Initiating Connections via LinkedIn
Connecting with people through LinkedIn goes far beyond just sending someone a connect invite. It’s about finding the people you want to connect with, and establishing a meaningful connection with them.
This is no easy task, but it is an important skill to learn. I assure you that these types of interactions will benefit you in the long run and they will become more natural over time.
"This is no easy task, but it is an important skill to learn."
I have detailed some of the tips that have helped me establish strong connections through LinkedIn:
- Find your interests. Look introspectively and find what you would like to learn more about. Is it a certain industry, a role, a specific company, or a career path you would like to understand better? Write them down and think about what draws you to this; is it your passion for airplanes, your friends convincing you to try consulting, or you’re exploring other career options? Write down questions you would like to learn more about that cannot be easily answered through a Google search.
- Research your subjects. Use the filter category on LinkedIn to find who would be best suited to answer the questions you came up with in the previous point. Look through people’s profiles, look them up on the internet, and find what those specific people have done in the field that interests you. Find what makes them unique and what are possible topics of conversation you could have with them. For example, if you’re interested in working at NASA, you could filter the people who work at NASA by department and you could look for commonalities such as having attended the same university or program. Then you find people’s profiles and look at which one you would find most insightful for the questions and interests you wrote down as a part of number 1. Also, be open to learn about new topics if you come across an interesting profile for a person who has a background you haven’t considered.
- Be thoughtful. Now that you have a list of people you would like to speak with, you can craft a short message within LinkedIn’s word limit when connecting with someone for the first time. If you are already connected with the person, you can write a slightly longer message while still being brief. I would recommend greeting the person, sharing your interests, how you came across their profile, and a request to pick at their brain to learn more about the questions you came up with. This initiates a conversation and it is a good way to be mindful of the other person’s time.
- Establish a connection. Once you have obtained a response from your contact, you can further develop the conversation and connection. You can keep conversations short but contact the person periodically to update them on the topics you discussed, you could share opportunities with the person, and nurture your relationship. Keep track of your conversations and find good times in the year to check up on them, even when you don’t need any questions answered. Continue to do this with all of your connections, and you will create a great network of people you can depend on and who can also depend on you.
- Ask for recommendations for new connections. Now that you have a larger network, you can also tap into their networks. Their connections could become your connections. They could refer you to someone whose interests are more aligned with yours. You could also ask them if there are people they know that could help you in your search for growth and knowledge in your field. The same steps you had done previously can help you meet new people.
LinkedIn is a great resource to meet new people of all walks of life. There are other platforms besides LinkedIn, such as email, that you could use to accomplish similar goals.
I have met many people by following the steps above, and they have led to wonderful conversations and friendships. Practicing this will become easier over time. I wish you the best of luck with your LinkedIn connections journey!