Having a strong professional network is important. It’s “…an investment that pays off in the future” (Wolf & Moser, 2009), predicting positive changes in career attainment. However, networking is often considered more of a soft-skill, where many lack formal training. With that in mind, panelists from a diverse set of fields and career levels will share their personal experiences and lessons learned on networking. Audience members will be given the opportunity to ask panelists follow up questions. The last third of the alternative format panel will be spent engaged in an activity to foster networking and a debrief of the activity. Presentation time: 40 minutes, Q/A time: 20 minutes, Networking Activity: 15 minutes, Activity Debrief: 15 minutes.