The Beginner’s Guide to “Coffee Chats” & Networking on LinkedIn
Senior Account Manager at Agnostic
Networking may seem intimidating and confusing, but for undergrad students, immigrants, and any other job seekers, it’s a critical tool for learning about different career paths – and for making the connections to get there.
So while everyone develops their own networking style over time, if you’re simply struggling with where to begin, try starting here:
1. Fill out your LinkedIn profile.
Even if you don’t have job experience yet, complete what you can to give your prospective connections an idea of who you are. A profile picture, your current schooling, and a short bio on your career goals makes your profile look more authentic and can go a long way to secure connections.
2. Find a useful contact.
Search LinkedIn for professionals at companies you would like to work for and in roles that interest you. When possible, try sourcing alumni from your school or past employers to give you a point of commonality you can reference in your outreach.
3. Send a connection request with a note.*
Introduce yourself and explain why you want to connect, outlining specific parts of the other person’s resume and your commonalities, as well as the fact that you’d like to chat further.
Hi [Name]! I am a [program] student at [School] who is eager to learn more about [industry]. I would love to connect to chat about your role at [company] – I have a long-term goal of becoming a [occupation], and I think your insight would be invaluable.
*Desktop users can click Connect followed by Add a note .
