{"id":26759,"date":"2024-11-22T10:15:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T02:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=oasis-news&#038;p=26759"},"modified":"2024-11-21T11:37:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T03:37:44","slug":"dont-know-where-to-start-building-your-professional-network-as-a-humanities-student-weve-got-you","status":"publish","type":"oasis-news","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/oasis-news\/dont-know-where-to-start-building-your-professional-network-as-a-humanities-student-weve-got-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t know where to start building your professional network as a humanities student? We\u2019ve got you."},"content":{"rendered":"<section\n                class=\"block block--no-indent cards \"\n        data-segment=\"all\">\n    \n        <div class=\"card-grid\"\n         data-card-size=\"standard\"         data-card-count=\"1\"\n         data-card-background=\"white\">\n                    <div id=\"key-points\" class=\"card\"\n         data-type=\"\"><div class=\"inner\"><div class=\"card__title\"><h2 class=\"h2\">Key points<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"card__content\"><ul><li>Start with what you know: Your professors and peers<\/li><li>Attend academic conferences or industry festivals<\/li><li>Connect with recent graduates and alumni<\/li><li>Join professional organisations, online groups or clubs and societies<\/li><li>Get social\u2014digitally and IRL<\/li><li>Be genuine and stay curious<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p>When you think of &#8216;networking,&#8217; you might picture corporate suits swapping business cards at formal events. For humanities students\u2014in fields like literature, history or the arts\u2014it might feel like you don\u2019t quite fit in that world. But here\u2019s the truth: networking is just as important for humanities majors, and it doesn\u2019t have to feel out of place or overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s dive into how you can build meaningful connections within academic and professional circles to boost your opportunities and future career options!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why networking matters in the humanities<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Networking isn\u2019t just about job hunting. It\u2019s about fostering relationships that can inspire new ideas, open doors to unique opportunities and help you discover what\u2019s possible in your field. Whether you\u2019re dreaming of publishing\/selling your creative work, working in museums or joining a non-profit, building a network of like-minded individuals and mentors can make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Start with what you know: Your professors and peers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Your first and most accessible network is right in front of you\u2014your professors and peers. Professors aren\u2019t just there to teach and grade assignments; they have extensive professional networks. Attend tutorials, ask questions about their research and have a chat with them about your career interests. A simple, \u201cI\u2019m really interested in joining a writing group. Do you know of any organisations or professionals I could reach out to?\u201d can lead to golden connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t overlook your classmates, either. Today\u2019s group project partners might be tomorrow\u2019s collaborators, colleagues or even connections to job opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Attend academic conferences or industry festivals<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Attending an academic conference or industry festival can be intimidating at first, but they\u2019re an incredible place to meet people in your field. Start small by attending local conferences and festivals hosted by Curtin or a local society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re there, don\u2019t stick to your comfort zone. Join discussions, ask questions after panels and don\u2019t shy away from dedicate networking events. If approaching someone feels awkward, start with, \u201cI really enjoyed your talk on [topic]. How did you get started with this research?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Connect with recent graduates and alumni<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Curtin\u2019s alumni network is a treasure trove of connections. Alumni from the humanities often work in diverse roles\u2014publishing, teaching, public policy, film and more. Keep an eye out for, and attend, any alumni panels or networking events that Curtin hosts related to your major or field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even sending a LinkedIn message to a Curtin graduate can be effective, along the lines of: \u201cHi, I see you also studied anthropology at Curtin. &nbsp;I\u2019d love to hear how you transitioned to working in museums. Any advice for a current student?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Join professional organisations, online groups or clubs and societies<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Professional organisations aren\u2019t just for scientists and engineers\u2014they\u2019re crucial in the humanities too. Scour the internet and your professional network to get to know some of the organisations available locally in your industry. You might even find that some organisations offer student memberships at reduced rates. Membership can give you access to job boards, mentoring programs and exclusive events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joining Facebook Groups are also a great way to discover networks of professionals in your city to connect with other professionals and get access to industry opportunities, advice or events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Get social\u2014digitally and IRL<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media can be a surprisingly useful tool for networking in the humanities. Platforms like X or LinkedIn host vibrant communities of scholars, writers and professionals. Follow hashtags and thought leaders in your field, participate in conversations and share your own insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Locally, attend festivals or conferences, book clubs or museum\/gallery events where you can meet people with similar interests. Networking doesn\u2019t have to be formal\u2014sometimes a shared passion is all it takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Be genuine and stay curious<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The key to effective networking is authenticity. You don\u2019t need to act like a salesperson. Be curious, be yourself and focus on building real relationships. Ask thoughtful questions, listen actively and follow up with a friendly email or message after meeting someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, networking is a skill you\u2019ll develop over time. With every new connection, you\u2019re taking a step closer to building a community that supports and inspires you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, take a deep breath, start small, and see where these conversations take you. The humanities thrive on connection\u2014and so can you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dive into how you can build meaningful connections within academic and professional circles to boost your opportunities and future career options!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4418,"featured_media":26760,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"7633,7106,5797,23417,6921,4664","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_oasis-categories":0,"footnotes":""},"oasis-categories":[131,136],"class_list":["post-26759","oasis-news","type-oasis-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","oasis-categories-careers","oasis-categories-humanities"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"banner":{"image":false}}},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AMMON-20210914-Curtin-Student_Engagement-Shoot01-Tue14-0726_1500-1000x840.jpg","author_meta":{"first_name":"Rachelle","last_name":"Erzay","display_name":"Rachelle Erzay"},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-13 04:02:58","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/26759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oasis-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/26759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-categories?post=26759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}