“Networking” is a word that’s thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? In this coffee chat for graduate students, we’ll unpack what networking is, why it’s useful, and some strategies to make it worthwhile. In particular, we’ll focus on informational interviewing as a valuable approach to gathering career-related information, in addition to making a clear and effective “elevator pitch” to describe yourself as you network. Regardless of what year you are in your program, this is a valuable skill that you can start applying today.