NetLift Network · UK Students

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We Want to Hear From You

Complete Our Survey

NetLift is built for students, so it should be shaped by students too. We want to hear your honest thoughts - what's working, what's missing, and what would actually make networking easier for you. There are no wrong answers and no one to impress.

We've partnered with CognateUK to run this survey, and every single response goes straight into what we build next. It takes about two minutes - and it genuinely makes a difference.

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Welcome to NetLift

Your Networking Platform - Built by a Student, for Students

Most students are told networking is the most important skill they can develop for their career. Then handed absolutely nothing to work with. No events built for them. No guidance on where to start. No access to professionals. No bridge between education and the industry they want to work in.

NetLift exists because of that gap.

We are a free student networking platform - built by a 19-year-old Business and Marketing student who got tired of waiting for someone else to fix the problem. Everything on this platform is designed for sixth form and university students who want to start building real professional connections before they graduate, before they need them, and before it feels too late.

Here is what you will find here:

  • → Practical networking tips from real industry professionals updated weekly
  • → A curated list of networking events across the UK updated every Monday
  • → Free guides on how to network with confidence from zero experience
  • → 1:1 mentoring sessions with experienced networkers - first session free
  • → And soon - an AI networking assistant built specifically for students

Everything is free or as close to free as we can make it. In-person events have a small ticket price to cover costs.

Students First

Everything we build starts with what students actually need - not what sounds good in a brochure.

Practical Skills

No theory. No vague advice. Just tools students can use immediately.

UK-Wide

Serving sixth form and university students across the whole of the UK - online and in-person.

Always Free

Core resources are always free. In-person events are priced at cost.

Top Tips

Top Tips for Your Next Networking Event

Real advice from people in the know. Every tip and story here comes straight from professionals and founders we've spoken to directly — real, useful advice, not stuff copied off the internet or the same generic tips you've seen a hundred times. New tips are added regularly.
This Week's Story
"

My very first networking event was a long time ago now — a music industry event — and all I knew you're meant to do was 'work the room'. So that's what I did, I just tried to talk to as many people as possible!

It turns out it's not that bad an approach. People worry terribly about networking but if you reframe it as an opportunity to learn and build relationships, rather than something purely transactional where you absolutely have to come away with something there and then, that really helps. Show curiosity in the subject matter and the people you meet, and that helps take the pressure off.

Sue Keogh · Founder at Sookio

Top Tips From Our Network

Practical advice personally collected from professionals we've networked with

AO

Adeyemi Olorunfemi

IBAA 2026 Award Winner · Founder at Joshbin

Read an award winner's top 6 tips on how to best prepare yourself for a networking event.

SB

Sally Bain

Marketing Manager & News Editor at Cambridge Network

Read a Cambridge Network marketing professional's top tip on building genuine professional relationships.

SK

Sue Keogh

Founder at Sookio

Read a Sookio founder's take on reframing networking as an opportunity to learn and build relationships.

FW

Finn Wilson

Degree Apprentice at HSBC

Read an HSBC degree apprentice's top tip on building genuine relationships instead of overcorporatising them.

TM

Tommy Moffat

Founder at NetLift Network

Read NetLift's founders top 6 professional tips on how to maximise your results after a networking event

TA

Tom Archbold

Founder at Hireable

Read a Hireable founder's take on why building genuine relationships beats simply collecting connections.

"

Find yourself a mentor, believe you are worthy of support (because you are) and the most important one of all — believe in yourself absolutely!

Ashley Dean Smith · Founder at OUTLIERS

Top Story

A standout networking story from Mike Soutar

"

Years ago, I agreed at the last minute to attend an event because my boss had been called away. I was reluctant to go, knew nobody and felt completely out of my depth. After standing awkwardly watching everyone else socialise, I finally plucked up the courage to introduce myself to Gordon, the MD of Kiss FM.

We chatted, exchanged details and subsequently met for lunch. The bill arrived and he went to pay it, but I noticed we had been charged for dishes we hadn't ordered.

A week later, Gordon called to say he was moving to a bigger role and needed to replace himself. He joked that anyone so eagle-eyed about the cost of a business lunch might make a good MD.

Within two months of nervously introducing myself, I had been offered my first managing directorship.

So maybe "networking" isn't the popular image of someone confidently working a room.

