After spending time creating your LinkedIn profile, building a network might seem a bit scary. If you are unsure of how to approach connecting with individuals on the website or simply don’t know what to search for, there are some simple tips that can help you begin building your network.
Start by adding people that are directly connected to you. This includes peers, family friends, co-workers, or high school friends. These connections are 1st tier connections will help you to find 2nd tier connections. As you build you base, start to utilize groups you are part of in to connect with people you’d like to network with. For example: meet-up groups, sports leagues, etc. Even if you aren’t involved in any extracurriculars, searching for alumni that went to your school is still an awesome way to find interesting people to connect with.
The “search” feature is your best friend. You can do it in a variety of ways for people that could open doors for you, but here are just a few ways I like to go about it:
My university + the company I am interested in
My major + the company I am interested in
One group I am a part of + the company I am interested in
When it comes to reaching out to people on Linkedin that you do not know, adding a note is crucial to getting you noticed. It’s easy for people to look over “connect” invitations if they don’t recognize that person’s profile or name.
Here is an example note:
Hi “person’s name",
My name is “your name” and I found you through “school/org/however you discovered this person". I am a “school year” passionate about “your major or the industry you are looking to enter” and am very interested in your role at “their company.” If you have the time, I would love to hop on the phone with you and talk about your career path so far.
Thank you.
As I mentioned previously, one of the easiest ways to connect with people is to simply search your school, click on the “alumni” tab, and filter through the different people. You can sort in a multitude of different ways including, major, where they live, what they do, etc. This has been a wonderful tool for me to build my network.
After someone accepts your invite to connect, normally the next step would be to set up a phone call with them. You can view my guide here on how to approach a phone call if you’re just starting out. Although phone calls can be nerve-racking, remember: they’ve taken the leap to connect with you because they want to help you.
Utilizing LinkedIn is a great way to start figuring out what kinds of jobs you’re interested in, to talk to people about their day-to-day, to find a mentor, or to land you an amazing opportunity. Navigating your way through takes a bit of practice and hard work, but it brings you that much closer to where you want to be.
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