Networking for Professionals

Students are asking me: “𝐀𝐦 𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫?” ❌ No, of course not. Industry experience is one of the most valuable things you can put on your resume but you can get creative with how you get that experience. Some of the best opportunities aren’t posted — they’re shared. Here’s how to make real progress without a formal internship: ⸻ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐩 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 ⭐️ Check Eventbrite + Meetup — connect with local professionals, even for funzies ⭐️ Big names recruit heavily at SWE, SHPE, NSBE — I got my Apple internship through SWE ⭐️ Niche events: SF Tech Week, Afrotech, Latinx in Tech, Grace Hopper, MLH Hackathons, etc. Not-so-secret tip: These events let you upload your resume to conference-specific databases, and many secure next-day interviews/offers from this. ⸻ 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 ⭐️ Look into Capital One’s Early ID, Google STEP, Goldman Sachs Insights, Facebook University, etc ⭐️ Campus ambassadorships — Microsoft, Notion, Adobe, etc → These often lead to referrals, experience, and paid gigs ⸻ 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐘𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 — 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 ⭐️ Research with a professor (just ask!) ⭐️ Helping a startup on a short-term project ⭐️ Freelance or launch your own product ⸻ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 — warm connections ⭐️ Professors: Many are ex-industry professionals — they have connections to companies or even graduated students in the workplace ⭐️ Alumni: Find grads from your school, ask about their path — then ask about opportunities ⭐️ Local companies & startups: Easier access, faster timelines ⸻ 5️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 — 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 If you’re not learning 𝘰𝘯 the job, treat learning 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 a job. ⭐️ Courses: Coursera, edX, AWS (Google IT, IBM Data Science, Meta Front-End) ⭐️ Certs: CAPM, Lean Six Sigma, Scrum Master ⭐️ Projects: Scrimba, Frontend Mentor, GitHub -> show, don’t just tell Highlight “Projects” section on your resume + “Featured Posts” on LinkedIn ⸻ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 ⭐️ LinkedIn | WayUp | Handshake | Jobright AI | Simplify New roles drop daily. Don’t count yourself out early. ⸻ 6️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝. ⭐️ Read: 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘞𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 — soft skills get you hired. ⭐️ Rest: Take that trip. You’ll never have this kind of freedom once PTO kicks in. Protect your energy — it’s a long game. I never liked reading myself, but committing to 1 book this year, small wins :) === 🔁: Repost to your network if you found this useful or tag a friend ➕ Follow me: Anna Chen for weekly career tips and job postings #NoInternshipNoProblem #EarlyCareer #NetworkingTips #UndergradOpportunities #TipsIWishIKnewEarlier

In a world where every executive has a firm handshake and a stack of business cards, how do you become the person everyone remembers after a conference? After attending dozens in the past decade, I've developed a strategy that transforms conferences from transactional meetups into relationship goldmines. ♟️Pre-Conference LinkedIn Strategy The real networking begins weeks before the event. Review the speaker and attendee lists, then connect with key individuals on LinkedIn with a personalized message: "I noticed we’re both attending the Stand & Deliver event. I'd love to connect. See you soon." This pre-conference connection creates a warm introduction and significantly increases your chances of meaningful engagement. 👗👔The Memorable Wardrobe Element In my early career, I blended in at conferences. Now? I'm known for wearing a little more color (often D&S Executive Career Management teal) or patterns that are professional yet distinctive. When someone says, "Oh, you're the one with the great dress," you've already won half the networking battle. 🤝Contribute Before You Collect** Instead of collecting business cards, focus on providing immediate value in conversations. Can you connect someone to a resource? Share relevant research? Offer a solution to a challenge they mentioned? The executives who stand out aren't those who take the most cards—they're the ones who solve problems on the spot. What networking approach has worked for you at recent conferences? Share in the comments below! #ExecutiveLeadership #NetworkingStrategy #ConferenceSuccess #ProfessionalDevelopment

