Finding Networking Resources on LinkedIn

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

You know you should network. But you probably don’t know what to say or how to get on people’s radar. Here’s an easy 7-step LinkedIn networking strategy (that anyone can use): 1. The 3 Principles Of Good Networking If you want to network effectively, you need to:  - Have a way to reach people  - Have a way to add value to them  - Have a way to keep the engagement going This strategy does all three! 2. Make A List Of Job-Related Keywords Think of keywords, skills, phrases, and jargon that align with your target role. Ex: If you’re in sales, that might be “sales,” “leads,” “pipeline,” “sales cycle,” etc. Make a quick list of these. 3. Run A “Post” Search On LinkedIn Start with one keyword (or the job title itself). Run a search for it on LinkedIn. From the “Filters” option, select “Posts.” Then change “Date Posted” to “Past Week.” 4. Filter By “Author Company” Click on “All Filters” to find the “Author Company” filter. Add all of your target companies to this filter. This will give you a list of all the posts related to your target role, written by people at your target companies, posted in the past week! 5. Analyze Posts & Authors Scroll through the posts. When you find one that resonates? Click the person’s profile and check to see if they post consistently (at least once / week). If they do? Bookmark their profile in your browser. 6. Leave A Value Driven Comment For each author you find that posts regularly in your target space? Leave a comment on their post recent post that is:  - Supportive  - Postive in tone  - Offers your own take / value  - Is more than one sentence Repeat for each author. 7. Rinse & Repeat Daily Every day, click through the author profiles you have bookmarked. See a new post? Leave a new comment. Repeat this process every weekday if you can. But aim to leave at least one comment / week at minimum. 8. Why This Works Content creators love engagement. By cosistently offering that in a positive way, you’re going to get on their radar. And when you’ve done this for a week or two, the likelihood of getting a “yes” to a coffee chat, or even a referral, goes WAY up. Give it a shot today!

“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