Groningen (RUG, law).

If you are at a research university (WO), the studievereniging is almost always at the level of a single bachelor or master programme. If you are at a hogeschool (HBO), the equivalent often sits at faculty level rather than programme level.

For international students

Studieverenigingen for English-taught programmes typically operate in English. For Dutch-taught programmes, they almost always operate in Dutch. If your programme is English-taught, the studievereniging is one of the most accessible NL networks for you, often more so than for Dutch students at the same university (international cohorts tend to be smaller and tighter).

How to actually use it

Sign up early in your degree, ideally in year 1. Show up at one or two events per semester. You don't need to join a committee, although doing so for one year is the single best CV signal in this category. The committee work shows up as concrete leadership experience and gives you a small set of stronger ties on top of the wider weak-tie network.

“Gezelligheidsverenigingen” translates roughly as “social associations,” but that undersells them. The bigger ones (often called the “corps” in casual conversation) are some of the most established institutions in Dutch student life. Some are over 200 years old. Members tend to keep ties for life. The alumni networks are strong, particularly in fields like banking, law, consulting, and politics.

Examples to recognise

• Vindicat atque Polit (Groningen). The corps in Groningen, founded 1815. Known for traditional culture and the largest alumni network in the north of the Netherlands.
• L.S.V. Minerva (Leiden). Founded 1814, the oldest in the country. Famous alumni include the King.
• L.V.V.S. Augustinus (Leiden). Large traditional association, broader appeal than Minerva.
• ASC/AVSV (Amsterdam Studenten Corps and the women's equivalent). The Amsterdam corps.
• USC (Utrechtsch Studenten Corps). The Utrecht corps.
• D.S.C. (Delftsch Studenten Corps). The Delft corps, particularly relevant in engineering.

Within most of these, there are also disputen: closed sub-associations within the larger corps. A dispuut is essentially a small group of 20 to 60 members who eat together, drink together, and stay in touch for decades. Most of the lifelong network value of a corps actually flows through the dispuut, not the umbrella association.

What you actually get

A real, durable network. Members tend to keep close ties for life. Reunions are well-attended decades after graduation. In specific NL professions (corporate law, banking, consulting), being a corps alum can be a meaningful soft signal in hiring conversations, and dispuut alums often quietly help each other with career moves.

You also get a lot of friends, a social structure for the rest of your degree, and the cultural experience of being part of a centuries-old institution. The non-career side is often what current members value most.

The honest downsides

• Time. Joining is rarely a part-time commitment. Especially in the first year as a member.
• Money. Membership fees, plus dispuut fees, plus drinks rounds, plus events, plus often a sub-association sport. Several hundred euros per year is normal; sometimes more.
• The introduction period (ontgroening). Most corps have an intense intro period for new members. This has historically included hazing-style elements at some associations, with periodic public scandals (Vindicat in particular has had several over the years). Reform has happened at most associations, but the experience varies and is not for everyone. Read recent news coverage of the specific association before deciding.
• Social culture. The traditional culture works for some students and feels alien to others. There is no shame in deciding it is not your thing.

For international students

Most gezelligheidsverenigingen operate in Dutch. Some have international-friendly sub-associations or English-speaking disputen, but the centre of gravity is Dutch-language. If you are an international student looking for the lifelong-network angle, you are usually better served by a strong studievereniging plus serious committee work plus alumni connections, which collectively cover similar ground.

Outside the studievereniging-and-corps split, there is a big middle layer of associations that are more international, more cause-driven, or more practical. Most are open to anyone.

ESN (Erasmus Student Network)

Present in 18 NL university cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Groningen, Leiden, Delft, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Tilburg, Wageningen, Twente, and others). Originally focused on supporting incoming exchange students; now a wide social network with weekly events, day trips, parties, buddy systems, and more.

ESN is an excellent first network for international students. Cheap membership (around 5-10 euros per year). English-language by default. Easy entry. The committee structure (events, communications, partnerships, treasury) gives you concrete leadership experience that translates well to a CV.

It is also a good network for Dutch students who want a more international friend group than the studievereniging or gezelligheidsvereniging would provide.

AEGEE (European Students' Forum)

AEGEE is a sister organisation to ESN focused on European integration, civic engagement, and youth policy. Smaller than ESN in NL but well-established in cities like Utrecht, Delft, and Amsterdam. The CV signal is strong if you want a career in EU institutions, public policy, or international affairs.

