How students should follow up after networking (and why it matters more than you think)
Sent by Lasse Palomaki | October 31, 2025
This post was originally published in The Strategic Student Newsletter — a monthly email sharing practical strategies to help students turn their degree into job offers. Want future editions sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe here.
How students should follow up after networking
Picture this: you wrap up a great conversation — maybe with a guest speaker after class, a recruiter at a career fair, or a senior colleague from your internship.
You walk away thinking, “Wow — that was so helpful. I learned a ton about [topic X], and I really liked their perspective on [topic Y].”
And then… nothing. Days pass. Weeks go by. You never reach out again.
It feels harmless, but that’s the moment where most potential relationships quietly fade. Because one conversation is just that — a single conversation. And a single conversation rarely transforms your career.
So — how do you turn that conversation into something more?
Through a series of small, intentional touch points — the kind that keep you on someone’s radar and build a strong connection over time:
A thank-you note that mentions what you learned or appreciated
A follow-up message sharing how you applied their advice
An update email showing your progress since you last spoke
A quick note with new questions you’ve been thinking about
A thoughtful comment on a LinkedIn post
Very few students do this, and that’s good news for you. Because following up with intention doesn’t just make you look professional — it makes you memorable.
You can only learn so much from one conversation. The real ROI comes from what happens after.
Now — you might be thinking: "Really? This is about following up? Boring."
To which I’d say: yes — this is about following up. And yes — it’s boring.
But boring is what gets overlooked by most. And in a world obsessed with quick wins, it’s usually the quiet, consistent habits, not the flashy ones, that open the most doors.
The mindset shift: from "I built a connection" to "I am maintaining a connection"
The first step is easy — anyone can send an email, walk to a booth at a career fair, or get an introduction to alumni from a professor.
But staying in touch — that’s where the real value is.
Because reaching out gets you on someone’s radar. Staying in touch gets you remembered.
That’s the difference between a conversation and a connection.
A conversation gives you information
A connection creates opportunity
And the bridge between the two? Follow-up.
Following up isn’t about checking a box or forcing yourself onto someone’s calendar — it’s about showing that you’re:
Listening to their advice
Learning from it
Acting on it
That pattern is what makes you stand out — it’s how you show you’re serious, coachable, and worth investing time in.
Now — here’s the reality: a lot of students do listen carefully, take action, even come up with good follow-up questions. But they never share that with the other person.
And from a networking perspective, if you don’t share it, it’s as if it never happened. The other person has no way of knowing you followed through — and it’s harder to re-engage later.
Yes, it takes effort. But it’s the kind of effort that compounds over time.
7 simple ways to follow up after networking
Let’s make this practical.
You've met someone you'd love to stay in touch with — now what?
Here are seven simple ways to follow up and keep the relationship active — whether it’s after an internship, a coffee chat, or a campus event.
But first — you don’t need to stay in touch with everyone. Focus on the people whose advice, example, or insight have genuinely added value to you. Those are the connections worth maintaining.
And here’s one more tip about follow-ups: specificity matters. The more you can reference what you discussed (a topic, idea, or piece of advice), the more credible and authentic your note feels. It shows you weren’t just listening; you were paying attention.
Let's take a look.
1. Ask for a second conversation
The simplest, most direct approach.
If you found value in your first conversation, let them know and ask if they’d be open to staying in touch: “I really appreciated our conversation — I’d love to reconnect in a few weeks once I’ve made progress on [X]. Would that be okay?”
This shows immediate appreciation and sets the tone for an ongoing relationship instead of a one-time exchange.
2. Send a thank you note
If someone helped you or gave you useful advice, send a short note to them.
Make it specific: “Thanks again for your guidance on [topic X] this summer. Your advice about [topic Y] really stuck with me — I’ll carry it with me going forward!”
Gratitude builds goodwill and keeps the door open for future conversations.
3. Follow up on action items
If they suggested a course, connection, or skill to work on — do it, then share what you learned:
“Hi Rob — thanks again for recommending [resource]. I just finished it and found [specific insight] especially helpful. It’s already shaping how I approach [related topic]!”
Specific updates show you're purposeful about acting on their advice, not just collecting it.
4. Share a relevant resource
When you come across an article, podcast, or event that connects to something you discussed, pass it along:
“Hi Maya — I saw this [resource] today and immediately thought of our conversation about [topic]. Hope it’s useful!”
Low effort, high impact — and it shows you paid attention to the conversation (and that you think beyond your own interests).
5. Engage with their content
If they post content on social media, a simple like or a thoughtful comment keeps you on their radar without the need to send a full DM or email.
These are smart, light touch points in between your bigger check-ins.
6. Send a short update or question
Reach out occasionally to share progress or ask for quick input:
“Hi Ed — you mentioned [topic] in our last chat. I just wrapped up that course and learned [specific takeaway]. I’m thinking about doing [specific action] next to build on that — does that sound like a logical next step, or is there another direction you’d recommend?”
When you show that you’ve acted on someone’s advice, they’re far more likely to keep investing in you — because you’ve proven their time makes an impact.
7. Celebrate their wins
If they announce a promotion, launch a project, or speak at an event, acknowledge it: “Congrats on the promotion, Mel! I know you’ll do great in the new role.”
It shows you’re paying attention — and rooting for them.
These follow-up steps are the bridge that turn single conversations into ongoing, active connections — and having an active network is like career insurance.
When you need support (a referral, advice, or insight) it’s much easier to lean on people you’ve stayed in touch with than to reconnect with people you met once and never followed up with.
Your network isn’t defined by how many people you’ve met. It’s defined by who would recognize your name (and reply) if you reached out tomorrow. That only happens if you stay in touch before you need something.
So as you meet people throughout college (professors, alumni, recruiters, peers) make a conscious effort to periodically follow up and keep those connections active.
Focus on the ones where there’s genuine mutual value: people whose advice you trust, whose work you admire, or who challenge you to grow.
You don’t need a huge network — you need an active one. And the only way to keep a network active is to follow up.
Build a simple follow-up habit (in 3 steps)
Following up doesn’t need a complicated system. What you need is a simple habit you can actually keep.
Here’s a straightforward way to start:
Step 1: Choose 3–5 people you actually want to stay in touch with.
Look back over the past semester or year: guest speakers, alumni, supervisors, professors, or peers you genuinely clicked with. Write their names down in one place — a notes app, Google Doc, or simple spreadsheet.
Step 2: Send 2 follow-ups this week.
Pick any two people on that list and send a short message: a thank-you, an update on how you used their advice, or a quick check-in with a specific question. Keep it under 5–7 sentences. The point is momentum, not perfection.
Step 3: Block 15 minutes a week for follow-up.
Add a recurring 15-minute block to your calendar (same day, same time). During that window, send one new follow-up and reply to anything that came back. That’s it.
If you stick to this, you’ll finish the semester with an active network — people who’ve heard from you more than once — instead of a list of one-off conversations you never built on.
If you want more practical, no-fluff strategies like this, you can explore all of our our resources — including free guides, tools, and more — here, and follow me on LinkedIn for weekly content here.
College is an investment. Let’s make sure you get a return on it.
Lasse
Founder, The Strategic Student