I hate to break it to you all, but I’m a fraud…. I am not the extrovert that everyone assumes I am. In fact, the first picture you see is me hiding in the bathroom mentally preparing for a networking event. For those who don’t know, a couple weeks ago it was CBC week. Essentially this means everyone and their mother came to DC. Everyday there were a multitude of events from networking and mixers, to late night parties. Despite what y’all see on here, I am not the most outward person (a faćade I know) To be honest, I normally get anxious when networking. I feel awkward randomly walking up to someone I don’t know and trying to start a conversation. I’m scared it’ll feel forced or I’ll seem too overbearing. However, as a young professional, I’ve made a pact to myself to do things that put me outside of my comfort zone and going to networking events alone is one of them. As daunting as it may seem, once you have a strategy for networking, things seem to work out just fine. So here are some things I do to prepare for networking events: 1️⃣ Review event attendees Most events posted on platforms like Eventbrite and LinkedIn will display who is attending the event. I always try to make it a priority to look into the attendees at least once before the event. As I do this, I note who aligns with my interests or work to remind myself to connect with them at the event. 2️⃣ Make a list of common questions to ask If there’s one thing people like to talk about, it’s themselves. Due to that, I have a running list of questions to ask individuals who I meet. I try to ask a mix of questions that are both personal and professional. Here are some examples: ✨Tell me a little about what you currently do. Is there anything you would change about your current role or industry? ✨Where are you from originally? How did you experience growing up shape who you are today? (side note, if they’re from the area in which you’re networking in them, you could also ask about their favorite local spots) ✨If you weren’t in your current field or role, what do you think you’d be doing instead? 3️⃣ Set goals I have learned that you do not have to network with the entire room to have had a good experience or make your mark. In fact, I would argue that having a few good conversations outweighs having 50 basic ones. Thus, the goals I set for myself are focused on making genuine connections. I normally set the goal of having at least 3 genuine conversations over the course of a 2 hour networking event. So far, I’ve been hitting the mark! 4️⃣ Monitor my social battery I do not believe in forcing ANYTHING. So when it comes to a point when I’m all talked out, I leave. There is no shame in it. There is no blame in it. I encourage you all to do the same. You do not need to make yourself stay in a place in which you are overwhelmed. — What are some ways you prepare for networking events? #tipswithtaylor #networking #genz

How sitting at the bar in a restaurant can maximize your career. 👇🏾 During a coaching session, I advised my client to go to the types of places that high-paying professionals visited. This could be upscale hotels, restaurant bars, or venues where meetings/conferences are held. He's in ATL so no shortage of places to go. My husband bartends at a friend's restaurant as needed. Sometimes, I go with him and sit at the bar to watch him work his magic. I’ve gotten business from my short convos with strangers. A few days ago, my client went to a well-known bar in his area and sat next to 2 gentlemen. They had small talk about where they were traveling from, the sports team they supported, and what they did for work. My client mentioned he was between jobs but explained his position target and the types of problems he enjoyed solving. Upon hearing this, one of the gentlemen asked for my client's resume since his company was adding a new business unit. We'd just finalized his new resume and discussed his value-added career stories, so it was ON. Email sent. They continued chatting and he's already gotten a call from HR about an interview on Monday. He did some quick research on the company to verify that the new contacts and the company were legit. Networking is THAT easy. You just have to get comfortable inserting yourself into spaces that A players in your industry visit. I prefer places where their guard is down and they're in the mood for good conversations. If no one talks to me, at least I've had a good cocktail and food. DM me if you're ready to invest in a new resume and career marketing strategy that positions you for higher-paying opportunities with the skills you already have. #NetworkingTips #ResumeTips #WriteStepResumes

Most people tell you to network, but they don’t teach you how. Here’s what you can do: 🔹 Quality Over Quantity: Before attending, study the event's attendee list and identify 2-3 people you want to meet. This focused approach can lead to deeper, more meaningful conversations. I’ve recently done this myself at a TED event. 🔹 Adopt a Giving Mindset: Offer to share your expertise or resources. For example, if someone is working on a project you have experience with, volunteer to provide insights or introduce them to someone who can help. This shows you're invested in their success. 🔹 Research Smartly: Look into their recent projects or publications. If your contact has recently published a paper or given a talk, read it and mention specific points you found intriguing or valuable. This demonstrates genuine interest and sets you apart. 🔹 Make the First Move: Send a message acknowledging a challenge they mentioned in a public forum or LinkedIn comment. For example: "Hi [Name], I saw your post about the challenges of remote team management. I've faced similar issues and found that regular virtual coffee breaks helped. Would love to share more if you're interested. Best, [Your Name]" 🔹 Build a Habit: Set a weekly reminder to engage with your network on social media. This could be liking, commenting on, or sharing posts from your contacts. Regular engagement keeps you top of mind and builds a foundation for deeper connections. Tomorrow’s newsletter is packed with actionable insights to turn casual contacts into valuable connections. ➡ Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eE-aFmFy 💜 Career Well-being is the best work-life newsletter, according to my readers! Join us! #NetworkingTips #CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #careerbutterfly #CareerWellbeing

