Building a strong LinkedIn network is crucial for professional success. With over 740 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform and an invaluable tool for expanding your reach, staying up-to-date on industry trends, finding job opportunities, and building your personal brand. But sending connection requests to random strangers will not grow your network effectively. You need to be strategic about who you choose to connect with on LinkedIn.
Connect with colleagues and coworkers
The first group you should connect with is your current colleagues and coworkers. These are people you likely interact with regularly and have established professional relationships. By connecting on LinkedIn, you can strengthen those bonds by endorsing each other’s skills, providing recommendations, and keeping up with career updates. This is a straightforward way to quickly build up your first connections.
How to request connections from coworkers
- Search for their name or email address in the LinkedIn search bar
- Go to their profile and click “Connect”
- Write a note reminding them who you are or mentioning that you work together
Benefits of connecting with coworkers
- Strengthens existing professional relationships
- Opens up possibilities for giving recommendations
- Keeps you updated on their career moves
- Shows reciprocal support
Connect with previous coworkers and supervisors
After linking up with your current colleagues, start connecting with professionals from your previous jobs and internships. Staying in touch with past coworkers fosters continued camaraderie and respect. It also provides several advantages:
- Your former peers can vouch for your skills, qualifications, and work ethic
- Previous managers can provide strong recommendations and endorsements
- Broadens your industry network by meeting their connections
- Opens doors for career opportunities through referrals
Tips for reaching out to former coworkers
- Personalize the connection request by mentioning your time working together
- Provide context if needed to jog their memory
- Be gracious and professional in your tone
- Offer to provide a recommendation in your message
Connect with friends from school and college
Another group to link up with early are friends and acquaintances from your educational background. Classmates from school, college, and any additional degrees can make valuable connections since you likely share common interests and can speak to each other’s qualifications. Here are some benefits of sending connection invites to your school friends:
- Stay up-to-date on what fellow graduates are doing professionally
- Tap into shared interests and experiences from your education
- Gain access to their networks and connections
- Exchange career advice and mentorship
Best practices for connecting with classmates
- Jog their memory by mentioning classes or activities you shared
- Keep the request brief but friendly
- Highlight your shared academic background
- Avoid using overly casual nicknames
Connect with colleagues from past jobs and internships
Think back to your previous jobs, internships, and volunteer roles. The colleagues you worked alongside can continue to be valuable connections long after you’ve moved on from those roles. Here’s why it’s worth sending connection requests to past colleagues:
- Build on the working relationship you already have
- Gain insider knowledge of their current industry
- Exchange career advice and job opportunities
- Grow your professional network exponentially
Tips for connecting with past colleagues
- Personalize the request by mentioning your time working together
- Provide context about projects or accomplishments you shared
- Offer to provide a recommendation based on your previous experience
- Ask about their current role and company
Connect with leaders and influencers in your industry
Once you’ve built up a base of connections, it’s time to look outside your immediate network. A great way to expand your reach is by connecting with industry leaders, executives, founders, and influencers. Here are some ways linking up with industry VIPs can benefit you:
- Gain insider perspective on industry trends and innovations
- Chance to learn from their career path and accomplishments
- Increased visibility for your profile by association
- Possibilities for mentorship, investment, or future job referrals
Best practices for requesting industry leader connections
- Research their background and company information
- Send a thoughtful, personalized request explaining your interest
- Mention shared connections or associations
- Highlight your expertise and how you could add value
Connect with relevant professional associations and groups
Professional associations related to your industry or job function can provide a tight-knit community of like-minded professionals. Here are some perks of connecting with relevant associations:
- Stay on top of industry news and job opportunities
- Gain access to special events, conferences, and trainings
- Show your commitment and involvement in the field
- Get advice and support from seasoned professionals
Tips for connecting with professional groups
- Seek out associations focused on your niche or specialty
- Mention any relevant certifications, trainings, or memberships
- Highlight your interest and goals for involvement
- Offer to lend your expertise by guest posting or speaking
Connect with fellow alumni from your university or college
Fellow alumni from your alma mater share a common bond and networking with them can reap serious benefits throughout your career. Here are some of the advantages:
- Tap into the vast alumni network for career advice and job leads
- Give back by mentoring recent graduates and students
- Stay involved with university events, groups, and programs
- Broaden connections across different industries and job functions
Best practices for connecting with university alumni
- Join university LinkedIn groups and alumni association pages
- Search alumni by university and graduation year
- Mention shared professors, classes, or campus activities
- Offer career mentoring to current students and recent grads
Connect with recruiters and hiring managers in your target companies
Getting on the radar of recruiters and hiring managers at companies you want to work for is a strategic networking move. When connecting, focus on showing your interest and fit for potential job opportunities.