Maybe sometimes if you can just find the courage within you to take that first step across it to say hello and be yourself, the universe will take care of the rest.

Mike Soutar · BBC The Apprentice, Entrepreneur, LinkedIn Top Voice on Business Transformation and Leadership
Want your tip featured? Submit it here →

Monthly Events

Upcoming Networking Events You Should Go To

🚀 NetLift Events — Our Upcoming Sessions

More dates to be announced soon

NetLift Networking Bootcamp Sessions

Free online workshop for UK students. Guest speaker. 45 minutes. New sessions are being added regularly — join the list to hear first.

New dates to be announced soon — check Eventbrite

Online — anywhere in the UK

Free

Press here to visit our Eventbrite page and register interest →
More dates to be announced soon

The NetLift Networking Event

In-person event with speakers, Q&A, and networking. More dates are being added — register your interest to be the first to know.

Dates to be announced soon

United Kingdom

Small ticket price

Press here to visit our Eventbrite page and register interest →

Every month the NetLift team finds and shares the best upcoming UK networking events open to sixth form and university students. These aren't NetLift events — we just find them so you don't have to.

November & December 2026 Events

🌍 Diversity & Careers

The Black Excellence Programme 2026

An established targetjobs networking and professional development event designed to connect ambitious students of Black heritage with leading employers, successful professionals and potential mentors. Expect industry insights, career discussions, practical workshops and opportunities to build relationships with recruiters across different sectors.

Monday 9 November 2026 · 10:30am - 5:30pm

London

Check registration

Register Now →

Registration deadline: 5 November 2026. Eligibility: students of Black heritage.

NetLift tip: Don't just focus on speaking to recruiters. Other students attending may become valuable connections throughout your career. Connect with people who share your ambitions and stay in touch after the event.

TargetJobs

🚀 Entrepreneurship

The Business Show London 2026

One of the UK's biggest business networking and entrepreneurship events, bringing together more than 25,000 entrepreneurs, business owners, startup founders and professionals. With 500 exhibitors and 200 speakers, it's an excellent opportunity for students interested in business to meet established entrepreneurs, discover new industries, explore potential collaborations and learn directly from experienced business leaders.

Wednesday 11 - Thursday 12 November 2026

ExCeL London

Free entry - registration required

Register Now →

NetLift tip: Set yourself a target of speaking to five business owners or founders. Rather than immediately asking for advice, ask about their journey, how they started and what they wish they had known at your age.

The Business Show London

🤝 General Networking

Sheffield Young Professionals - November Networking Social

A relaxed networking evening bringing together young professionals, entrepreneurs, graduates and students from across Sheffield. Organised by Sheffield Young Professionals, the event offers an informal environment to meet people from different industries, develop your networking confidence and establish new professional relationships. Students and job seekers are explicitly welcome.

Thursday 12 November 2026 · 5:30pm - 8:30pm

The Millowners Arms, Sheffield

£10 pizza and a pint offer

Register Now →

NetLift tip: Informal events are often where the strongest connections start. Don't feel pressured to deliver an elevator pitch to everyone. Start with simple questions about what people do and what brought them along.

Eventbrite

📣 Marketing

The Marketing Meetup IRL - Manchester

Part of The Marketing Meetup's welcoming UK-wide marketing community, this event brings together marketing professionals, agency founders, business owners and people interested in the industry. Featuring guest speakers Dave Harland and Helen Cliff, the evening combines practical marketing insights with informal conversations and open networking. Particularly useful for students interested in marketing, communications, branding and entrepreneurship.

Wednesday 18 November 2026 · 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Forward Role, Manchester

£5 - £50 (pay what you like)

Register Now →

NetLift tip: Research the speakers beforehand. Asking someone about a particular campaign, project or piece of advice they've shared gives you a much stronger starting point for a conversation.

The Marketing Meetup

⚖️ Law

Unlocking Your Potential in Law - RPC 2026

An exclusive targetjobs event offering students the opportunity to gain insight into international law firm RPC. Attendees can meet legal professionals, hear from associates, participate in interactive workshops and explore potential routes into vacation schemes and training contracts. Unlike many law networking events, this opportunity is open to students studying any degree, including those considering a law conversion.

