Is it OK to have no connections on LinkedIn?
Having no connections on LinkedIn is generally not recommended for most professionals. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 722 million members worldwide as of April 2022. The number of connections you have on LinkedIn can significantly impact your ability to build your professional brand, network, find job opportunities, and more. Here is a closer look at some of the potential downsides of having no LinkedIn connections and whether it may be acceptable in some cases.
The Drawbacks of Having No Connections
Here are some of the main disadvantages of having zero connections on LinkedIn:
- Limits networking opportunities. One of the primary benefits of LinkedIn is connecting with other professionals in your industry. Without any connections, it is much harder to grow your network organically on the platform.
- Damages credibility. Having no connections can make your profile seem inactive or abandoned. It may lead some people to question how serious you are about networking and your professional brand.
- Reduces access to information. Many LinkedIn users share useful articles, insights, job postings, and more with their connections. With no connections, you miss out on much of this valuable information.
- Prevents endorsements. On LinkedIn, connections can endorse you for skills and expertise. Without connections, you can’t accumulate these endorsements to showcase your abilities.
- Limits profile views. LinkedIn profiles with more connections tend to appear higher in search results and get more profile views. With no connections, you may get overlooked.
- Misses job opportunities. Many recruiters and hiring managers look for candidates on LinkedIn. Having no connections makes it much less likely they will find or contact you.
Essentially, having no LinkedIn connections cuts you off from many of the platform’s benefits for networking, personal branding, recruitment, and career development.
When Is It Acceptable to Have No Connections?
While having no connections is generally not advised, there are some scenarios where it may be understandable or temporary:
- New to LinkedIn. When you first create a LinkedIn account, it is normal to start with 0 connections. You can work on building connections over time by inviting colleagues, classmates, friends, etc.
- Just graduating. Recent graduates may have few professional connections to link with on LinkedIn initially. Leveraging academic contacts can help get started.
- Career break. After being out of the workforce to raise a family or for other reasons, your network may need rebuilding. Reconnecting with former co-workers is a good starting point.
- Career change. When transitioning to a new industry where you have few contacts, it takes effort to gradually develop a connection base.
- Selective networker. Some LinkedIn users are highly selective about who they connect with and may initially have under 100 connections.
- Job search privacy. If currently employed, some users may avoid connecting on LinkedIn until they are ready for a job search to keep their search confidential.
In these types of situations, having a small number of connections on LinkedIn can be understandable initially. The key is to actively work on expanding your network over time.
Tips for Growing Your LinkedIn Connections
If you currently have no or very few LinkedIn connections, here are some proactive steps to build up your network:
- Connect with friends and family members who are on LinkedIn. Ask them to write recommendations for you.
- Search for former co-workers, classmates, professors, mentors, etc. and invite them to connect.
- Join relevant LinkedIn Groups based on your major, industry, interests, school, etc.
- Follow companies you are interested in and connect with their employees.
- Ask existing connections to introduce you to people in their networks.
- Engage regularly by commenting on posts, sharing content, and participating in discussions.
- Use the LinkedIn alumni tool to find and connect with fellow alumni.
- Consider purchasing a Premium LinkedIn account to access more advanced search filters and messaging capabilities.
Building connections on LinkedIn takes consistent effort over time. But growing your network opens up many more opportunities.
How Many Connections Are Good on LinkedIn?
So you know that having zero connections on LinkedIn is generally not advised. But what is considered a “good” number of connections to have? Here is an overview of reasonable connection goals for LinkedIn:
LinkedIn Connection Recommendations by Industry
The number of connections viewed as good or ideal can vary substantially based on your profession and industry. Here are some benchmarks:
| Industry | Good Number of Connections |
| Business Services | 500+ |
| Healthcare | 300-500 |
| Higher Education | 400-600 |
| Information Technology | 500-1000+ |
| Legal | 400-700+ |
| Manufacturing | 400-700 |
Numbers are higher in fields like tech where professionals change jobs more frequently and networking is very active. Goals are lower in more stable or local industries.
LinkedIn Connection Targets by Career Level
Your career stage also impacts ideal connection targets. Entry-level professionals may aim for smaller networks while executives need larger ones.
| Career Level | Target Connections |
| Student/Recent Graduate | 100-300 |
| Entry Level Professional | 300-500 |
| Mid-Career Professional | 500-1000 |
| Senior-Level Professional | 800-2000+ |
| Executive | 1000-5000+ |
As you become more established in your career, growing your network becomes increasingly important.
Connection Targets for Job Seekers
If you are actively searching for a new job, you will want to be on the higher end of targets for your industry and career level. Here are some job seeker benchmarks:
- Recent graduate – 250-500+ connections
- Entry level – 400-750+ connections
- Mid-career – 750-1500+ connections
- Director and up – 1000-3000+ connections
Remember that recruiters and hiring managers may view your profile and connections. The more robust your network, the better.
Factors That Impact Your Optimal Number of Connections
Rather than focusing on a specific number, here are some factors to consider regarding the size of your network:
- How many professionals work in your geographic area and industry?
- Do you interact with a large number of companies/organizations?
- How frequently do people in your field change jobs?
- Do you need to be discoverable by recruiters and hiring managers?
- Is networking a priority for career development in your profession?
Evaluate your own professional environment and goals to determine the connection target that makes sense. Quality is also important – engage regularly with your connections.
