7 Business Networking Tips for Online Students

Earning your degree online can be the ideal choice for business students who, like WGU MBA student Chris Mumford, have to find a way to juggle coursework with a busy life. 

“Going to a brick-and-mortar institution for my MBA really wasn’t an option,” Chris says. “I have too much on my hands with my family, work, and volunteering commitments.”

But studying at an online university doesn’t always provide the same networking opportunities for building relationships because there isn’t a physical campus where you can meet and interact with classmates, faculty members, and job recruiters face-to-face. If you’ve ever wondered how to network without a campus, you’re not alone. Networking in school is an important part of the higher education experience, and it’s critical to career growth, too, as the relationships you establish while networking can open up career path opportunities.

Fortunately, the benefits of networking are equally available to online students in this digital age. Here are seven networking tips to help online students cultivate meaningful professional relationships on a virtual campus.

Why Does Networking at an Online College Matter?

Even in an online setting, building a professional network while earning your degree can help to set you up for future success. Successfully networking during your degree can help you:

• Find a future job with the help of your network.
• Connect with peers going through the same experience.
• Connect with mentors and professionals to apply what you’re learning to real-world work situations.

The numbers back this up. In a May 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. workers by MyPerfectResume, 54% said they had landed a job through a connection, and 34% named “lack of confidence” as the top reason they don’t network more. Confidence builds with practice, and each tip below gives you a place to practice and build your confidence while working toward your degree.

1. Know How to Start a Networking Conversation

Whenever you’re networking, it’s essential to walk into every conversation prepared, whether that’s a local conference, a virtual meetup with fellow students, or a cold message on social media. Before you start networking, set clear goals, such as learning about a field, asking for advice, or hearing how someone else landed their role. Then think of a short elevator pitch: two or three sentences about who you are, what you’re studying, and what you’re hoping to learn.

Have conversation starters or questions ready to get the ball rolling. Here are some examples of how to get a conversation going:

• Find a common connection, such as your school, mutual LinkedIn connections, or a current or former employer.
• When connecting with fellow students, ask about their program or individual experience.
• If you’re exploring a career in their field, ask what drew them to it and whether they recommend any helpful skills or resources.
• If you came across their work, mention a specific detail you enjoyed or found useful, then ask a thoughtful question about the concept or what led them to that perspective.

Be curious, engaged, and authentic. Keep messages brief, and don’t monopolize someone’s time. Simple networking strategies like these work with classmates and recruiters alike.

2. Use Social Media

You probably already engage with your friends and coworkers on social media, and online networking can work in much the same way. Online universities often set up study groups and chat rooms on social media sites where you can connect with others in your specific school or degree program. The focus of these groups is to facilitate conversation, and posts and chats are archived to make it easy to search for topics that interest you.

When networking on social media, it’s also helpful to branch out from the more popular sites like Facebook, Instagram, and X, and create a professional profile on LinkedIn. This profile will help to highlight your skills, education experience, employment experience, and relevant volunteer experience and get you in front of industry leaders in a more put-together and professional manner. LinkedIn notes that a strong network helps you stay in touch with alumni, colleagues, and recruiters. Treat your profile as your personal brand, with a clear photo, a headline that says what you’re studying, and a summary that sounds like you. Interacting with potential employers or making connections with people who work in the industry you want to work in can help you build connections, which can open doors to opportunities.

3. Message Potential Mentors

You can gain valuable mentorship by reaching out to instructors and Program Mentors online. Two of Chris’s favorite ways to connect with faculty members are through email and direct messaging in course chat rooms.

“They are usually very prompt to respond, and if a more in-depth exchange is warranted, you can always schedule a quick call,” he says.

Reaching out shows your instructors that you’re willing to take initiative, and it helps build trust and a reputation that could come in handy when you start applying for jobs. A good piece of advice is to keep your first outreach brief and name one thing you’d like advice on.

4. Find Networking Events Online or Locally

Another good tip for online students looking to build their network is to search for professional events on LinkedIn, industry roundtables, webinars, or speed networking sessions. These can be virtual or in-person and are great opportunities to get more face time with people in your desired industry. 

Here are a few networking tips for events, whether virtual or in person:

• Pick one or two events instead of trying to attend everything.
• Practice your elevator pitch beforehand so you don’t have to think on the spot.
• Bring business cards to in-person events, or have your LinkedIn profile ready to share.
• Set a small, attainable goal for the event.
• Turn your camera on and join the conversation during virtual events. 
• Send a quick follow-up message afterward. 

5. Collaborate on Class Projects

Another prime opportunity to expand your online network is by working on team projects in your business classes. WGU’s MBA program’s capstone project, for example, gives remote students a chance to get to know each other as they collaborate. Use all your communication resources (email, phone, chat, text) to build lasting connections with your teammates. You can stay connected with your project team members after the course is over, too, and chat about career goals and job search strategies. Those professional relationships often outlast the course itself.

6. Find a Buddy

Having a friend by your side to help you tackle obstacles made surviving high school easier, and the buddy system can help you as you pursue your bachelor’s or master’s degree online.

“When it comes to networking in general, the biggest hurdle is finding that first person to connect with,” Chris says. “Once you have established a relationship with one person, it can be easier to approach others as a duo and start to put together a bigger group.”

Using the buddy system can help you feel more connected to your university, find diverse perspectives on your coursework, and network for career opportunities. Monster’s Job Application Behavior Report found that 48% of job seekers say they frequently or regularly apply to many roles quickly rather than focusing on a smaller number of opportunities that closely match their skills. Using the buddy system for job hunting can allow you and your buddy to divide up research duties, pass along information about job openings, and exchange feedback on each other’s résumés in order to bring a higher level of efficiency and efficacy to both of your job hunts.

7. Follow Up with Connections

Networking isn’t a one-time thing. Following up after you meet someone, work together on a project, or send an initial LinkedIn message can help turn a brief interaction into a real professional connection. Some effective ways to follow up include:

• Mentioning something specific you talked about or worked on together.
• Thanking them for their time, advice, or help.
• Keeping the relationship going by checking in from time to time, sharing something relevant, or congratulating them on a new role or accomplishment.

Start Building Your Network Today

The most important part of networking is just getting started, so take one small step today.

For Chris, there’s really no fundamental difference between a physical college campus and a virtual one when it comes to networking in school.

“In both situations, you have to be willing to put yourself out there and get to know people,” he says. “The only difference is that you’re communicating digitally when you attend school online. In some ways, though, this can be an advantage, because you can communicate on your own terms and on your own time.”

So don’t worry so much about the medium, but the message. By focusing on communicating professionally with your instructors, mentors, potential employers, and classmates, you can foster deep relationships that will last your entire career. Effective networking is a habit, and it pays off in career growth over time.

If you’re looking for ways to network while studying online, take Chris’s tips and share them with your fellow business classmates. You might just create a friendship that leads to your dream job.

Ready to put these networking tips to work? Explore WGU’s online MBA programs and business degrees, then find more networking resources to keep your career growth moving. Apply today to get started.