Networking Through LinkedIn
This blog was written by Peer Career Ambassador, Aditya Agarwal ’22
The LinkedIn platform has expanded significantly over recent years. It is important to keep your account updated and authentic since it serves as a virtual representation of your professional development. However, once your LinkedIn is well crafted, it is also crucial to optimize its potential. LinkedIn is a very powerful tool that serves as your first impression, so make sure you use it to your advantage! Let’s go through the steps of networking through LinkedIn.
- Building your Network
Reaching Out: Do not be afraid to reach out to people you do not personally know if you are interested in learning more about them. Many workers remember their time as college students and would love to take some time to help you out. Make sure you include a quick note to explain why you are interested in connecting with them when requesting to connect.
500+ Connections: Building your network effectively will allow you to have access to the type of audience you are targeting. One thing to keep in mind is that LinkedIn shows how many connections you have until you are above 500 (at which point it shows 500+), so while not necessary, having 500+ connections does play a psychological effect and make you look more accomplished.
Use Groups: LinkedIn allows you to join up to 100 groups. Try finding groups that have members of your target audience in them and introduce yourself when you first join the group. From there, remember to stay active and connect with anyone you are interested in.
2. Nurturing the Relationship
Stay Active: staying active on the platform will allow your connections to see your name pop up and remind them of you. Whether that be through liking and commenting on posts or resharing anything you find valuable, it is important to use LinkedIn as actively as you would any other media platform.
Acknowledge Events: LinkedIn will notify you when someone has a birthday, a work anniversary, or a new job. Taking the time to acknowledge these and reaching out to wish them well will certainly help build a more personal relationship.
Take these tips and couple them with being authentic, and you will be set to go! Remember that networking is not a job, it is about building genuine relationships.