Benefits of connecting with recruiters
- Increased visibility when positions open up
- Convey your passion and qualifications for the company
- Chance to get insider advice and preparation tips
- Direct access for asking career questions
Tips for requesting recruiter connections
- Research open roles and the company’s needs
- Familiarize yourself with their background first
- Mention your skills, experience, and interest in opportunities
- Offer to provide any information needed
Connect with co-authors, guest posters, and colleagues
If you regularly contribute writing, research, or other collaborations to publications, websites, and journals, connecting with your co-authors and colleagues can lead to future partnerships.
Benefits of co-author connections
- Discuss ideas for future articles and papers
- Provide peer review and feedback
- Collaborate on projects to enhance expertise
- Broaden reach by sharing each other’s posts
Best practices for connecting with co-authors
- Search publication websites for author bios and contact info
- Reference your successful collaborations
- Discuss possibilities for guest posting on each other’s blogs
- Offer to share their articles and papers with your network
Connect with speakers and panelists from events
Attending industry events like conferences and seminars provides valuable face-time with thought leaders, experts, and influencers. Following up with new connections after events keeps the conversation going.
Benefits of connecting post-event
- Continue discussing ideas raised during panels
- Broaden your professional network through their connections
- Explore potential collaborations in the future
- Stay top of mind for future event invites and speaking opportunities
Best practices for post-event outreach
- Reference the specific panel, speech, or discussion
- Connect using contact details provided at the event
- Share links to resources mentioned during the event
- Express interest in contributing an article or guest post
Connect with clients and customers from your work history
Current and past clients you’ve worked with closely can continue to be influential connections long after projects wrap up. There are many benefits to staying in touch:
Why connecting with clients matters
- Cultivates ongoing trust and goodwill
- Opens the door for referrals and testimonials
- Provides insights into improving future work
- Shows appreciation for the business relationship
Best practices for client outreach
- Thank them for the opportunity to work together
- Highlight successes achieved through the partnership
- Share relevant industry updates and connections
- Explore the potential for future collaborations
Connect with vendors, contractors, and freelancers
Developing relationships with the vendors, contractors, and freelancers you partner with on projects is mutually beneficial. Here are some of the advantages:
Why connecting with vendors matters
- Learn about new services, products, or pricing
- Provide feedback to help improve their offerings
- Collaborate more seamlessly on future projects
- Offer to give recommendations on LinkedIn
Best practices for vendor outreach
- Thank them for their work and expertise
- Inquire about expanded services and capabilities
- Discuss opportunities to partner with other clients
- Exchange insights on industry trends and innovations
Connect with contacts from networking events
Networking events offer opportunities to make face-to-face connections with many new professionals at once. Following up on LinkedIn after the event sustains these new relationships.
Why connecting post-networking matters
- Prolongs the conversations started in person
- Allows you to share any resources or contacts discussed
- Keeps you top of mind for future events or opportunities
- Introduces you to their broader network
Best practices for post-event networking outreach
- Reference where you met and what you discussed
- Remind them of who you are and your conversation
- Offer to connect them with any relevant contacts
- Suggest meeting up at future events
Connect with founders and employees of startups
Linking up with professionals at emerging startups can provide valuable early exposure to new innovations before they hit the mainstream.
Why connecting with startups matters
- Learn about groundbreaking products and services in development
- Gain insight into new market opportunities and trends
- Partner on beta testing and providing user feedback
- Foster potential investment, partnership, or acquisition opportunities
Best practices for startup outreach
- Congratulate them on their entrepreneurial ambitions
- Ask thoughtful questions about their offerings and business model
- Offer feedback based on your user perspective and industry expertise
- Inquire about beta testing or pilot program opportunities
Connect with award winners and rising stars
Recognizing professionals who are actively advancing in their field can forge fruitful connections, especially early in their career trajectory.
Why connecting with achievers matters
- Tap into their knowledge and rising influence
- Learn about innovative projects and accomplishments
- Gain exposure to new perspectives and approaches
- Cultivate potential for collaboration and referrals
Best practices for recognizing high-achievers
- Congratulate them on recent recognitions and awards
- Ask thoughtful questions about their methods and influences
- Highlight overlapping interests and connections
- Explore possibilities for future mentorship opportunities
Conclusion
The connections that fuel your LinkedIn network represent far more than a number. Each individual has experiences, insights, and relationships that can profoundly impact your own professional journey when leveraged strategically. Rather than shotgunning connection invitations, take a targeted approach by cultivating relationships with colleagues, leaders, alumni, clients, vendors, and more based on shared values and potential for mutually beneficial collaborations down the road. Quality trumps quantity in building a thriving professional network on LinkedIn.
