Catholic colleges offer a variety of networking opportunities to students. Whether through their alumni, career services, or faculty, networking opportunities are bound to be readily available to students at a Catholic college.
Catholic colleges often have close knit alumni networks that can provide beneficial connections and opportunities to current students. Students can take advantage of these alumni networks to connect with Alumni in similar career fields to their desired one, gain insight into the job market and strategies that can help them better succeed, or potentially shadow an alumnus to see the daily workings of their desired job. The alumni network at a Catholic college is also a great way to get internships, which is another great avenue for networking at Catholic colleges.
Whether through an alumnus, career services, or from a studen's own searching and merit, getting an internship is a valuable way that students can build a network. Many Catholic colleges will assist students in finding and winning an internship in their desired field through resume building, business partnerships, and interview practice. Career services, alumni networks, and sometimes faculty connections can provide students with internship opportunities. From those internships, students can build contacts in their desired field outside of the college/classroom sphere. These connections, though not necessarily directly from a Catholic college, are achievable through efforts that the college puts into getting a student an internship.
Catholic colleges also often have job fairs, or industry-specific networking events. The college will invite businesses, local or global, to come to the college, speak to students, have an information booth available for students to visit, and provide information on their business. Job fairs often provide students with the potential to apply and ask to receive information from businesses. Industry-specific networking events usually revolve around a specific field of work, such as healthcare or education, where different companies or groups within the field come to college and students can receive information, ask questions, and connect with professionals within the industry.
Building connections and keeping contact with professors is also a great opportunity to create a substantial network, especially for those who want to go into education or grad school. Professors in a specific major have completed high levels of education within that field and may have worked in the business world or with a company outside of the college within that industry. They have experience going through job hunting, continued education, and have had the time and experience to make connections along the way. Professors are great fountains of information, mentorship potential, and networking potential. Engaging with the faculty at a Catholic college can be a great way to build a network while in college.
These are just a few examples of the networking opportunities available at Catholic colleges. Not every college will offer the same opportunities, so be sure to check with an admissions officer or search through the website of the college(s) you are interested in to see what is offered.