Thursday 19 November 2026 · 10:30am - 5:00pm

Central London · RPC

Check registration

Register Now →

Eligibility: Predicted or on track for a 2:1 or above, studying law or planning a law conversion, with an interest in RPC. Registration deadline: 18 November.

NetLift tip: When meeting professionals, ask about their career journey rather than just their current position. Understanding how someone progressed into their role can give you valuable insight into opportunities you might not have considered.

TargetJobs

🔬 STEM

The targetjobs Big STEM Society Hack

A national student innovation and networking event bringing together STEM societies from universities across the UK. Students work in teams to develop solutions to real-world sustainability and social responsibility challenges, with support from industry mentors. Alongside the competition, participants can build connections with other university societies, professionals and organisations.

Thursday 19 November 2026 · 9:00am - 6:00pm

Central London

Check registration

Register Now →

Registration deadline: 13 November 2026. Eligibility: STEM societies competing as university teams.

NetLift tip: Don't limit your connections to your own team. Speak to students representing other universities and exchange LinkedIn details. Different universities often have completely different societies, opportunities and professional networks.

TargetJobs

⚖️ Law

The National Pupillage Fair 2026

One of the major annual networking events for aspiring barristers, organised by targetjobs in partnership with the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn. Meet representatives from leading chambers, professional associations and legal education providers, attend expert-led career sessions and gain first-hand insight into the profession. Particularly valuable for students considering a future in law.

Saturday 21 November 2026 · 10:30am - 3:00pm

Lincoln's Inn, Central London

Check registration

Register Now →

NetLift tip: Identify three chambers you'd particularly like to meet before attending. Prepare a question for each one and follow up with the people you speak to on LinkedIn afterwards.

TargetJobs

🏗️ Engineering

Yorkshire & Humber Early Careers Network - Festive Networking and Quiz

Organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers, this networking evening brings together university students, graduates, apprentices, technicians and early-career professionals from across Yorkshire and Humber. The event combines informal networking with a quiz, food and refreshments, making it a particularly approachable opportunity for students to meet people already working in the engineering industry.

Monday 7 December 2026 · 5:30pm - 8:00pm

Banyan Bar and Kitchen, Leeds

Free entry - registration required

Register Now →

NetLift tip: Look for people who are only a few years ahead of you in their careers. Recent graduates can often provide particularly useful advice about transitioning from university into professional life.

Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)

Know of an event that should be on this list? Submit it here →

The Guide

How to Network — The Complete Student Guide

Everything you need to know before your first networking event. Written for students who have never done it before.

The Networking Mountain

Four Steps to Networking Success

Preparation. Attending. Talking. Follow Up. Most people stop at step three - the best networkers never do.

Infographic showing NetLifts Networking Mountain with 4 steps: Preparation, Attending, Talking, and Follow Up for networking success.

The Four Steps

1

Preparation

When you prepare yourself properly, your confidence grows. Confidence isn't just something some people have — it's built through how you prepare yourself. Research who will be there, set a goal, and practise your introduction before you arrive.

2

Attending

Show up on time — and dress for the situation. Arriving on time shows respect, and dressing to match the room means you feel like you belong in it.

3

Talking

Go in with the approach of "what can I learn?" rather than "what can I get?" The opportunities come later — genuine curiosity is what makes people want to help you.

4

Follow Up

Send your follow-up message 24–48 hours after the event and reference something specific they talked about. The small details matter — they're what make you memorable.

What Sets the Best Networkers Apart

Networking Doesn't Just Stop After You've Got Their Business Card

Anyone can collect a contact. The people who build a network that actually opens doors are the ones who do the work after the event — the follow-up message, the check-in three months later, the genuine "I saw this and thought of you." Step 4 is where networking turns into relationships, and it is almost always the part most students skip. Don't be most students. The conversation only just begins once you've got their details.

Before — Prepare

Research, set a goal, practise your introduction.

During — Connect

Ask questions, listen well, grab LinkedIn.

After — Follow Up

24-hour message, update your contact tracker.

Download the complete How to Network toolkit

Free templates, checklists, and message guides.

Get the Free Toolkit →

Mentoring

NetLift 1:1 Networking Mentoring

Personal mentoring from experienced networkers. Built for students who want more than a guide.

Every student who books a session is matched with an experienced networker from the NetLift mentoring network — professionals and graduates who have built their careers through networking and now volunteer their time to help students do the same.

