by Kristi DePaul. Originally appeared in the November 2, 2020 issue of Harvard Business Review
Westend61/Getty Images
Summary. Networking effectively online is key for young people seeking their next role, wanting to learn more about industry trends, or make meaningful connections. While LinkedIn shows promise for early career professionals to, few are using it well — especially when
- While LinkedIn shows promise for early career professionals to, few are using it well — especially when it comes to outreach because approaching people you’ve never met might feel intimidating.
- If you’ve been reaching out to people on LinkedIn and not hearing back, there are strategies you can use to increase your chances.
- Whether you’re seeking advice on a career path or job change, you want someone to review your resume, or you’re approaching a potential mentor, how you frame your message to show intent is what makes all the difference.
If networking isn’t at the top of your to-do list, it should be — unless you’re Beyoncé.
For those of us who aren’t Queen Bey, cultivating your network offers many benefits: greater learning opportunities, broader career prospects, access to leaders’ insights, and more immediate job options, among others.
But what previously took place face-to-face in local meetups, alumni gatherings, industry conferences, and happy hours is now largely confined to video due to the global pandemic. Still, effective networking online is key for young people seeking their next role — possibly a remote job, given broader industry trends and permanent WFH announcements from major companies like Facebook and Twitter.
LinkedIn may be your best shot at expanding your network while so many people are WFH. Sure, it may lack the light-hearted user experience of other social platforms, but it offers the opportunity to track trends, make meaningful connections, and maintain a curated digital resume that recruiters and potential employers can easily access and review. The problem is, while LinkedIn shows promise for early career professionals too, few are using it well — especially when it comes to outreach.Subscribe to our Weekly NewsletterAscendCareer and life advice for young professionals.Sign Up
Common mistakes people make while networking on LinkedIn
If you’ve been hesitant to reach out to people on LinkedIn, or if you’ve been reaching out and not hearing back, there are strategies you can use to increase your chances. But first, let’s look at five common mistakes you might be making:
- You don’t know what you want: Have you thought about why you’re reaching out to someone? Are you seeking more information about a role or company? A relationship that can grow? Or a lifeline to a potential future mentor or employer?
- You’re putting your own needs first: Don’t be self-serving. No one will respond to “It would be good to connect with you,” unless they know what’s in it for them.
- Your messages are weak: Being specific and sensitive is especially important in 2020, a year of upheaval and loss on many levels. Generic, non-personalized messages have a low probability of success. As entrepreneur Larry Kim has said: “What are the 11 most boring words in the English language? “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”
- You’re using an awkward tone: Sometimes even the best messages will be met with silence or ghosting. Still, many continue to approach total strangers in ways they’d never dare in person.
- You’re not being persuasive enough: If you haven’t been able to convince the other person why you really want to connect with them, chances are they won’t respond.
Craft messages that get responses
Now that you’ve identified what mistakes you’re making, let’s look at how you can overcome these and flip the odds in your favor. No, there isn’t a simple playbook or shortcut. But you can cut through the noise by employing research-backed approaches such as Cialdini’s principles of persuasion and by borrowing proven practices from both regular folks and industry leaders.
I recently reached out to experts, entrepreneurs, and authors who specialize in this area — from within my network and a few I wasn’t connected to — in order to learn more about formulating messages that:
a) Are authentic to your personal brand
b) Will resonate with recipients at any level
Here’s what they told me.
If you are seeking advice on a career path or job change
People aren’t employment oracles just waiting for your message soliciting their sage advice. Think deeply about the kind of guidance you want and then identify the most relevant person to approach.
“Clarity is key when you’re performing cold outreach,” Cynthia Johnson, author of Platform: The Art and Science of Personal Branding, told me. “Assume that the person you’re reaching out to is busy and wants to give you the best advice possible. If you’re direct and specific as to what you’re asking and why you’re asking them, you will have created the perfect environment for a confident and thoughtful response.”
Sending a vague (and all-too-common) “Can I pick your brain?” message isn’t going to be helpful. Tim Herrera, founding editor of Smarter Living at The New York Times, recommends being straightforward and transparent to improve your chances of receiving a reply. “Whatever the ask is, the best favor you can do for yourself is not to beat around the bush. You’re teeing the recipient up to give you exactly what you want because they know exactly what that is. You’ve taken away the ambiguity for them, which will save them time and mental effort, and you’re also setting up the exchange to be as productive and efficient as possible.” Of course, he added, you should always aim to be kind and courteous.
Here’s an example of a note that is precise, but is flexible on timing:
Erica, your professional journey really stood out to me. I’m very interested in building my career as a [role]. Since you’ve been in that position, would you have some time to offer me a bit of advice on pursuing this? I would really appreciate a brief call at your convenience.
If you want someone to review your resume or cover letter
When making this kind of request, put yourself in the shoes of the receiver and try to answer this question for them up front: Why is this person contacting me? Acknowledge that you’re asking them for a favor.
