Finding Common Ground with Influencers

The top question I get from students and those looking to make career changes is, “How do I reach out to people and not make it transactional?” I’ve been on both sides of this question and narrowed down my advice to this acronym: CLAWS C = Common. Common background, common interests, common people. The first thing that is incredibly helpful to do as a thoughtful networker is to find common ground. You could both be alums of a CS program, have a mutual connection that you know and can speak to, maybe you interned at a company they worked for, or maybe they made a career transition you are currently interested in pursuing. Start with common ground. L = Listen. There’s a reason why this step isn’t to ask for a referral or ask how to get a job at that person’s company. Your goal is to show that you’re being thoughtful with their time. Do your research on them, on specific gaps you may have in your background that they have as strengths, and most importantly, seek advice from them on what they would do if they were you. What was most helpful for them as they went through something similar? Underrated skills in their role? Advice to another version of them who could go through it again? It’s about them, not you. A = Ask. But not quite referral time yet. Ask for a specific piece of feedback: “thank you so much again for taking the time to speak with me. I’ve spent a lot of time crafting my resume with XYZ skills in mind from our conversation. I know you’re incredibly busy, but would you be open to taking a look at it with a XYZ role in mind?” W = Wait. Your goal is to build relationships, and not make it feel transactional, right? So after your first meeting or first message exchange, give it some time. Act on the advice you were given. Take your resume for another spin. Talk to more people. Then, check back in for the final step. S = Show, Share, Specify. Show them that you’ve done all this work and really used their feedback and enough to time has passed for you to share what you’ve learned both about roles you’re interested in or skills you are excited to build based on the conversations you’ve had. From there, be specific about what you would like their help with and why. If it’s a role at their company, specifically link to it and ask if they’d be open to referring you or to connecting you with someone on the team to talk more about it. This is just a framework that I have found helpful both as someone who gets requests from people looking for support, and as someone who benefitted greatly from the time, patience, and thoughtfulness of individuals that answered my career questions.

As an industrial designer from India, my path to international opportunities wasn't paved with connections. It was built email by email, one cold outreach at a time. I've sent between 300-500 cold emails to date, most during my college years. Fast forward a decade, and I've been on the receiving end of just as many. Whether you're hitting 'send' or 'reply', there's an art to cold outreach, and probably a bit of science too. Let me share what I've learned from both sides of the inbox. Buckle up, it's long af. 7 Cold Email Strategies that Simply Work 👉 1. Name-check and Research: Get the name right. Period. Then, go a step further. A quick 2-liner on why and how you know the person is often the difference between silence and a reply. It shows you care enough to do your homework. 2. Find Common Ground: If you have no obvious connection, create one. Share content, ask a thoughtful question, or reference a project (not yours) they might be interested in. An intriguing article can be a great conversation starter. 3. Follow Up (Nicely): Being persistent can double your chances of a response. People are busy, not ignoring you. But there's a fine line between persistence and pestering (my sales friends will probably not agree) but don't lose your sanity over it. 4. The "7 Touches" Rule: Aim to appear in someone's feed at least 7 times before sliding into their DMs. Engage with their content, comment thoughtfully, make yourself a familiar face. When you finally reach out, you're not a stranger anymore. I, like most people am much more inclined to reply and connect with familiar faces. 5. Make It About Them: People love talking about themselves. Lead with genuine curiosity. Ask insightful, nuanced questions that can't be Googled. (If I can find the answer to your Qs easily on Google, I'm less inclined to reply) 6. Build Community Credit: Actively contribute to your professional community. I post regularly on LinkedIn and Instagram. It's not just about visibility though, I have always tried to create value. With enough 'credit' built up, doors open more easily. 7. The Interview Approach: This one's gold. Interview people and introduce them to new audiences. In 2019, I started doing this on Instagram when the live feature was getting popular. Not only did I make new friends, but I also connected with amazing designers like Joey Zeledón, Tony Elkington and Sam Gwilt. It's a win-win: they get (more) exposure, you get insights. Alright, Now even if you follow these dilligently, there is still a high chance that most of your reachouts will go unanswered. Sorry, thats just how it is. But the ones that land? They will change the trajectory of your creative career. I promise. That's it for part 3 of 4 in this Networking for Creatives series. Stay tuned for the final part where I'll dive into overcoming the fear of putting yourself out there. Trust me, if I could do it, so can you!

A common pain point students struggle with? Networking outreach They know they should be reaching out to professors, alumni, industry professionals, etc. But don't know what to say in their outreach. Here's a battle-tested approach the students I work with use when drafting their message: → Prep • Research the person on LinkedIn, Google, etc. • Identify common ground between you two • Think about why you are connecting → Structure [1] Intro + common ground [2] Purpose for outreach [3] Call to action (CTA) → CTA • Clear, reasonable ask • Make it a request, not a demand • If you ask for a meeting, provide availability* (*Unless you do so in a LI connection note where space is limited.) — Let's imagine you're looking for an informational interview with an alum who is in your target field. Common ground = Your university Purpose = To learn about their role / field CTA = Request for an informational interview Email is typically your best bet because the average person checks their inbox several times a day. However, LinkedIn can be another effective avenue. (Example templates for both email and LI connection note are in the carousel.) If you have a mutual connection, it can be beneficial to namedrop them in your email. A simple sentence like “Professor Jackson recommended that I reach out to you regarding [topic].” will do. — Does this approach guarantee a response? No. Is this the only way to go about this? No. But it's an approach that has helped many of my students initiate meaningful conversations and relationships. Your outreach is the first impression you give, so it's worth paying attention to. — PS. If connecting via LI, always check if the person has an "Open Profile" (simply click on "Message"). If they do, you can send them a DM without connecting, even if you don't have Premium.

I’m always preaching the value of networking to my clients. But here’s the thing: Networking isn’t about adding as many people as you can on LinkedIn—it’s about building meaningful relationships. Here’s how you can step up your networking game: ✅ Find common ground and lead with it: People connect over shared interests. Give them a reason to talk to you by highlighting something you both care about. ✅ Make your ask clear: Too many people send a note and introduce themselves but never ask for anything concrete. Are you just checking in? Looking for a call? If there’s no ask, chances are, your message will be ignored. ✅ Offer value first: Networking isn’t just about what you can get—it’s about what you can give. Offer insights, make introductions, or share resources. It’s a two-way street. ✅ Follow up thoughtfully: After connecting, send a thank-you note and reference something from your conversation. If they offer to help, keep them updated on your search. Even when you land a job, let them know. The strongest relationships are built over time. Good networking isn’t transactional—it’s relational. You never know how a connection might benefit you or them in the future.

Most people freeze when they want to reach out to someone influential. Here’s the 5-step formula I’ve used to connect with the CEO of Scribe, the co-founder of Leland, the content team at Notion, and even creators I admire 👇 1. Follow first. Connect later. Don’t just hit “connect.” Follow them, spend a few weeks learning from their content and activity. Be a quiet observer. 2. Find your entry point. Look for a personal connection - a post you loved, a campaign you admired, a shared background, a comment thread you can join. 3. Create context. Once you find something specific, DM them with a message that shows: → You’ve done your homework → Why this moment made you want to connect → What you admire or learned from them 4. Make the ask polite + specific. Don’t write paragraphs. Respect their time. Example: “Would love to ask you 1 question about your work at [company] – totally okay if now’s not a good time!” 5. Nurture the connection. Even if they don’t reply, keep engaging with their content. Most of my opportunities came weeks after my first message. This method helped me land internships, collaborations, interviews, and lifelong mentors. Try this 5-step system and tell me what worked. #linkedin #network #tips