LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that allows users to connect with other professionals in their industry or location. When two LinkedIn members connect, they become 1st degree connections. Your 1st degree connections are people you have directly connected with on LinkedIn.
What are 1st Connections on LinkedIn?
Your 1st degree connections on LinkedIn are people you are directly connected to. This means you have either sent them an invitation to connect, or they have sent you one and you accepted. When you join LinkedIn, your 1st connections will usually be people you know well in real life, such as:
- Friends
- Family members
- Co-workers
- Classmates
- Acquaintances
You can send invitations to connect to anyone on LinkedIn, but it is best to only connect with people you know and trust. Your network starts with your 1st degree connections, and then expands to 2nd and 3rd degree connections through your initial connections.
How to Get 1st Connections on LinkedIn
There are several ways to get 1st degree connections on LinkedIn:
- Import contacts – When you first join LinkedIn, you can import your email contacts and connect to people you already know.
- Search for connections – LinkedIn allows you to search for people you know by name, company, school, etc and send them an invite.
- Accept invitations – When people in your network send you an invitation to connect, accept it to add them to your 1st connections.
- Connect after interacting – If you message someone on LinkedIn or meet them in person, send them a connection invitation afterwards.
- Meet people through groups – Join LinkedIn groups to meet professionals in your industry and connect with them.
It is good practice on LinkedIn to personalize your connection requests with a note reminding the person how you know them or why you want to connect. This helps improve your chances of getting your invitations accepted.
2nd Degree Connections on LinkedIn
Your 2nd degree connections on LinkedIn are people who are connected to your 1st degree connections. For example, if you are connected to Jane Doe, and Jane Doe is connected to John Smith, then John Smith is your 2nd degree connection. Here are some key things to know about 2nd degree connections:
- You have no direct connection with them
- You can see limited profile information about them
- You can request an introduction through a mutual connection
- They appear in search results when you look for wider networks
2nd degree connections represent your “friends of friends” network on LinkedIn. You can browse their full profiles, but you cannot directly contact them unless they or your mutual connection agrees to introduce you. Expanding your network to 2nd degree connections allows you to search for people beyond just your immediate contacts when looking for jobs, business opportunities, expertise, and more.
How to See Your LinkedIn 2nd Connections
There are a few ways to see who your 2nd degree connections are on LinkedIn:
- On your profile under “Connections”, select “Manage my network” then “2nd degree connections”
- When viewing someone’s profile who shares a connection, check “How you’re connected” to see the mutual connection
- During a people search, filter by 2nd degree to only see these connections
- LinkedIn displays 2nd degree connections in “People Also Viewed” sections
Study your 2nd degree connections to discover new professionals to meet through mutual contacts. You can also filter searches by 2nd degree to widen your range when looking for jobs, business partners, or subject experts.
3rd Degree Connections on LinkedIn
Your 3rd degree connections are people on LinkedIn who are connected to your 2nd degree connections – so “friends of friends of friends.” You have no direct connection with 3rd degree connections. Here is what you need to know about 3rd degree connections:
- No direct or shared connections with them
- Can only see limited profile information
- They appear when searching wider networks
- You cannot contact them directly
3rd degree connections represent the outer edge of your extended network on LinkedIn. You likely have thousands of 3rd degree connections, but very little visibility into who they are specifically. You can still benefit from 3rd degree connections in a few ways:
- Discover new people and companies through browsing 3rd connections
- Uncover “hidden” jobs and opportunities by widening your search network
- Gauge your connectivity to certain employers or industries
Viewing Your LinkedIn 3rd Connections
LinkedIn does not provide an easy way to browse or search your 3rd degree connections. However, here are some tips to uncover them:
- Check who appears when you search “3rd+ connections” under filters
- Look under “People Also Viewed” on other profiles
- Note 3rd degree connections of mutual connections
- Try searching for companies and titles you have no other connection to
Remember that you cannot directly contact 3rd degree connections on LinkedIn unless you upgrade to a premium account. Focus on expanding your immediate network first and view 3rd degree connections as a way to discover new opportunities.
Connection Distance and LinkedIn Search
Your connection distance to other LinkedIn members impacts your ability to search for and contact people. Here is an overview:
Connection Distance | Searchability | Contactability |
---|---|---|
1st degree | Full profile visible | Send InMail or invite to connect |
2nd degree | Name and headline visible | Request introduction through mutual connections |
3rd degree | Name and headline visible | Cannot contact directly |
Understanding connection distances helps optimize your LinkedIn search and messaging strategy. Focus on expanding your 1st degree network first, then leverage 2nd and 3rd degree connections to uncover additional opportunities.
Growing Your LinkedIn Network
Here are some tips for proactively growing your LinkedIn network:
- Personalize connection requests by reminding people how you know them or why you want to connect.
- Engage with content and join groups to meet professionals with common interests.
- Follow companies you are interested in to stay aware of new opportunities.
- Attend industry events and conferences to connect in person with fellow professionals.
- Monitor who views your profile and request to connect with relevant people.
- Utilize advanced search filters to find people according to location, industry, job function, employer, skills, etc.
- Upgrade to a premium LinkedIn account to send InMail messages to people outside your network.
Focus first on quality over quantity when growing your LinkedIn network. It is better to have 100 meaningful connections than 500 random ones. But do not be afraid to expand your network in a targeted way to unlock new opportunities.
Maintaining Your LinkedIn Connections
Once connected to new contacts, be sure to maintain those relationships by:
- Engaging with their content by liking, commenting, and sharing.
- Congratulating them on work anniversaries, promotions, or new jobs.
- Reconnecting via message or InMail to follow up on conversations.
- Recommending your connections to others when relevant.
- Introducing your connections to each other when there is common ground.
- Following companies or topics your connections are interested in to stay up-to-date.
- Providing thoughtful recommendations or endorsements of their skills.
Nurturing your network ensures that your LinkedIn connections remain a valuable part of your professional community for the long term. Keep ties strong by regularly interacting.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn network provides huge benefits for your career and business opportunities. 1st degree connections represent your core professional network. 2nd degree connections introduce you to “friends of friends” to widen your reach. 3rd degree connections let you discover new companies and professionals within your broader industry ecosystem. Focus first on making meaningful 1st degree connections, and then leverage your extended network for search visibility, shared knowledge, and finding “hidden” prospects.