Academic Networking Techniques

7 ways students can message their target people (e.g., alumni) without connecting on LI or buying LI Premium: Networking with alumni, recruiters, and industry professionals is one of the highest-ROI activities students can engage in while in college. But LI limits non-Premium users (i.e., most students) to 5 connection notes per month, making outreach harder. Here’s how students I work with bypass this limit (without paying for Premium): 𝟭. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 Some Premium users enable “Open Profile,” allowing anyone to DM them without connecting. Simply click “Message” on your target person's profile — if it says "Free message," you’re good to go. 𝟮. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 If you share a mutual connection with your target person, ask for an intro. The mutual connection can add you both to a group chat on LI, where you can continue the conversation without connecting. Find mutuals in People Search or under “Mutual connections” on their profile. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀 You can DM anyone inside the Groups you are in. Scroll down to your target profile's Groups section, join one they are a part of, and search their name inside the group to send a DM. Since you can only search by name inside a group, identify your target profiles beforehand. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 If your target person posts content, engage with their posts before reaching out. React, comment, and repost a few times to build familiarity. When they recognize your name, they’re more likely to accept your connection request (even without a note). The marketing rule of 7 applies here: multiple touchpoints build trust. 𝟱. 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 Most people check their email more often than their LinkedIn DMs. Some organizations (e.g., universities, non-profits, smaller companies) might list their employees' emails on staff pages. If not, tools like Hunter.io can help you find email patterns. Once you get the format, you can apply it to other names at the same company. 𝟲. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 Before paying for Premium, use the free 30-day trial. This unlocks unlimited connection notes and monthly InMail credits. If you choose to buy Premium for networking reasons, consider buying it one month at a time during your peak networking season. 𝟳. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀 Career services offices often have alumni contacts and can make introductions via email. Take advantage of their network to connect with alumni in your target roles. — PS. These are just a few of the tactics I cover in my ‘Leveraging LI as a College Student’ workshop, which I’ve led to hundreds of at 25+ universities. Most LI workshops stop at profile optimization. This one teaches students how to fully leverage LI, including turning connections into opportunities. Want to bring this to your students? Let’s talk.

“Networking is awkward.” You know what’s more awkward? Graduating in May 2025 and applying to 127 jobs with… zero callbacks. Let’s fix that with networking ideas no one’s talking about. and I mean actionable.. 1. “Reverse Research” Your Way Into a Conversation Instead of asking people what they do, show them what you know about what they’ve done. How to do it: Find someone on LinkedIn in your target company/role Read their posts, podcasts, or panels they’ve been on Then send this message: “Hi [Name], I came across your [talk/article/post] on [topic]—your point about [insight] made me think differently. I’m researching [industry], and would love to hear your take on [specific follow-up]. Would it be okay to connect?” That’s conversation built on respect. 2. Book Club for Industry Geeks Start a virtual book or podcast club for your industry. Invite professionals to speak at the end of each cycle. How to do it: Pick 3 peers + 1 book or podcast Create a simple calendar (4 weeks = 4 touchpoints) End with a “Wrap-Up” Zoom chat—invite a guest Post your takeaways on LinkedIn and tag them Because learning together? Is the strongest way to network. 3. Write A “Public Thank You” Post on LinkedIn You probably learned something cool from someone recently. Now imagine you posted it publicly, gave them a shoutout, and showed how you applied it. How to do it: Tag the person Share what they taught you Share what you did next Ask your network, “What’s something YOU learned from someone this month?” You just gave free visibility, created a loop, and 10 people will want to talk to you after. 4. Turn Informational Chats into Co-Creation Networking chats often stop at “thanks for the time.” What if it didn’t? What to do: After the call, send a note: “Hey [Name], based on our chat about [topic], I drafted a small idea to build on your advice. Would love your thoughts!” Create a graphic, short write-up, or project plan (just 1 page!) Now you’re not just a student. You’re someone they collaborated with. That’s relationship-building, not just networking. 5. The 5-5-5 Strategy Most people get stuck on who to reach out to. Here’s a weekly formula: 5 People You Admire (Founders, creatives) 5 People From Your School Network (Alums, professors, guest speakers) 5 Peers Who Are Also Job Hunting (Build a support circle, swap leads) Message all 15. Repeat weekly. That’s 156 conversations in 3 months. You don’t “find” jobs—you build the path to them. Reminder: Networking isn’t about who has the fanciest title. It’s about who remembers you when an opportunity comes up. Be the person who listened, learned, shared, and followed up. If you’re reading this and job searching— try one new method this week. Not next month. Not when it feels “less scary.” Now. You’re not late. #May2025Grads #NetworkingTips #CreativeCareerMoves #JobSearchStrategy #InternationalStudents #GradJobHunt #BeyondTheResume #HumanConnection #Topmate

Build connections when you don’t need them, so they’re there when you do. Networking is a long‑term investment. You never know what can happen tomorrow, whether it’s a new opportunity, an unexpected challenge, or a career pivot. By cultivating relationships early, you turn strangers into allies and potential into possibility. My pro‑tip? Develop your personal value proposition. 
- List your top 3–5 strengths and concrete examples of how you’ve helped others 
- Turn each into an “I help…” statement (for example, “I help marketing teams drive engagement through data‑driven storytelling”) 
- Use these statements to guide every outreach, ensuring you’re always offering value, not just asking for favors Then start from what you know. 1. Choose 5–10 people from your alumni network, former classmates, or close colleagues 2. Send a genuine note, share an article they might find helpful, congratulate them on a recent win, or simply ask how you can support them 3. No agenda. Just curiosity and a willingness to help Next, venture into the unknown. 1. Identify people at companies you admire or in roles you aspire to 2. Do your homework: reference a recent project, article, or speaking engagement 3. Reach out with a clear, value‑first message: “I enjoyed your piece on X; as someone looking to Y, I’d love to learn how you approached Z.” And keep the momentum going. 
- Schedule quarterly reminders to check in, share insights, celebrate milestones, or ask a thoughtful question 
- Track key dates (promotions, product launches, anniversaries) so your messages feel timely Your network matters. When you need advice, an introduction, or anything really, you’ll already have authentic connections. And at the end of the day, already built connections where you can leverage the relationships > dry unknowns ‘Hey, I need help’ messages. #StephSynergy

Networking is all about building value-driven, long-term relationships. For students or those early in their careers, it’s common to wonder: what value can I offer with little experience? Here are 11 impactful ways to provide value when you're just starting out: 1. Share unique insights from coursework, internships, or projects. 2. Offer fresh perspectives on industry challenges or trends. 3. Assist with research, data collection, or analysis. 4. Use your social media presence to help promote their work or events. 5. Offer to help with event organization. 6. Share summaries and insights from events, seminars, or meetups you attend. 7. Offer design or tech help, like troubleshooting, presentations, images, videos, or websites. 8. Make introductions to contacts who could be helpful to them. 9. Give thoughtful, constructive feedback; not just praise. 10. Celebrate their successes by sharing their achievements, online or in person. 11. Offer to help with testing their ideas. Remember: - This is a long-term game. - Results might not be immediate, and not everyone will reciprocate, so use your judgment on how much time to invest and keep realistic expectations.