While the value of attending conferences is the networking opportunities, meeting strangers in a professional social setting, even as an adult, can lead to anxiety as many professionals are quite shy and introverted in person despite being sociable online—myself included. For my fellow introverts, breaking the ice and networking can seem daunting. Here are a few tips that have helped me: 1. Prepare Conversation Starters: Have a few go-to questions or comments ready, such as "What did you think of the keynote speech?" or "What brings you to this event?" 2. Set Small Goals: Aim to have meaningful conversations with just a few people. Tip: Get a list beforehand of who is attending or research who the speakers are and make it a goal to speak to a few of them. 3. Leverage Breaks: Use coffee breaks and social gatherings to casually introduce yourself to others. Tip: Find your way into an attendee dinner where networking is more relaxed. 4. Find Common Ground: Look for people with similar interests or challenges. This makes starting a conversation easier. 5. Be Yourself: Authenticity goes a long way. People appreciate genuine interactions. Remember, everyone at the conference is there for the same reason – to learn and network. Networking doesn't have to be overwhelming. Most attendees are just as shy as you might feel. With a few strategies, even the shyest among us can make valuable connections. #Networking #InboxExpo2024 #ProfessionalGrowth

Networking changed my life. It helped me secure my first big consulting deal that let me quit my full-time job. Here's how to build relationships on LinkedIn (the right way): Networking can either make or break your career. Do it wrong: You’ll ruin your reputation. Do it right: You’ll have people speaking well of you when you’re not around. Here’s how to network like a pro: 1) Be genuine People can sense fakeness from a mile away. Instead, speak with them to get to know them. Not just because you want something. Besides… There’s no point in building relationships with people you don’t like. 2) Be a friend We want to feel cared for. Reach out once every 3 months to see how they’re doing. • Offer help • Schedule a coffee chat • Ask about their recent trip Don’t build connections. Build friendships. 3) Change your intent Turn your “I want this” mindset into a “I want to help” mindset. Start conversations without trying to sell something. But because you want to help them. Stop asking. Start giving. 4) Think long term It doesn't matter if they can’t help you now. In the long run… …you’ll be able to reach out when you need it. Be there for them now. They’ll be there for you later. That’s a real relationship. 5) Don’t ask for immediate favors This is where most screw up. They’ve barely met someone and immediately: • Ask for a job • Request a resume review • Or want some other big favor You wouldn’t do this to a stranger on the street. Why do it on LinkedIn? 6) Be mutually beneficial Start by building foundations. When/if it makes sense, think of how you can collaborate. Just like in business… This isn’t a one-way street. I help you. You help me. That’s how the world works. 7) Create on LinkedIn You never know who’s watching. Share your thoughts on the feed daily. And give people a glimpse into what you’re doing. You may not realize it… But others are going through the same as you. One of them might just come back with a life-changing opportunity. P.s. - What's one more tip you'd recommend for people networking on LinkedIn? Thanks for reading. Enjoyed this post? Follow Jordan Nelson And share it with your audience.

How to get noticed by industry professionals on LinkedIn when making a career transition ⤵ One of my clients from another industry with no connections to sports started getting inbound connection requests from dozens of industry professionals within one week after he made these few tweaks to his LinkedIn profile: 1. Change your industry 🏙 Go to your profile and change your industry to the desired industry you hope to switch into (i.e., sports, entertainment, media, music, etc.). This will alter the LinkedIn algorithm internally and start presenting your profile to individuals within the industry you selected rather than your previous industry. 2. Add your desired career keywords to your headline ✍ Say you want to work in Game Presentation in sports. Add those keywords to your headline! You can say something like "Game Presentation | Events | Fan Engagement | Sports". This will signal to relevant industry professionals within this field that they should connect with you. They will want to connect with others pursuing a similar career path. 3. Change your banner image 🖼 Your banner image sets the tone for how viewers will receive your entire profile. If you want to work in TV or film, you'll want to tailor your banner image to that industry. Maybe it's a photo of a set or a studio lot of your choice. Anything industry-related will signal to profile viewers that you are a film person, thus making them more receptive to your varied experiences. 4. Follow companies & individuals in the industry 🤝 Start following key companies and individuals within the industry that you are looking to transition into. This will also help you show up more in the algorithm for people related to those companies and individuals. 5. Comment, like & share posts from industry professionals 💭 Start getting your name out there by commenting, liking, and sharing posts from individuals in the industry. This will help you get noticed by more industry professionals and lead to more profile views. ✅ These are low-lift ways to start engaging with your desired new industry and building connections. My client is now getting connection requests from industry professionals in the exact departments where he hopes to land a new role. He no longer needs to reach out to them! 💯 Now, he has an "in" and can message them directly to schedule an informational chat. 👉 If you're looking to change careers, try these out, and let me know in the comments what other tips you have tried! #CareerTransition #CareerChange #Sports #Media #Entertainment #Music #LinkedInSports #SportsBiz #CareerCoaching

