6 networking groups for young professionals in the Twin Cities

Whether you're working at home or at the office, making professional connections can be helpful in landing a job and growing your career.

Case in point: Savanna​ Givens, chair of the St. Paul Area Chamber's Young Professionals Committee, tells us getting involved in the chapter and going to events "jolted" her job prospects and helped her land a promotion at Hiway Credit Union.

• "I was relationship building, which I've learned at this point is one of the most important things," she said.

Of note: In-person isn't the only way to build your network. Many professional groups offer virtual programming. And if not, don't be shy about making "cold call" connections online.

• Last year, Givens set out to interview 100 leaders in the community via Zoom. With a few LinkedIn searches, she was able to expand the project to include CEOs and CFOs from across the nation and world.

Get involved: Here are some local organizations that will help you foster connections:

• Young Professionals of Minneapolis
• Black Professional Social Network
• St. Paul Area Chamber Young Professionals Committee
• The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities
• American Public Works Association's MN Young Professionals chapter
• National Association of Asian American Professionals Minnesota Chapter

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