Here’s a persuasive and considerate one that was sent my way:
Hi Kristi, you’ve built a really interesting career in thought leadership, and [mutual contact] mentioned you were a great resource as she revised her resume. Since I’m hoping to advance from [my current role], I’d love to get your brief take on my cover letter if your schedule allows it.
Receiving a carefully formulated request like this is somewhat rare, as it doesn’t make any assumption that I can provide a labor-intensive line edit to someone’s application materials. Again, the acknowledgement that I’m using my time to help matters. In cases where I’ve been referred to jobseekers by other people I’ve helped, I’m even more likely to respond. If someone I help then pays it forward by assisting others in their own circles, that makes the investment worth it. (In other words: always mention a referral if you have one.)
If you are inquiring about a job posting and/or hiring process
“We all have demanding schedules and are a little burned out,” explained Amber Naslund, principal content consultant at LinkedIn — a role she landed after building a consistent presence on the platform. “Open-ended messages like ‘I just wondered if you had any openings…’ aren’t useful, because all of those details are on a company’s career page and that puts the work on the person you’re asking.”
According to Naslund, it’s better to ask about a specific role and see if someone is willing to introduce you to a recruiter, make an internal referral, or answer questions you have about that role, or the company. “Being respectful of people’s time, expertise, and relationships can go a long way when you’re trying to land your next job,” she told me. The professional you reach out to could, for example, be a teammate who works closely with the role in question, or the person who would be the immediate supervisor.
You could try a message like this:
Hi Cameron, I saw that your company is recruiting a marketing assistant. Since it seems you’d work directly with this person, it would be wonderful to hear your thoughts on the role. I’m looking to get some clarity on the role and responsibilities before I apply. Do you have a few minutes to speak with me about it in the next week or two?
If you are approaching a potential mentor
Before sending an invitation to connect, investigate whether or not someone might be interested in serving as a mentor.
Johnson recommends looking for a leader who demonstrates that they are A) experienced in the areas in which you’re seeking mentorship and B) show signs of having some availability.
Johnson found her longtime mentor on LinkedIn. “I assessed his expertise by doing diligent searches and thorough evaluations of his communications online with others.” She identified the groups he had joined on the platform, including some where she noticed that he was very active, and joined them too. “His activity told me that he was interested in discussion and possibly had a bit of extra time to work with me,” she said. “You can do this type of assessment, too, and find an amazing mentor.”
When writing to a prospective mentor, make sure you’ve done your homework. Here’s an example of a message you could send:
Divya, your posts on edtech in the STEM education forum have been really thought-provoking! I’ve interned for a few startups in this space and am excited about my own next steps — but I definitely could use some guidance from an experienced pro like you. Would you be open to chatting about this?Subscribe to our Weekly NewsletterAscendCareer and life advice for young professionals.
If you are reaching out for help after a recent job loss
In need of others’ assistance? Contextualizing your messages will make all the difference.
Jobseekers should aim to strike up a conversation about their experience, what they’re looking for, and who they feel might be helpful to them, Naslund said. “It’s a great way to warm up the conversation and increase the likelihood that a new connection is willing to make some helpful introductions. People’s networks are sacrosanct; most of us have worked very hard over a number of years to gain the trust of our networks and the people we’ve worked with, so we’re not likely to open that up to just anyone and make cold introductions.”
Here’s an example of what you could say to let the other person know why you’re reaching out to them:
Eitan, I’m looking to join a mission-driven team like yours and just happened to see your colleague’s post about the product manager role. Would you be the right person to ask about one of the technical requirements? Let me know if I could send an email your way.
According to an old Chinese proverb, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second-best time is now. So if you haven’t cultivated your network, you’d better get started. But don’t dive into a new relationship with a request straight away.
Andreas Klinger, a serial entrepreneur and investor in remote-first capital, recommended playing the long game. “Plan to have long-term engagement with someone (for example in conversation via Twitter) well before you need anything. Or you can engage through content marketing — that is, sharing thoughtful articles on social that you’ve written or admire — that will capture others’ attention.”
It’s worth noting that if you want to connect with Klinger, paying attention to the preferred platform counts: in his LinkedIn profile, he advises that you reach out via Twitter. Others may also indicate the best way for you to contact them, which will up your chances of hearing back.
Now it’s time to get started. Put these principles into practice and tell us how it’s going. It’s understandable that reaching out to people you’ve never met might feel intimidating— and that it means facing possible rejection. Try to remember that not only is rejection normal, but it also indicates you’re aiming high enough to achieve even greater success. Growth of any kind involves some risk. The advantage: you’ll learn valuable lessons and can continually improve along the way.
About the Author: Kristi DePaul is a content creator whose writing on career navigation and personal branding has appeared in international outlets and has been cited by prominent think tanks and universities. She is founder and principal at Nuanced, a thought leadership firm for executives, and serves as CEO of Founders, a fully remote content agency focused on the future of learning and the future of work. She earned a master’s degree from the H. John Heinz III College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.
