Making Connections in Your First Job Search

Dear May 2025 Grads especially international students, Graduated now.. Excited? Nervous? Wondering how to land a job in the U.S. as visa deadlines loom? Yeah, we’ve all been there. Let’s talk real job search strategy. Here are some out-of-the-box networking + time management tips that worked for me and many others because the "just apply online" route? It’s not enough anymore. Networking tip #1: Become a connector, not a collector Don’t just collect LinkedIn connections. Engage. After every virtual or in-person event, send a thoughtful message: “Hey [Name], I loved your take on [topic]. Would love to stay in touch and learn from your journey.” Then follow their content, leave a meaningful comment weekly. Not just "Great post"—say why it resonated. Real Example? I did this with a speaker from a conference. A week later, they referred me to a role I didn’t know existed. Networking tip #2: DM like a human Cold messaging can work if it’s warm in tone. No one likes “Hi, can you refer me?”. Try this: “Hi [Name], I’m a May 2025 grad, exploring roles in [your field]. Your path at [Company] is inspiring! What advice would you give someone starting out?” You’re not asking for a job— You’re building trust. Jobs often follow. Networking tip #3: Start your own thing No industry events? Create one. Host a 20-minute Zoom chat with peers and invite 1 professional. Call it “Something Creative.” Record it, post snippets on LinkedIn. Now you’re no longer chasing people— They come to you. Time Tip #1: Pick 3 buckets daily Job search feels endless—so make it finite. Every day, pick only 3 things: 10 application 10 follow-up 1-2 learning or networking action Then rest. Your brain needs consistent progress, not burnout. Time Tip #2: Theme your week Mon: Research companies Tue: Tailor resume + apply Wed: Networking messages Thu: Interview prep Fri: Personal branding Sat: Review progress Sun: Rest or reflect Theme = clarity. Clarity = momentum. Bonus Tip: Show your work in public Share your job search journey online. Post about projects, learnings, even rejections. One classmate posted his weekly job goals + learnings. He got a DM from a hiring manager who was watching silently. You never know who’s watching. International students—this road is hard, but it’s not impossible. You just need to play it smart, support each other, and show up consistently. If you’re on this journey, You’ve got this. #May2025Grads #InternationalStudents #JobSearchTips #Networking #TimeManagement #F1VisaJobs #OPT #CPT #CareerGrowth #LevelUp

The job market has a problem: Entry-level positions that demand 2-3 years of experience. Make it make sense! How exactly are new graduates supposed to enter the workforce when every "beginner" role requires them to have already begun? I've been thinking about this because of my own career journey. Want to know how I landed EVERY single job in my 20s? Not through applications. Not through fancy degrees. It was ALL through referrals from people in my network. Someone who knew me, vouched for me, and opened doors that would have remained firmly shut if I had just been another resume in the stack. This is why I tell every young professional that your network is your most valuable asset – especially when you're starting out with zero experience. Here are 3 ways to build meaningful connections early in your career: ✅ 1. // Turn informational interviews into ongoing relationships. Don't just have coffee once. Follow up every quarter with thoughtful updates and specific questions. ✅ 2. // Join professional communities where your target employers hang out. Every industry has Slack channels, Discord servers, or local meetups where real conversations happen. ✅ 3. // Offer genuine help before asking for anything. Can you create something valuable for someone you admire? Research a topic they're interested in? Solve a small problem they mentioned? …and of course leverage LinkedIn. Start posting here and building connections. The best networkers I know don't collect connections – they build relationships by adding value first. 📌 Question: What was your first job and how did you get it? Was it through an application or a connection? I’m genuinely curious. Tell us about it.

I always like to mention the Alumni feature when I’m teaching about LinkedIn job search tools because it’s one of the most effective. LinkedIn’s research discovered that alumni are 3x more likely to help you than any other type of connection. To use the alumni feature, go to your school’s LinkedIn page. You can do this easily by typing the school name in the search bar. Once you’re on the school’s page, you’ll see a tab for Alumni. Click that tab. The Alumni feature allows you to search for job titles, industries, and the years attended — you can broaden this range to find people who graduated close to you or ahead of you. You can even search by where they live to target people near you or where you want to move (another connection point). You can search by where they work or by alumni who are employed at a specific company where you want to work. I love this feature because I can find multiple common connection points (key networking currency). My first connection point is that we’re both alumni of the same school. Then, I can choose to find alumni where I live, so I choose Jacksonville, FL. Now, I have two common points of connection with this person. Let’s say I also have my heart set on working for Mayo Clinic, so I click Mayo Clinic. Now, I can see all the alumni in my area who work for Mayo — but now, I want to dive even deeper and find a third point of common connection. I will search by what they do to connect with people in HR at Mayo. So I can select that option. You could also narrow it down by what area they studied (maybe you both have business degrees — another point of connection), and you can also select what they’re skilled at (these are the main skill areas on their profile). Lastly, you can choose how you’re connected. LinkedIn will show you 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-degree connections. If I message a UNF alumnus who also studied business, lives in Jacksonville, and works in HR, we have much more in common. This is the perfect person I need to speak to about working in HR at Mayo. When you send a connection request, make sure to list your common points: “Hi (name), we’re both UNF alumni and Jacksonville natives. I studied and worked in HR, too. I’d appreciate the opportunity to connect and network since we’re in the same field.” After you’re connected, you can follow up and ask questions like: “I aspire to work for Mayo Clinic one day. I’d love to hear what path you took to work there.” Or you could say: “I see you’ve been in HR for 10 years and you’re a VP of HR. I hope to grow my HR career and become a director in the next 3 years. I’d appreciate hearing any advice you might be willing to share about your path.” These are the people you want in your network. They are the people who will become your biggest cheerleaders and helpers — the ones willing to hold informational interviews with you, share their stories, and give you advice. #networking #jobsearch #careers

