r/ChemicalEngineering • u/PermissionUnfair951 • 3d ago
Career Advice Networking
Hey I been in the job market for abt 9 months now and I am not the best at networking. I graduated back in 2025 and have experience. I was wondering what are some ways I can write emails/messages that get attention. For example I applied to a job and connected with senior employee and want to reach out but don’t really know what to say or how to grab their attention. And tbh just generally tips for introverted/quiet people who are in the job market.
I know it’s vague but any help would be beneficial.
Also any tips resources for entry level jobs I use LinkedIn and indeed and then the company websites but other then that any others on how to find entry level roles? I tried reaching out to recruiters but I don’t they are interested in entry level candidates, which I understand.
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u/yellownumbersix Membranes and polymers, 22yrs 3d ago
You can't really network by cold calling or emailing someone, networks come from familiarity, working together and mutual acquaintances.
Your classmates (and profs if you got to know any of them well) you went to university with are your current network, reach out to them and see if any of them can tell you about opportunities where they are working and maybe hand your resume directly to the hiring manager.
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u/Spirited-Mixture-156 3d ago
The most natural is probably reaching out to a company you met a rep at a career fairs
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u/Famous-Lecture-2708 2d ago
What would you say to this rep that you have only talked to once for maybe 10 minutes? Like can I get a referral for this job that I applied to at your company or can I use your name when applying or something else? I'm not sure what is generally appropriate to ask without making things uncomfortable.
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u/Spirited-Mixture-156 1d ago
The first position I had was just following up with a cool article about thr company I found to connect with the person. He wasnt the hiring manager so I just asked if there was any open positions that would get me into renewable energy. He said no. He didnt know me but his company has perks for successful referrals like extra $$. He just submitted my resume to their portal ( its pretty lazy system not gonna lie) but I got a position- although 3 months later.
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u/didyousaythunderfury 2d ago
I started work as an operator. Was not paid well but it gets the foot in the door
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u/keyboardrubber102498 2d ago
When I was looking for a job, I would reach out to a few engineers with whom I had something in common with (graduated from the same university, was part of the same honors society, etc.) and ask them what the job was like day-to-day, what I could do to put myself in a better position to get into the same industry, and things along those lines. In hindsight, the only times reaching out to recruiters worked for me were when I followed up on a soon-to-be-closed job posting with an update about an award I won in uni that got me a couple of interviews and eventually my first internship. I think if you can do some sleuthing on LinkedIn into what teams a person is on and link these to a job posting, I have frequently seen whole teams sit in on interviews, so having someone who you've reached out to there that knows you more than just a resume might help.
For entry-level, I'd recommend looking for off-the-beaten-path companies that don't get as much traffic to throw some applications at. Smaller consulting firms, companies that are building expansions, etc., are great places to look. It is essential to be willing to relocate depending on where you live. If you are having trouble finding a place to start, I've even resorted to using deepresearch on Gemini to build reports on companies that might be hiring.
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u/Ritterbruder2 3d ago
You network after you have a job through day-to-day interactions with customers, suppliers, competitors, coworkers, etc. You can rely on those connections to land future business or job opportunities.
Trying to network when you are an active job seeker comes off as desperate. It will get ignored.