💼

LinkedIn Profile Review

Line by line feedback on what is working and what is holding you back from your profile actually opening doors.

🗣

Introduction Practice

Live practice of your 30-second introduction with real feedback from someone who works in your target industry.

🗺

Networking Strategy

A personalised plan for the next 30 days based on your goals, your industry, and your current network.

🎯

Event Preparation

Specific preparation for an upcoming networking event, careers fair, or industry evening.

🔗

Re-engaging Your Network

Help re-engaging existing connections you have not spoken to in a while and turning them into active relationships.

💬

Confidence Building

Practical tools for overcoming the fear and anxiety that stops most students from networking in the first place.

Start Here

Intro Session

Free

Relaxed 30-minute taster session. Meet your mentor, talk through your goals, and build a plan for the sessions ahead - no pressure.

Book Free Session →
Most Popular

Single Session

£35

45-minute focused session. One topic. Real feedback. Actionable next steps.

Book Now →
Best Value

Three Session Package

£90

Three 45-minute sessions. Build a complete networking strategy over three weeks.

Book Package →

One session could be the difference

Your intro session is completely free. Beyond that, paid sessions start at £35 - and one conversation really can be the difference between landing your dream job and never hearing back. Compare that small cost to the financial return of walking into the right role - a higher starting salary, faster progression and doors that stay open for years. Put simply, one session costs a tiny fraction of what that first proper job pays you back.

More mentors from the NetLift professional network joining soon. Interested in becoming a NetLift mentor? Email netlift.network@outlook.com

Coming Soon

The NetLift AI Networking Assistant

Your personal networking mentor. Available 24/7. Built specifically for students.

Networking help in the moment — not just when a workshop is running. Ask it anything: how to introduce yourself at tonight's event, review your LinkedIn headline, or write the follow-up message after meeting someone interesting. It knows the Netlift framework and the tools, and it's there whenever you need it.

Be the First to Access It

Join the waitlist and we'll email you the moment it launches.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. We will only email you when it is ready.

NetLift AI Assistant
Online · Coming Soon
I have a networking event tomorrow and I don't know what to say
Let's fix that. Start with your 30-second introduction. Tell me: what are you studying and what are you most curious about in your industry right now?
Typing
💬

Ask Anything

Instant answers to your networking questions, any time of day.

📝

Personalised Advice

Adapts to your situation, industry, and goals — not generic.

🚀

Built for Students

Designed for sixth form and university students, not corporates.

Get Your Free Networking Starter Kit

Enter your email and we will send you the complete NetLift Networking Starter Kit — including the 30-second introduction formula, the three questions that work in any networking situation, the follow-up message template, and the contact tracker. Plus you will be first to hear about new events, mentoring availability, and the AI assistant launch.

📬 Sent instantly 🔒 No spam ever ❌ Unsubscribe anytime

Partners

Help Build Someone's Dream Career

Behind every ambitious student is a future they're working towards — and a moment where the right person, brand or opportunity changes everything. Partnering with NetLift means more than reaching the next generation of talent. It means shaping the careers they'll look back on as the ones that made them.

Explore Partnership Opportunities →
"

The right person, at the right moment, can change the entire direction of a career. That moment is what we build towards.

TM
Tommy Moffat
Founder at NetLift Network
For students

Change a Career Trajectory

Your support gives a student their first real connection, their first insight into an industry, and the confidence to chase a career they might otherwise have thought wasn't for them.

For business

Access Tomorrow's Talent Today

Meet ambitious, career-focused sixth form and university students before they enter the job market — and be the brand they already trust when they're ready to choose.

For everyone

Build Genuine Brand Goodwill

Associate your brand with opportunity rather than advertising. Being the business that helped someone get started is a story they tell for years.

Good for them.
Good for business.

Every partnership is a two-way win. You help a student take a real step towards the career they're dreaming of — and in return your business gets direct, meaningful access to the talent, loyalty and reputation that come with backing the next generation.

Targeted reach across our platform, events, content and mentoring programme.

Pipeline for future hires built before the graduate recruitment race begins.

Measurable impact you can genuinely talk about in ESG and CSR reporting.

Ground-floor partnership with a platform scaling to new cities in 2027.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have a question? Email netlift.network@outlook.com and we will get back to you within 24 hours.