Networking is worth more than it sounds: in Mark Granovetter's classic study Getting a Job, 56% of professionals found their role through personal contacts rather than adverts. The American fraternity example makes the point bluntly - one study found members took a 0.25 GPA hit yet saw a 36% rise in lifetime income. The mechanism is access: to information, to referrals and to a mentor who tells you what nobody writes down.

In recent years, I have received a growing number of students wishing to apply to American universities as opposed to British ones. Each one has its distinctions and I decided to discuss one that exists today. Fraternities.

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What are fraternities?

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Well, they are pretty much social clubs where members from many different courses meet up and hang out with one another, unique to America.

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Sounds pretty sensible.

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Well, unfortunately, fraternities are known to be pretty rampant with alcohol abuse and all sorts of physical misconduct.

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However, despite these concerns, many universities have not shut these clubs down.

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Why?

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Well, it turns out that many of the students who join fraternities end up being much more economically successful compared to their non-frat peers.

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1 Union college study found that even though these students saw a 0.25 drop in GPA, easily attributable to excessive partying, they saw a 36% rise in lifetime income - the so-called “Bro wage premium”.

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In turn, they end up becoming donors to the university - hence the reason many campuses have been reluctant to take action against them.

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Why am I telling you this?

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Despite the party-like setting, fraternities are actually a great place for networking. Members not only get contacts with other members of the fraternity, but also any alumni.

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And all of these connections bear a lot of fruit in the long run.

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Unfortunately, many of us are taught that academic performance = real world success, but this isn't really true. You need to have a vast variety of skills which will mold you into a well-rounded individual.

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And one of those skills is being able to network for 3 key reasons:

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How do you talk to others opens up your perspective?

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Discussing ideas with so many different people will increase your knowledge both personally and professionally. And having more knowledge will always be a plus.

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What is it will progress your career?

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31% of job seekers find listings through professional connections, especially referrals. Your network is arguably more important than money.

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Many of the staff at Ucademy are people I knew personally before hiring them. So, don't undervalue the power of having good connections with others.

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What is it will help you bag a mentor?

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Finding a mentor in the important domains of your life, whether it is personal or professional, will help you immensely. They have already been through what you have. They know the tips and tricks that you need to employ if you want to succeed and networking is the only way to find one.

With that said, how should you go about it?

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1. Strengthen the connections you already have

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Try to keep good relationships with other students and teachers. Teachers especially. If you are in the lower years now then you might not realise, but these guys will be a major source of help when it comes to applying to university.

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Year 12 and 13 students will be familiar with my advice of forming a great rapport with their UCAS referee. Ultimately all references written for university are good, but a great reference (from your UCAS referee) is what really makes a difference in terms of whether you get that offer or not.

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2. Diversify yourself

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We tend to network with people who we see value in. Become the most valuable person in the room.

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The best way to do that is to simply start by reading more. This will make you a more well rounded and sophisticated person.

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The way to network is to grow: Get good at something (by reading). Put in the work (practice it if you can). And add value everywhere you go.

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3. Serendipity

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The more you put yourself out there, the more serendipity you create. Someone could see your tweet/video/newsletter (like this one) and reach out to you for a conversation. That conversation could lead to another, and that to another and before you know it, a valuable network forms.

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✍️ Quote of the Week:

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"The road to wisdom?-- Well, it's plain and simple to express: Err and err and err again but less and less and less."

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- Piet Hein

What else is worth reading?

What can this guide not tell you about your own pay?

Pay, entry routes and how much demand there is for a role vary by employer and by region, and they change from year to year. Nothing here is a forecast of what you personally will earn or be offered. The current official position for any UK role is on the National Careers Service.

Course claims are checkable, and this is where the numbers come from:

“The data on Discover Uni includes official statistics from national surveys and data collected from universities and colleges.” — Discover Uni, About our data

Where can you check this at source?

Pay, entry routes and day-to-day duties for any UK role change over time, and the official profiles are the version to trust: