Networking

Networking is a key component to scientific career success, and the Office of Student Success has some recommendations to help you get started.

Toastmasters Club

The Toastmakers Club provides opportunities for staff, faculty, and students to learn how to become more effective speakers and leaders through a supportive learning environment.

Enventure SA

Enventure SA is a local non-profit organization led, organized and founded by GSBS graduate students. The organizations is designed to support life science innovators at every stage of the process, from needs finding, to business model development, to clinical strategy, and beyond. In doing so, Enventure provides a pool of advanced degree candidates with hands-on experience and opportunities to build professional networks in life science industries. Enventure and the Office of Student Success collaborate on a number of events throughout the year to support student development, including the Inaugural Biomed Career Fest.

The Health Cell

The Health Cell is a local organization that focuses on building bridges between individuals in the bioscience community to promote the growth of bioscience and health professions in San Antonio. Monthly networking events are scheduled and the Office of Student Success will support trainees attendance to these events.

BioMed SA

BioMed SA is a member-driven hub for the life science industry in San Antonio with the mission to accelerate the growth of the healthcare and bioscience sector, create regional economic benefit, and contribute to the health of San Antonio and beyond. UT-Health San Antonio is an active member of Biomed SA. As members, you have access to a number of resources. The Office of Student Success also supports trainee attendance at networking and professional development events hosted by Biomed SA.

Velocity TX

Velocity TX is a local nonprofit organization and a subsidiary of the Texas Research & Technology Foundation (TRTF). TRTF and VelocityTX work together on a collective vision to drive economic growth, a better quality of life, and a safer world through collaboration and innovation.Velocity TX hosts monthly networking socials, seminars, and roundtable events. Students are encouraged to get involved. 

Join the GSBS community on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional social network, to learn about career paths, connect with key contacts and stay in touch with the university.

Add the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to the Education section of your profile or create a new profile quicker with our unique Add-to-Profile link. LinkedIn users with education listed in their profiles get 7x more views, and you'll be able to keep up with the latest graduate school news. Also be sure to join the UTHSCSA GSBS Student and Alumni Network group on LinkedIn, which connects students and alums around the world. Membership is open to all in the GSBS community.

While on LinkedIn, make sure to look for jobs and internships. When you look at opportunities on LinkedIn, you'll also see insights such as whom you will work with if you get the job, what connections (if any) you have at the company, and if the company has a history of hiring people like you. This information can give you a great edge in your application.

1. Reduce anxiety
   Before going to a networking event, find out who's going to be there. Is there going to be food? Are there speakers? Can you Google or LinkedIn any of the attendees before going there? This will help you be more prepared walking into the event.
2. Be purposeful
   Change the way that you think about the event. If you think "this is miserable I don't want to go, I'll be stuck in a corner," change your mindset and say I'll go for an hour, say hi to three people and then go home." If you set a goal then you will be      more impact. Don't dwell on the negative thoughts or else it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
3. Be curious
   Listen to the person you are talking to a provide a thoughtful response. Approach the conversation with genuine interest.
4. Prepare your intro
   It takes 1/10th of a second to judge someone and make a first impression. However, the confidence in that impression increases with time. So even though you are being judged from the beginning, you can change the way they judged you.
5. Ask questions
   Asking questions allows the person to take the center stage. Ask questions like "what are you most proud of? What have been some of your biggest challenges?"
6. Share information
   Be sure to also share something about yourself. If you say "yes or no" to everything, this will make it more challenging to have a conversation. Question: "How are you?" Short response: "I'm fine." Better response: "Good, thanks. I'm getting ready for my dissertation proposal. It will be my first time proposing my dissertation work on the role of inflammation in cancer, and I look forward to my next steps."
7. Deepen the conversation
   Start with open-ended questions such as "Where are you from?", "What is your hometown like?" and "How is it different from here?"
8. Consider nonverbal cues
   59 percent of the conversation is facial expressions and body language, while 41 percent is tone and language.
9. Be kind
   Be kind to yourself and others. You don't know what battle they are fighting today.
10. Make proper introductions for other people
    The hallmark of a skilled small taker is introducing others with ease. Be sincere and make it personal.
11. Leave gracefully
    "I enjoyed talking with you about your research. I hope to talk again soon about how we might collaborate."
12. Have a buddy
    If you need to escape, have a plan even if it's texting each other to let your buddy know to come get you.