BeaverPrints - Thursday Tip #6
Hey there!
Rahul & Lani here,
You might be wondering why some students attend networking events, join clubs, and connect with engineers on LinkedIn, yet nothing meaningful ever comes from it.
This week’s Thursday Tip shows how to network the right way:
How to Turn a Conversation Into a Real Engineering Connection.
Most students know where to network. Very few know how to handle the conversation once they’re there.
As always, the goal isn’t to do more. It’s to focus on what actually compounds.
At the core of BeaverPrints is a simple idea:
Optimize effort for lasting, meaningful impact.
Small changes.
Big results.
LinkedIn: Lani Aremu, Rahul Lakdawala
Thursday Tip: Building Real Engineering Connections
How to Turn a Conversation Into a Real Engineering Connection
Networking isn’t about talking more, It’s about making the other person feel like the conversation was worth their time.
Most students either ramble about themselves or freeze and ask generic questions. Both kill momentum and now it is awkward.
What to focus on:
1. Open With Context, Not Credentials
Do not start listing your GPA, courses, or resume highlights.
Start with relevance.
Mention:
A shared technical interest
A design team they were part of
A project you’re currently working on
Something specific about their role or past projects. THIS IS WHERE LINKEDIN COMES INTO PLAY!!
For example:
“I saw you worked on thermal systems in automotive. I’m currently designing an enclosure with strict temperature limits and trying to understand where simple models break down in industry.”
Now you’ve created a technical anchor.
Engineers respond to real problems, not self-promotion.
2. Add a Insight-Driven Questions
Generic questions get generic answers. And being generic doesn’t make you standout from the others.
Try these questions instead of the boilerplate ones:
“What mistakes do students usually make when they start in your field?”
“What tradeoffs do you constantly have to balance in your role?”
“What skill did you think would matter most, but didn’t?”
These questions shift the conversation from surface-level to insight-driven.
You’re not just gathering information.
You’re learning how they think.
That’s memorable.
3. Showcase your projects
This is where most students mess up.
If you just fire off questions, it feels transactional.
Instead:
Share your own experience briefly
Connect their answer to something you’ve faced
Show how you’re applying their advice
Now the conversation feels mutual.
It becomes two engineers talking, not a student extracting value.
Bonus Tip:
After the conversation, follow up within 24 hours.
Reference something specific you discussed.
Keep it short.
Show action.
That’s how you stand out from the dozen other students they spoke to.
Networking isn’t about collecting contacts.
It’s about having strong technical conversations, showing curiosity, and creating continuity over time.
Small changes.
Stronger conversations.
Real momentum.
If you’re ready to change the trajectory of your career, keep an eye out for Thursday Tips and future BeaverPrints posts designed to help you build real leverage, not just connections.
See you next Thursday 👊
Internships:
New Graduate Roles:
The only source of knowledge is experience