How to Network on LinkedIn
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Many people join LinkedIn with a specific, immediate goal in mind.
Find a job
Sell a service
Hire employees
But the power in LinkedIn can’t be fully unleashed if your immediate concern is to tactically accomplish a goal. Your outreach will seem disingenuous and your interactions will turn stale.
So how does one start?
As the saying goes, “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”. And like a tree, you’ll need to plant some seeds first before anything comes to fruition.
Build a Following Before Asking for Anything
Set a Foundation
The goal in this step is to NOT immediately jump in and push your narrative, but to instead find a community that resonates with your goals.
You simply need to:
- Add people you already know on LinkedIn
- Add companies & groups you’re interested in joining
- Follow topics related to your field of interest
Start by simply liking posts that speak to you. LinkedIn’s algorithm will further curate your feed and start introducing you to other voices, typically 2nd and 3rd level connections to the people you already know, or industry experts on the topics.
Do this 10–20 times a day (minimum) to build your tailored feed
Introduce yourself
The goal of this step is to start introducing yourself to the community you’ve discovered. Once again, the goal here is NOT to push your narrative, but to start building relationships with this community
You just need to send connection requests to
- Recruiters who work at the organizations you’re interested in
- People speaking on the topics you’re interested in
And in each connection request, you’re really just trying to start a conversation.
For example, when connecting with a recruiter you might say
Hi <name>, I hope you've been well! I'm a Software Engineer and I've heard some great things…