How to Send LinkedIn Connection Requests
Growing your LinkedIn network requires sending connection requests. Use these best practices for sending requests:
Only Connect with People You Know
LinkedIn is intended for connecting with professionals you have an existing relationship and context for knowing. Avoid sending random connection requests.
Personalize the Note Field in Requests
Explain who you are and how you know the person. Saying “Hello John, we worked together at ABC Company in 2015” is better than just clicking the standard invite text.
Send Individualized Requests
Avoid spamming groups of people with identical connection requests. Take the time to personalize each one.
Follow Up if Needed
If someone ignores your initial connection request, follow up politely by email or in person to ask again. But don’t harass people who decline.
Offer Value in the Relationship
Look for ways to help your connections by sharing ideas and information without expectation. Networking is a two-way street.
Using personalized, sincere connection requests is the best approach for growing your LinkedIn network professionally and organically over time.
LinkedIn Etiquette for Connections
Here are some important etiquette tips for managing your LinkedIn connections:
Accept Connection Requests Thoughtfully
Only accept requests from people you know and want to network with. It’s fine to ignore requests from strangers.
Avoid Mass Requests from Strangers
Use LinkedIn’s preferences to automatically ignore connection requests from people you don’t know already.
Customize Auto-Generated Messages
If using LinkedIn’s automated templates for connecting or messaging, customize them to add a personal touch.
Be Selective About New Connections
Quality matters more than quantity. Only connect with professionals you would actually want to network or share information with.
Remove Outdated or Irrelevant Connections
Do occasional network maintenance by removing connections from old roles or companies you no longer interact with.
Don’t Share Too Much with Connections
Be thoughtful about what views, opinions, and information you share via LinkedIn connections. Keep it professional.
Give Recommendations Sincerely
Only provide LinkedIn recommendations for those you truly believe deserve positive endorsement.
Following basic etiquette helps ensure your connections are professional assets not liabilities.
Maintaining Your LinkedIn Connections
It’s not enough to just connect with people on LinkedIn. To gain value from your network, you need to maintain those connections over time:
Engage With Connections Regularly
Like, comment on, and share your connections’ content. Ask thoughtful questions. Have real conversations.
Stay Up-To-Date on Connections
Congratulate connections on new jobs, promotions, work anniversaries, etc. Update them on your own news.
Provide Recommendations Proactively
When you have positive experiences working with connections, offer to provide recommendations to validate their skills.
Share Valuable Articles and Insights
Post content your connections would find interesting and useful for their careers or industries.
Explore LinkedIn Groups Together
Invite connections to join Groups relevant to both your interests for engaging in discussions.
Follow Up Periodically
Check in with connections every month or quarter to keep relationships fresh and active. Look for new ways to collaborate.
Put effort into nurturing your network and it will become a source of professional support and opportunities.
Should You Buy LinkedIn Connections?
Some services claim they can instantly boost your LinkedIn connections for a fee. Here’s what to know about buying LinkedIn connections:
It Violates LinkedIn’s Terms of Service
LinkedIn prohibits paying for or selling connections. Doing so risks account suspension or termination.
The Connections Aren’t Real
Paid services often use bot or fake accounts as connections or encourage spamming strangers.
It Can Damage Your Reputation
Savvy LinkedIn users will recognize paid connection activity as inauthentic and question your credibility.
The Benefits Are Minimal
Fake connections don’t actively participate on LinkedIn. Genuine engagement matters more.
There Are No Shortcuts
Establishing a strong LinkedIn network requires consistent, long-term relationship building that buying connections cannot replicate.
While increasing your connection count may be tempting, buying LinkedIn connections is an ineffective strategy with too many downsides.
Alternatives to Buying LinkedIn Connections
If your LinkedIn network needs growth, focus on organic ways to cultivate new quality connections:
- Network in person at conferences, events, professional associations, etc.
- Ask satisfied clients, partners, or employers for recommendations.
- Re-engage dormant real-world connections via personalized invites.
- Join relevant LinkedIn groups and participate actively in discussions.
- Publish insightful LinkedIn posts and comments to establish expertise.
- Follow companies to connect with their employees.
- Contact alumni associations to connect with fellow graduates.
These methods require more effort but help forge authentic connections that bring real LinkedIn benefits. Buying connections ultimately wastes money and time.
How to Remove LinkedIn Connections
Over time, you may wish to remove some LinkedIn connections that are no longer relevant. Here are tips for effectively removing connections:
Access the Connections Page
Go to your LinkedIn connections page. Hover over a connection and click “More” > “Remove connection”.
Remove Outdated Contacts
Consider removing connections from past jobs/schools you no longer interact with regularly.
Disconnect Inactive Contacts
Connections that never engage on LinkedIn may be candidates for removal.
Unconnect Redundant Contacts
If multiple people from one company connect with you, consolidate down to the most relevant ones.
Evaluate Connection Value
Remove connections that have provided little value for networking or your career.
Disconnect Respectfully
Use LinkedIn messaging to politely notify contacts you will be removing them from connections.
Avoid Mass Removals
Resist removing a large number of connections at once. Take a targeted, gradual approach.
Periodic maintenance ensures your LinkedIn network stays focused, current, and mutually beneficial.
Conclusion
Having zero LinkedIn connections cuts you off from significant career and networking opportunities. Gradually developing quality connections is key. How many is enough depends on your industry and goals. Focused relationship-building with relevant contacts delivers the most value. Avoid buying connections – cultivate them organically instead. Maintain your network by regularly engaging contacts, not just connecting. LinkedIn connections are about quality over quantity.