LinkedIn & Networking

Networking can be fruitful for both introverts and extroverts. As an introvert, I like to remind myself of the quick networking tips: be yourself, ask questions, be a giver, listen actively, and follow up. The following post provides tips on how to utilize resources for networking online and prepare yourself to network in person as well.

NETWORKING IN-PERSON

You show up at the conference or professional event and…NOW what do you do or say? How do you prepare beforehand? A short checklist to help you plan and prepare to meet with professionals in your field to consider includes:

• Practice your Introduction: You may have created an elevator pitch for a career fair. Think of a good updated version you could use to describe your experience and interest in talking to the individual or the event taking place when you are introducing yourself to. Indeed has a few sites with tips on How to Introduce Yourself Professionally. Check them out for ideas.

• Find out More about the Person (and their “company”): Start the conversation with a question such as “Is this your first time at the event”, “What do you like so far about this event?” or “How did you get involved or started in _______ profession?”. Networking is the start of many professional relationships. You may have the goal of getting a job in mind, but consider that this person you are meeting has experiences, knowledge, and perhaps knows other people who may closely match your interests and passions as well. A recent UC undergraduate student, Paul Terle, mentioned it is just as important to ask thoughtful questions about the company’s culture, their structure/jobs, and what, why, where they do their work. Finding out more about the person and their background opens the window to a connection and not just a job lead. For a great blog check out this 5 Conversation Starters blog by EveryGirl.

• Challenge Yourself: Create a checklist that includes challenges such as a goal of introducing myself to X number of people or continuing to meet people until I gather X number of business cards or twitter handles (aka. contact information for follow-up).

• Find your People. Whether your find a student organization meeting to join via UC's CampusLINK platform, attend a local Meetup group or Eventbrite event based on your interests, OR discover professional associations related to your interests in the area --- surround yourself around people.

• Follow-up: A lot of the hard work and time of networking happens after that first meeting or event. Mashable published How to write a networking email that won’t end up in the trash that provides tips on how to draft an email that grabs someone’s attention that you met at an event or would like to meet and have a connection with.

LINKEDIN PROFILE QUICK TIPS

Let's move to networking online and you can't talk about networking online without talking about LinkedIn. As you refine your initial LinkedIn profile. Here are a few quick tips to maximize your profile so others find you easily.

1. Optimize your headline. You are automatically given the headline Position at ABCD company. Your first thought may be to put "(major) student at University of Cincinnati". I encourage you to get more specific than that...think of how many students majoring in X are at UC. Your headline is seen when folx you are not connected to are shown your profile. Provide more specific "professional/career-related information about you". If you are working part-time at a pizza place, but wanting to secure a journalism internship in broadcasting, you could change your headline to "Aspiring Broadcast Journalist". Include keywords and skills as a students seeking intern/co-ops or entry level skills. Example from resumeworded include

• Freelance Software Developer | Experience building apps in Java, Rails, C# | Full Stack Engineer

• Aspiring Project Manager | Senior at New York University | Experience in Scrum, Agile, and Kanban

• Aspiring Freelance Writer | Blogger at Resume Worded | Experience writing press releases, blogs, and research summaries

2. Add projects, accomplishments and skills. Place keywords that you often find in job descriptions that are of interest to you. If you find that social media platform experience is being asked for and you have used such platforms add the keywords of the platforms, such as Hootsuite and "social media platform management experience" to your profile under positions, within skills, and projects.

3. Don't waste your summary space. Show your warm and friendly personality using the first person..."I am passionate about....". Highlight your skills, key experiences, and why you are using LinkedIn. Are you looking to connect with others in the field? See the following LinkedIn summary examples from LinkedIn to get ideas.

4. Customize your URL. Follow this LinkedIn step by step guide to remove all of the extra #s after your link to have a shareable link such as https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiemahoney/ (connect with me). Then add your link to the end of your email signature, your resume, and other sites to connect with your peers and professionals in your field.

5. Add your name pronunciation. In settings you can add your correct name pronunciation to your profile. The following LinkedIn tip guide shows you how to add your correct pronunciation to your profile in settings. Employers will be able to click next to your name to hear the correct pronunciation.

6. Join organizations, groups, and get active. Post articles of interest. Follow companies of interest and professional associations. Start to create social capital on the platform and connect.

LINKEDIN AND NETWORKING THROUGH A SCREEN

In the virtual world, we can reach out When reaching out to a potential contact or employer consider the following:

1. Do you have a connection at the company that you can mention or that can introduce you? Utilize your contacts including peers in the IT program, family, and friends. You can introduce yourself and mention the mutual connection or if trustworthy rely on your connection to make the first contact. Paul Terle mentions here that “there’s almost a 100% other students have taken a path that you would love to go down” and encourages students to put themselves in places where they will be surrounded by others who have the same goals. Paul provides this example: You want to be a Program Manager at Microsoft? Ask around till you find someone who has done the same thing, email your Co-Op/Academic Advisor, go to social networking events on campus, join a Business Frat, attend all student events, there’s a big chance those people are stand out students if they are there who are challenging themselves.

2. Where do I start to figure out who to reach out to? If you are not sure who or why you want to reach out to someone. Consider referencing the direct job search blog to find interested companies or researching networking resources and associations that you would like to join in your specialty area within your field. Review the "People You May Know" section and send invitations to anyone you know and trust.

3. How can you connect with others without their email? In using LinkedIn, you are able to find alumni contacts through the company search and/or use Groups (professional groups) to connect and message the person. Be sure you also belong to the LinkedIn Group and follow the Linkedin tutorial to direct message the potential contact. There is also a sample message below.

4. Are there any alumni from my college that work there? Career Sherpa shares how the Alumni tool in LinkedIn is amazing and easy to use to find alumni from your college who have already established themselves in your field or intended geographical location. You can search alumni from your university or college by location, company, skills, job, and other search terms. Remember, these professionals in your field were once students like you eating at the same local campus spots. Make the connection and perhaps set up an informational interview or find a new career mentor.

5. What do we talk about? Start with what information does this individual have that would be helpful. Read the past blog on conducting an informational interview to plan the time with your new connection.

FINAL TIPS

While connecting with people in the field in person is awkward and scary, connecting online may be just as nerve-racking. FlexJobs provides tips on networking on LinkedIn. Another great resource from Muse provides LinkedIn request templates for your Linkedin requests to help make the connection and give a little background while connecting to a potential new contact.

Lastly, if you want to optimize your Linkedin profile follow the steps provide in Muse’s article on how to make sure people googling you find your Linkedin first. We have had students secure co-op and full-time positions through their Linkedin profile by having a top-notch profile.

Networking is a constant in your professional career. Some last bit of advice that I hope to also follow on my own is to not lose the contacts you make initially. Make it a point to stay in touch even after you get the job and PAY IT FORWARD. I reached out to UC Alum, Paul Terle for this blog as he has not only done a great job networking on his own, but he has also connected students to opportunities where he sees a fit and helped others to make the connection as well. Go and find your place within your professional world and build your network.