The one thing that virtually every college graduate misses the most when they leave campus is their friends. While staying in touch with friends is easier today with electronic technologies, there will come a time when you need to start developing new friends.

In college, making friends was easy. In many job environments, there may be very few young people. You are often too tired to go out at night so that’s not a viable way to find friends. So how do you find new friends? Here are some ways to connect with others.

1. Professional/civic organizations – there are a number of professional/civic groups you can join. Some of these like Toastmasters, Rotary, or Business After Hours groups can be very helpful in finding friends and extending your network.
2. Churches – many churches have young adult groups that can be helpful.
3. Graduate classes – evening graduate courses can be both an academic pursuit and a way to develop friends with people you age.
4. Community sponsored athletic groups – sports teams are a great way to connect with a cross section of a community.
5. Community service organizations – these groups such as Habitat for Humanity, United Way, fundraising groups, and others are another good way to connect with others.

When you start your career, you should set a goal of connecting with potential new friends through at least two of the above strategies or similar approaches.

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