Here is something most career coaches won't tell you: the network that matters most to your career in your 30s is largely built in school.

Why School Friendships Are Different

Professional networks built at conferences or LinkedIn are transactional by nature. School friendships are built on years of shared experience — competitive exams, sports days, lunch breaks, failed projects, and genuine conversations. That depth of relationship creates a level of trust that professional networking rarely achieves.

The Research Backs This Up

A Harvard Business Review study found that people are five times more likely to receive a job referral from a school acquaintance than from a professional contact made in the same industry. The reason is simple: school friends know your character, not just your resume.

How to Reconnect

If you have drifted from your school batchmates — which is normal — the DPS alumni portal makes it easy to reconnect. Search by batch year, reach out via direct message, and attend the Annual Alumni Meet to put faces back to names.

A Note to Current Students

The person sitting next to you in Chemistry class today might be the investor who backs your startup in 2035. Treat your school friendships with the same care and intentionality you give to your academic goals.