Building a Network of Influencers for Career Advancement

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗠 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿. 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸. That it was only for extroverts, salespeople, or those who knew the “right” people. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The truth? LinkedIn changed my career more than any job board ever could. From landing internships to publishing research and breaking into power & energy, the biggest opportunities in my career didn’t come from job boards—they came from building the right connections. Yet, so many professionals hesitate to network strategically because they: * Feel awkward reaching out to strangers * Don’t know what to say in a cold DM * Fear getting ignored or rejected I get it—I used to be the same way. But once I started using LinkedIn the right way, I landed mentors, internships, and research opportunities that shaped my entire career. Here’s How You Can Do It Today: ✅ 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 * Look for professionals in your target field (engineers, hiring managers, senior leaders). * Use LinkedIn’s “People Also Viewed” section to find similar profiles. * Join industry groups to see who’s actively sharing insights. ✅ 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 Forget “Hi, can I pick your brain?” That doesn’t work. Instead, try this: 💡 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗠 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: “Hi [Name], I came across your profile while learning about [topic]. I admire your work on [specific project]. I’d love to hear your thoughts on [question]. Would you be open to a quick chat?” ✅ 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗠 * Like and comment on their posts genuinely * Share their work and add your insights * Make your name familiar before sending a message ✅ 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 People respond better when you bring something to the table: * Share an article or resource relevant to their work * Offer a fresh perspective on one of their posts * Ask a specific, thoughtful question instead of just “Can you help me?” The Outcome: I’ve used this exact strategy to build meaningful relationships that led to: ✔ Internship opportunities before I even applied ✔ Research collaborations that boosted my career ✔ Insights from industry leaders that I couldn’t find anywhere else If you’re not leveraging LinkedIn for strategic networking, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. 💡 Try this today: Pick ONE person you admire, craft a thoughtful DM, and hit send

If you're using LinkedIn to build your personal network, make sure you DM people with the right intent. Too many people try to reach out to me (and others) without a willingness to invest in a real relationship. It can be hard trying to find producers, agents, and managers for your screenwriting career. And a lot of advice will tell you that it's a numbers game. If someone reaches out wanting an immediate collaboration right away, that impatience is a red flag. But if someone reaches out with a genuine desire to get to know each other, even if it doesn't result in immediate gratification, well then maybe you have the beginning of real friendship here. But by "real friendship," I don't mean asking strangers if they want to meet you for coffee. This can work as an approach if they're at the same level as you and are also trying to expand their network. But for someone at a different level than you? Someone who fields dozens of these requests every single day? Someone who is already stressed about how few hours they have in the week to move their projects forward and nurture their own relationships? Start even smaller. Demonstrate a willingness to invest in the relationship by: - Reading the information they offer for free, putting it into place in your career, and reporting back with a success story about how it worked for you. - Asking for one specific piece of advice that relates to your career. - Proactively finding something that you can help them with and offering it to them. - Signing up for their class or service, investing in their paid ecosystem. - Offering support for a project or effort that they have. - Spread the word about a service that they offer. - Invite them to an event that will benefit them--beyond just meeting you for coffee one-on-one. Get creative about expanding your network. It will take time, effort, and work. But you'll have way better results, which will actually end up making it way more worth your time.

In the past week I’ve had two different coffee meet-ups with recent grads University of St. Thomas (#ROLLTOMS) and Metro State University who have really impressed me. These two particular young people were curious yet bold, prepared (they both had questions ready) and ambitious. And this week, already, I find myself going out of my way to help them (which I love to do!). Anyway, these two young people that reached out for coffee were actually out of the norm, sadly. I get a lot of LinkedIn invites from young people at St. Thomas and Winona State (because of my connections to both), but also other local universities. And, more times than not, that’s the only time I hear from these young people. And that’s a big mistake. The LinkedIn invite is just the first little part of starting a relationship with a more experienced person in your field. There are several important steps you should take beyond sending that invite that can help you build and nurture a great network. So, recent grads (and even young people 1-3 years removed from college), after you send that initial LinkedIn invite, here’s what I would suggest: 1 – Send a short follow-up DM thanking the person for connecting. You could also reference a recent LinkedIn post in your DM. This will show gratitude and demonstrate that you’re listening and paying attention to their conversations. 2 – Make the coffee ask. I know this is hard, but people from your alma mater (in my case Winona St., but also St. Thomas where I teach), will rarely say no. At the very least, ask for a 15-30 minute Zoom coffee. But, the preference is for the in-person coffee. 3 – Nail the coffee meeting. Prepare and show up with questions to ask. Show up early. Ask if/how there’s anything you can do to help. Follow-up with a prompt thank you email/note. Overall, just make sure you're making an A+ first impression. 4 – Be a frequent liker/commenter on the his/her posts. Believe me, people definitely notice the frequent likers/commenters on their posts. Helps you stay top-of-mind with that person should opportunities come up. 5 – Go out of your way to look for opportunities to help that person. You might think, “how can I help someone with 10-20 years experience when I’m just starting?” You might be surprised! What about business referrals? What about intros to other young people? What about sending them events or articles you see/read they might be interested. Don’t underestimate the value you bring to other people—at any age! You follow those steps after sending those LinkedIn invites and I can almost guarantee you’re going to get noticed and remembered. And that’s really what matters when it comes to the hidden job market.