Please stop submitting cold job applications. I see too many people getting zero interviews despite submitting hundreds of applications. Do this after you hit apply: 1. Go to the company’s LinkedIn page.    → Click "People" 2. Search for:    → Alumni from your school    → Mutual connections    → Someone in a similar role to the one you applied for    → The hiring manager 3. Reach out with a short subject line like:    → “Fellow [school] alum connecting re counsel role”    → “[Friend] of Jane Smith looking to connect”    → “Connecting about the assistant counsel position" 4. In your message:    → Introduce yourself    → Mention the role    → Ask for a 15-minute chat    → Do NOT attach your resume    → Do NOT ask for a referral (yet) Example: “I’m a fellow State grad (class of 2015) now working as a litigator at ABC Firm, and I recently applied for the counsel role at XYZ Co. I see that you’ve been working on the product team there for several years, and I’d love to learn more about your experience. Might you have time for a brief call in the next week or two? Thanks so much in advance.” 5. On the call:    → Thank them for taking the time to speak with you    → Give a one-minute overview of your background    → Ask open-ended questions about their experience    → Restate your interest in the position and company    → End with a specific ask:    "Is there anyone else you'd recommend I speak to?"    or    "Would you be open to flagging my resume for the hiring manager?" 6. Follow up with a brief thank-you message. 🤔 The reason you haven't been hearing back from online applications? Employers are inundated with resumes. They often start with the applications that came with a warm referral. The good news? You can create your own referral by following these steps. Stop sending cold applications. Start making your own connections. And watch the interviews start coming in. P.S. No, you don't have to do this for every job.... Just the ones you want to get interviews for. *** 👋 I'm a lawyer-turned-career coach, and I have helped hundreds of lawyers of all seniority levels successfully navigate career transitions. This fall, I'll be working with 10 associates to land their dream in-house or lateral jobs through my Accelerator coaching program. Message me to learn more.

Here's how my clients are getting jobs right now: The breakdown is 20/80: • 20% through cold applying • 80% through networking I don't think the job search is a numbers game, but I think networking is a numbers game. I would rather you send out 100 networking messages than 100 applications. My clients don't mass apply for jobs. They are targeted in their approach. Here's how they do it: 1) Very clear on what they want - they know what job titles/companies/industries interest them. This clarity makes them more attractive candidates. 2) Write a different resume for each job title they're applying for. This is more work up front, but it makes applying much easier and faster. Very little customization is needed per application. Plus, this makes your resume(s) much stronger too. 3) Include metrics on their resume. They're using numbers to measure their accomplishments and achievements. They're also using numbers to add context to their roles. (I'm writing a post about finding metrics, stay tuned.) 4) They have optimized LinkedIn profiles (packed with keywords and ideal job titles), plus they are active on LinkedIn. 5) A recent client had more luck applying early. Her interview opportunities went up when she was one of the first to apply (she was looking for remote roles in a competitive field, so applying early was a big advantage). 6) Most importantly, they are WORKING THEIR NETWORK. They are unabashedly reaching out to everyone they know and asking for help. Yes, some of them hate it, but it's getting results. You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I have a 5-step process for the job search, I call it the SMART Job Search Process: 1) SEEK: Be very clear on what you want next. 2) MATCH: Find companies that interest you and learn what they want. 3) ALIGN: Get your resume, LinkedIn, and positioning tight. 4) RELATIONSHIPS: Now that your personal brand is done, it's time to reach out to your network. 5) THRIVE: NOW you're ready for the job search and nailing the job interview. We often jump right to Step 5 - applying for jobs - before doing the other steps properly first. ✅ In Steps 1 and 2, you're getting clear on what you want and what your target employers want. ✅ In Step 3, you use that information to write LinkedIn and resumes that are packed with keywords and targeted bullet points. ✅ In Step 4, now you're putting your best foot forward and you're ready to approach your network. ✅ In Step 5, you have done all you can before applying to jobs. Now it's time to hit the job boards. This is a competitive market - can you revisit any of these steps and tweak your job search? I'm rooting for you. 👊 ♻ Please repost if you think this advice will help others. ***** Hi, have we met? I'm Emily and I'm on a mission to get the #greenbannergang back to work, one actionable step at a time. #jobsearch #jobhunt #jobseekers