Harsh truth: Networking is dead... 4 principles of Anti-Networking (everyone should read this): You don’t get anywhere by accumulating thousands of transactional personal and professional connections. You get somewhere by building genuine relationships. Those who invest in building (rather than networking) will reap the most valuable long-term rewards—health, wealth, and happiness. Here are my four core "anti-networking" principles that anyone can use: Principle 1: Find Value Aligned Rooms Put yourself into rooms with a high density of value-aligned individuals. What this means: Think about your core values, hobbies, professional and personal interests, and then consider what "rooms" are likely to filter for people with a similar set. If I were passionate about fitness and health, I would frequent the local farmer's market, the early morning hours at the gym, and local hiking trails. If I were focused on my career in marketing, I would look up any local marketing mixers or events and attend any social media or creator conferences. Place yourself into the right rooms and you'll already be well-positioned to build new relationships. Principle 2: Ask Engaging Questions I have a few go-to questions that I have found create reliably engaging discourse: • What's your connection to [insert current place or event]? • What are you most excited about currently? • What's lighting you up outside of work? • What’s your favorite book you’ve read recently? Note: Always avoid "What do you do?" as a question. It's generic and generally gets you a cookie-cutter, automated response, or an uncomfortable one if the person doesn't feel proud of their work. Principle 3: Become a Level 2-3 Listener At Level 1, you're waiting to talk. At Level 2 and 3, you're listening to learn and understand the other person. Most people default to Level 1 listening—but if you want to build new, genuine relationships, you have to live in Level 2 and Level 3. As you listen, make mental notes of a few pertinent facts about the person, their interests, or anything else that jumps out to you. These will become relevant alongside Principle 4. Principle 4: Use Creative Follow Ups Following the conversation, log the mental notes you made and create a plan to follow up in the days ahead. A few ideas for thoughtful, creative follow-ups: • Send the person a book you loved. • Share an article or podcast they'll love for a specific reason. • Offer to connect them to someone given a shared interest. The aim is to show that you were listening intently and that you took the initiative to follow up. Use these four principles of “anti-networking” and start building genuine relationships—they will pay dividends in all areas of your life for many years to come. If this resonates, repost to share with others ♻️ and follow Sahil Bloom for more in future. 📌 Interested in self-improvement? Join 750,000+ others who get my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/esGsF85Q

Navigating a tech career without a strong network is like playing the career game on the highest difficulty setting. Here’s how I learned to level up quickly. When I joined the elite International Manager program I was assigned to Dubai and had to report to work with just a few weeks’ notice. Embarrassingly… I had to look up where it was on the map as I was buying my airfare. I needed to succeed in a new country, culture, and a totally alien corporate environment with no contacts whatsoever. I needed help—fast. I searched for mentorship and made a LOT of mistakes. These challenges forced me to develop a systematic approach to building mentorship relationships, which I've successfully applied in moves to Mexico, Singapore, and Google HQ. Here’s how I did it: Step 1: What do you need? Shortlist areas where help is needed. Calibrate this list with perspectives from more experienced folks. Listen carefully for unexpected areas that will pop up in your first conversations.     Step 2: Identify Potential Mentors. Start with your immediate connections, no matter how insignificant they seem. Look for people who’ve been in your shoes inside your organization or speakers at industry events who resonate with your career aspirations. Step 3: Engage Thoughtfully. Once you've identified a potential mentor, engage with them— comment on their posts, show up to their events and contribute meaningfully to initiatives or discussions they are involved in. If the engagement is positive, it’s a good first “vibe check”. Step 4: Craft a Personal Connection. When you reach out, be specific about why you chose them and what you hope to learn. Personalized messages stand out. Mention any commonalities or insights that sparked your interest. Step 5: Offer Mutual Value. Propose ways you can be helpful in return, whether it's offering your perspective or sharing your thoughts on recent trends related to their interests. A lasting mentorship needs to be a good investment for both parties. Step 6: Be Persistent AND Patient Your first attempts won’t pan out. Don’t take it personally. Continue reaching out thoughtfully and eventually you’ll succeed. Remember: Every professional was once a beginner When possible, most are eager to give back to the community I've shared my steps for finding great mentors; now I'd love to hear yours. What strategies have helped you build your network from the ground up? Share your insights below! #Mentorship #CareerDevelopment #Networking #TechCareers