“Networking is awkward.” You know what’s more awkward? Graduating in May 2025 and applying to 127 jobs with… zero callbacks. Let’s fix that with networking ideas no one’s talking about. and I mean actionable.. 1. “Reverse Research” Your Way Into a Conversation Instead of asking people what they do, show them what you know about what they’ve done. How to do it: Find someone on LinkedIn in your target company/role Read their posts, podcasts, or panels they’ve been on Then send this message: “Hi [Name], I came across your [talk/article/post] on [topic]—your point about [insight] made me think differently. I’m researching [industry], and would love to hear your take on [specific follow-up]. Would it be okay to connect?” That’s conversation built on respect. 2. Book Club for Industry Geeks Start a virtual book or podcast club for your industry. Invite professionals to speak at the end of each cycle. How to do it: Pick 3 peers + 1 book or podcast Create a simple calendar (4 weeks = 4 touchpoints) End with a “Wrap-Up” Zoom chat—invite a guest Post your takeaways on LinkedIn and tag them Because learning together? Is the strongest way to network. 3. Write A “Public Thank You” Post on LinkedIn You probably learned something cool from someone recently. Now imagine you posted it publicly, gave them a shoutout, and showed how you applied it. How to do it: Tag the person Share what they taught you Share what you did next Ask your network, “What’s something YOU learned from someone this month?” You just gave free visibility, created a loop, and 10 people will want to talk to you after. 4. Turn Informational Chats into Co-Creation Networking chats often stop at “thanks for the time.” What if it didn’t? What to do: After the call, send a note: “Hey [Name], based on our chat about [topic], I drafted a small idea to build on your advice. Would love your thoughts!” Create a graphic, short write-up, or project plan (just 1 page!) Now you’re not just a student. You’re someone they collaborated with. That’s relationship-building, not just networking. 5. The 5-5-5 Strategy Most people get stuck on who to reach out to. Here’s a weekly formula: 5 People You Admire (Founders, creatives) 5 People From Your School Network (Alums, professors, guest speakers) 5 Peers Who Are Also Job Hunting (Build a support circle, swap leads) Message all 15. Repeat weekly. That’s 156 conversations in 3 months. You don’t “find” jobs—you build the path to them. Reminder: Networking isn’t about who has the fanciest title. It’s about who remembers you when an opportunity comes up. Be the person who listened, learned, shared, and followed up. If you’re reading this and job searching— try one new method this week. Not next month. Not when it feels “less scary.” Now. You’re not late. #May2025Grads #NetworkingTips #CreativeCareerMoves #JobSearchStrategy #InternationalStudents #GradJobHunt #BeyondTheResume #HumanConnection #Topmate

Building a high-level network is the best way to create 'career insurance' - Here are 7 ways you can network BEFORE you need a job And yes - I've done each of these myself. 1 - Connect a high-level leader to someone looking for podcast guests. Become a connector. Find podcast hosts that would be interested in leaders at your firm. 2 - Plan a 'Career Growth' session at work; invite select managers and leaders as guest speakers. Speaking opportunities will appeal to some leaders; give them an opportunity they can't pass up. 3 - Publish a collaborative LinkedIn article - reach out for quotes and comments from leaders or managers in the space. Reach out to 5–6 leaders and ask for 1 quote on an industry trend. Compile their insights into an article or post; tag them, and amplify their visibility. 4 - Send them an "I built this based on..." message Find a keynote or panel where a leader shared a framework or insight. Build a visual, write an article, or make a slide based on the idea; send it to them. 5 - Send a Video, but Make it About Them Instead of pitching or requesting, record a short video sharing a story of how their work impacted you or your team. Keep it under 60 seconds. 6 - Create a 'Modern Mentorship' Series Turn your learning journey into content. Interview 10 high-level leaders via email or LinkedIn DMs and ask 2-3 thoughtful questions. Share each response as a short post. 7 - Send Periodic 'Gratitude Messages' A simple message thanking them for their inspiration - or something valuable they taught you. Have you tried any of these proactive networking approaches? Let me know if/how they worked. ♻️ Repost if you found this list helpful! Follow me for daily job search strategies.