Faculty boards and course committees

Every Dutch faculty has a faculty board (faculteitsraad) and most degree programmes have a course committee (opleidingscommissie). These exist to give students a formal voice in faculty governance. They are typically modest time commitments (one meeting per month is common), and they put you face-to-face with senior faculty regularly.

From a network angle, this is one of the most concentrated weak-tie environments available. You get to know professors and academic staff in a working capacity, not as a student in their lectures. That changes the relationship.

Cause-driven and discipline-specific committees

Examples: student political parties (the universities have their own councils with elected student parties), student newspapers and magazines, sustainability committees, debating societies, model UN clubs. Less broad than ESN but stronger signal in their domain. A two-year stint as treasurer of the student political party that won university council elections is a real CV credential.

Committee work specifically

Sitting on any committee for a year is what turns the membership into a real network. The membership gets you on the email list and in the room. The committee gets you the relationships.

Committee experience also reads well on a CV. Compare two lines. “Member, Studievereniging X, 2022-present.” Versus “Treasurer, Studievereniging X, 2024-2025: managed an annual budget of 80,000 euros, ran four major events, led a team of five.” Your CV needs concrete signals; committee work supplies them. (For more on translating activities into CV lines: [LINK PLACEHOLDER: post #5 How to Write a CV That Stands Out].)

Why professors are weak-tie hubs

Most students see professors only as lecturers and graders. That undersells the professor's network position. A professor in your field knows hundreds of people in that field across academia and industry. They write reference letters. They get invited to conferences. They've supervised dozens of master theses, many of which led to industry placements.

If you have done well in their course and they recognise your name, asking for a 15-minute coffee to discuss your career direction is a normal and welcomed request. Most professors say yes, especially to engaged students. The conversation rarely produces an immediate job, but it produces a person who can introduce you to someone, write you a letter, or tell you about a programme you didn't know existed.

How to ask

Email is fine. Keep it short. Reference specifically why you're asking them and not just any professor. “I took your course on X last semester and the lecture on Y stuck with me. I'm starting to think about my next step after graduation and I'd love 15 minutes of your time to ask a few questions about how someone gets into [field]. Could we meet for coffee in the next few weeks?”

Three things to avoid. Being vague (“could we talk about my career”). Being demanding (“when are you free this week”). Asking for help with a specific job application before you've had any contact. The cold ask is much weaker than the warm one.

Alumni

Most NL universities have alumni databases. Use them. The pattern that works: search for alumni in the field or company you're interested in. Find one or two who graduated 5-10 years ago. Recent enough to remember being a student, established enough to give useful advice. Send a short email.

Alumni in their late 20s or early 30s respond at high rates to current students from the same programme. The shared identity (same university, same degree) is a strong weak-tie signal. They were in your seat 5-10 years ago and they remember it.

The cold email that works

Three sentences. Who you are (current student in the same programme they did). Why you're reaching out (specific to them, not generic). What you're asking for (15 minutes, by phone or coffee or video call).

Example: “Hi [Name], I'm currently in my second year of [programme] at [university], the same degree you finished in 20XX. I noticed on the alumni page that you now work at [company] in [role], which is a path I'm considering. Could I ask for 15 minutes of your time, by video call or in person, to ask a few questions about how you got there? Happy to work around your schedule.”

Most students treat an internship as a way to gain experience, with the network as a bonus. It's the other way around. Three months at a company gives you a small slice of work experience. It also gives you a meaningful set of weak ties. The team you sat with. The manager who reviewed your work. The other interns from different universities. The senior people you saw in meetings.

Two or three years later, when you're applying for graduate roles, those weak ties are the people who can refer you, vouch for you, or tip you off about openings before they're posted publicly. (For more on the broader question of whether and what kind of internship or traineeship to pursue: [LINK PLACEHOLDER: post #19 What Is a Traineeship and How Can It Boost Your Career].)

