GETTING READY
GROW YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK ON LINKEDIN LinkedIn may not be the only social networking platforms available to businesses and professionals, but it is the most popular, making it a must-have tool for professionals to network and connect with others.
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s a place to showcase your resume, build your network and discover jobs that suit your skill sets, LinkedIn is a valuable resource for anyone about to start their career, particularly when it comes to growing your online network. Use LinkedIn to make relevant connections and to stay engaged with your professional network. In your career, who you know is often just as important as what you know. So you should invest time to stay connected with your network of contacts. You never know where your next opportunity may come from!
Connect with like-minded professionals Do not fall into the trap of adding as many people as you know to bulk up your connection list. It is not about how many connections you have on LinkedIn, but how well you know them. When you build a quality network by keeping in touch with your connections and engaging with them, that is when you can add value to each other’s professional journey.
1) Add people you have worked with This is a good way to keep in touch with your former internship superior and colleagues. Engage with them through LinkedIn posts, wish them congratulations when they have reached a milestone (LinkedIn will automatically alert you about such things) and keep them in the loop about the career opportunities you are looking for. If they know of a relevant opportunity, chances are you will be on their mind. Do not ask your contacts for favours in your initial invite though. That is just rude. Remember, the focus here is on building a genuine network, not using people to get a job.
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SUTD career guide 2021
2) Add people you have met The next tier of people you can add are those whom you have met at career fairs and networking events. Do your best to attend all such events hosted by your Career Development Centre. Not only are they a great source of information on potential job opportunities, but they are also a fantastic way to grow your professional network! If you met a person of interest at a physical event, get their business card and add them to your LinkedIn network as soon as you can. If you met them at a virtual event, they would most likely have their LinkedIn profiles ready to connect with you, so find them and add them.
3) Add people that you would like to know The great thing about adding the people you have worked with and the people you have met is they are likely already in the industry you are trying to break in. From there, you will be able to see their connections and expand your network. You can add people from your contacts’ connections whom you wish to get to know, or whom you think could be a good inside source on job opportunities. However, do not forget that these people are all functionally strangers. So be extra polite when engaging with them!
