How to Talk to Your Professors
By Aaliyah Freeman
“Networking” is a word we hear way too often with little explanation. During my first year of college, I remember so many people urging my peers and I to talk to my professors and network, but it took me a while to develop confidence to do so.
It can oftentimes feel impossible to have a meaningful interaction with an authority figure you see twice a week for an hour. Even still, as students we’re constantly told to put ourselves out there and talk to our professors. After many trials, errors and tons of awkward introductions later, I feel that I’ve achieved a much better grasp of the art of networking.
First, I realized it’s important to understand the advantages of talking to your professors. Talking to your professors may actually help your grade. If for any reason you ever find yourself unable to complete an assignment due to a personal issue or life event that your professor already knows about, then they might just be a little more understanding when you find yourself asking for some grace. For example, if you strike up a casual conversation with your professor about how much you love skateboarding, then happen to get in a skateboarding accident that prevents you from doing the next week’s homework, your professor will already have the background knowledge that you skateboard and not just think you’re trying to get out of a quiz.
Another advantage of talking to your professors is that you can learn about opportunities for professional development through them. Oftentimes, it may take an extra side conversation to learn about their areas of expertise and career experiences that are most relevant to you. If a professor’s area of expertise or past career experiences relate to your future goals, then they could probably link you to a plethora of opportunities or act as a career mentor.
The act of talking to your professors is easier than you think. Many people get caught up in the fear of coming off as fake or disingenuous, but there’s a simple way to avoid this. Avoid being transactional early in the relationship: never outright ask for a recommendation or internship without getting to know the professor. The key to building a genuine relationship with your professor is to not ask for anything out of it until it is natural and timely to do so.
The act of talking to your professors is easier than you think. Many people get caught up in the fear of coming off as fake or disingenuous, but there’s a simple way to avoid this.
An easy way to do this is by finding things you have in common with professors. To start, pay attention to what your professor says about their background, interests, career motives and other life details. If I find a commonality between myself and a professor, I’ll often approach them at some point after class to make the connection and then ask a question that somehow relates to the course or my line of study. With some forward thinking, a conversation about similar hometowns, for example, can transition into “I love Illinois, but there’s so many opportunities for what I want to do with my career here in Richmond. I’m really passionate about visual arts and have been looking for some opportunities to get involved here!”
This is what I call elevating the common ground. You take the common ground shared between you and your professor and find a way to elevate it into a conversation about your career goals. Make sure you find a strong common ground that you know you can converse about pretty skillfully. Then, make sure you know what exactly you want out of the conversation, whether it be to build rapport, have the professor learn your name and likeness or to simply learn more about opportunities in your field, like the example above. In all of my experience, professors will jump at the chance to tell you about an opportunity that can serve your interests or goals.
Another even easier way to approach networking with professors is by being somewhat straightforward. When being straightforward, it’s still important to never ask for something in return during the first couple interactions. This method of networking will still come off as genuine despite being rather blunt if done gradually over time.
The straightforward method begins in the way that most students approach networking with professors. Toward the beginning of the semester, start by simply introducing yourself to your professor before or after class. Try to have a three minute conversation and just see where it goes organically. Then, be sure to end on an open-ended note, which can sound something like, “Thanks for talking with me, this was really great! Is your inbox open in case I have any more questions or ever want to just pick your brain about [insert subject]?”
Next, you want to wait a couple days to establish yourself virtually with your professor. After all, so much communication happens via email and Canvas these days. At this point, your professor may recognize your face in the classroom, but it’s also an advantage for them to recognize your name in your inbox. The trick to this is to have a standard profile picture on your Canvas and Gmail profile. This makes for more genuine and professional interactions, and the professor is more likely to recognize your name when you submit assignments or contact them.
Once you’ve set up your profile pictures, email your professor requesting an informational interview. An informational interview is a brief, casual meeting in which you interview a professional about their career experiences and field of work to gain a better understanding about the industry. When asking to set up one of these via email, make sure to remind the professor who you are and express interest in learning more about something specific they talked about in your last interaction.
The point of this method is to be straightforward in asking your professors to talk to you. If coming up with topics for informational interviews is too intimidating, you can always request a quick portfolio or resume review. The bottom line is, you’re not directly asking for a job, internship or recommendation — you’re establishing a foundation for doing so in the future. You are positioning yourself as an eager student with a genuine passion to learn. Last tip, always be sure to thank any professional for their time either via email or in person after receiving professional advice or help.
Talking to your professors doesn’t end there, however. Professors may have hundreds of students, so you have to constantly interact with them in order to maintain unique standing. This may look like having your camera on or talking in the chat during virtual meetings, stopping by office hours with questions, participating at least once each class period, connecting with your professor on LinkedIn or asking for advice on something you’re working on every couple weeks. Do a couple of these things, and when it comes time to ask for that recommendation it will feel natural. Your professor will feel like they can confidently sing your praises and you’ll end the semester with yet another VCU faculty member rooting for your success.
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