What to do during the internship to build the network

• Eat lunch with different people. Don't default to the other interns. Half your network upside is in the senior team members you'd otherwise barely speak to.
• Ask one or two senior people for 15-minute coffees during the internship, while you're already there. “I'm wrapping up my internship and I'd love to ask a few questions about your career path before I go.” Almost everyone says yes.
• On your last day, send personal thank-you messages to the 5-10 people you worked most closely with. Not group emails. Individual messages. These are the people who'll remember you in two years.
• Connect with all of them on LinkedIn within a week. Don't add notes; you've just worked with them, the connection is contextual.
• Send an update once or twice a year afterward, particularly to your direct manager. Two sentences. “Hi [Name], I just wanted to share that I started my master programme. Hope all is well at [company].” That message keeps the tie alive at near-zero effort.

Project and committee work as a smaller version

If you're not in a position to do a long internship (some degrees don't allow much time for it), the same logic applies to substantial committee work, a thesis project supervised by an industry partner, or a side project you build with classmates. The network shape is similar: a small group of people who saw you do real work over weeks or months.

Be specific about why them

“Could we talk about your career?” is a vague question that puts the burden on the other person to figure out what you actually want. “I noticed you moved from [field] to [company]. I'm thinking about a similar move. Could you walk me through how that transition worked for you?” is a specific question that gives them an easy starting point.

Ask questions you couldn't Google

Don't ask “what does a [job title] do?” That's online. Ask “what surprised you about [job title] that you didn't expect from the outside?” or “what did you wish you'd known when you were a student in my position?” Specific, personal, requires their judgement, not their patience.

Don't ask for a job

In an informational coffee or call, don't ask for a job, an internship, or a referral. The conversation is about information, not transaction. If they want to help further, they'll offer. If they offer, accept gracefully and follow up. If they don't, the conversation has still given you what you needed.

This is counter-intuitive but it's the move that keeps the door open. People recommend students who don't seem to be trying to use them. They quietly do not recommend the ones who are.

Listen, don't perform

A common student mistake is to try to impress the senior person with how prepared you are, how much you've already done, how strong your CV is. The other person doesn't need to be impressed. They want to feel that they're being listened to. Asking a follow-up question to something they said three minutes ago is worth more than rehearsing your own pitch.

Close the loop

After the conversation, send a thank-you note within 24 hours. One concrete thing you'll do as a result of what they said. Six months or a year later, send a brief update on whether that thing happened. “You suggested I look at [programme]; I applied and got accepted. Just wanted to share.”

This update message is the single most underused move in student networking. It costs you 30 seconds. It tells the other person their advice mattered, and it puts you back in their mind right when you're about to be relevant again (job applications, references, recommendations).

Year 1-2 of your degree

Show up. Sign up for the studievereniging. Attend a few events. Try ESN if you're international or want an international circle. Get to know your cohort. Don't worry about “optimising” yet. The job is just to be present.

Realistic payoff in this period: not much directly. You're investing for later. The classmate next to you in tutorial is a name you'll know in 5 years' time, not a person who can help you in 5 weeks.

Year 2-3 (mid-degree)

Join a committee. Take one professor seriously. Do an internship. Ask older students about their internship experiences. This is when the studievereniging starts paying off in concrete ways: a specific career event, a specific company introduction, a specific older-student tip about a recruiter.

Realistic payoff: your first internship, your first informational coffee with an alum, your first sense of what your network is starting to look like.

Year 4-5 (final year and just after)

Use the network actively for your first job hunt. The alums you talked to in year 3 are now people you can email about specific roles. The internship contacts can refer you internally. The studievereniging committee work shows up on your CV as concrete leadership signal.

Realistic payoff: your first job. Often through a contact, even when the application itself is formal.

Year 5-10 after graduation

This is the long payoff window most students never see coming. Your former classmates, dispersed across employers and industries, are now becoming hiring managers, recruiters, and decision-makers. The friend who graduated at the same time as you is the person who, in 8 years, hires for the role you want.

The investment you made when you were 20 by saying yes to a borrel, joining a committee, and going to one careers event matters most here. By the time you're in your late 20s, your weak-tie network from university is the most differentiated asset in your career.

The hard part of student networking is not the doing. It is the patience. Most of what you invest in your weak ties at 20 pays off when you are 25, 28, 30. That is hard to see at the time, which is exactly why most students don't do it.

Aurora, GradGuide's free AI career coach, can help you start. Identify which channels match your situation (programme, university, Dutch or international, year of study). Draft your first alum cold email. Plan a year of low-effort showing-up. Map the studieverenigingen at your university and which ones are most relevant for your field.