Networking Strategies and Career Transitions

This unit builds on foundational communication skills to develop practical networking, job-seeking, and personal-branding strategies across life stages and settings. Students will practice active listening, follow-through, mentorship and referral techniques, and adapt networking approaches for diverse personalities, genders, cultures, and career transitions to prepare for advanced application in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze conversations and interactions to identify purpose, needs, and opportunities for meaningful follow-through and support
• Apply targeted job-seeking and personal-branding strategies—including mentorship, referrals, and word-of-mouth techniques—to expand professional opportunities
• Demonstrate the ability to create, maintain, and strategically pare or expand networks across life stages (college, relocation, holidays, retirement) and settings (community events, charitable work, home-based business)
• Evaluate and adapt networking approaches to accommodate personality differences, gender dynamics, and cultural and generational diversity