The Insider Guide to Careers
Insider information, secrets and tips about getting hired and building careers. For employees and job candidates.
Networking is not a very complicated matter and many people have trouble doing any networking. The mental image is that the other person is a stranger, and why would that person talk to me? Because of this misapprehension, people struggle to connect.
One tremendous advantage over the last decade is that tools like LinkedIn bring together people who want to connect and share. There is a good chance that the person on LinkedIn is not an average person; it is likely that the person is from one end of the distribution, a distribution of people who like to connect, network, and share information. If a person is on Twitter or YouTube, it is even more likely that they are seeking to expand their reach.
I will pass some tips to build instant connections and add some examples of templates to follow.
1) Firstly, do some homework about the person you are connecting with. Read their LinkedIn or Twitter posts and watch their videos, if any are posted online. This helped me in one of my student interviews at General Mills. When a Business VP interviewed me, I mentioned watching her online videos through Google, and immediately, I could see her face beam with pride and happiness. I knew that my selection was guaranteed just by the nature of the questions she asked me after that point.
2) When connecting on LinkedIn, many folks do not like to be approached for a connection request by a stranger with no common connection. There are people who are different (like me) who accept most requests. Each person has their own expectations. Hence, at a minimum, add a note on why you are connecting and be pleasant in the note. Even if you do not have any connection, call that out in the note and mention you want to connect in spite of that.
3) If people do not respond to your LinkedIn message after connecting, it is because they do not see a connection. Nobody will do a task or respond unless they see some meaning. I always respond to students but never to online businesses. Folks bombarding anyone with follow-ups and reminders aggressively will just mean that the respondent either ignores or removes that connection. One reminder or at a maximum, 2 reminders are ok. After that, move on. LinkedIn is a place to ask for a favour, not to demand attention. If the connector had done some homework and spent time asking meaningful questions, the chance of a response would have gone up dramatically.
4) It is assumed that Americans are more informal than Indians. Hence, strangers trying to network often begin with a first name on the introductory note or, even worse, just a “hi” or a “hello.” One is always suspicious of a hi or a hello because it appears as if the person is shooting for numbers by bombarding people without any attempt at customization. A name is very important, and ideally, it should have a prefix like Mr or Ms.
Calling a person by first name could be seen as rude whether in the US or India. Only when you belong to the same company or have a common bond with someone can a first name be used. The exception is when a person senior by rank addresses a junior by first name. Then, most people do not care as one does not expect too many niceties from a senior person. Very early in career folks or students should be more tactful. They are less important than they think they are. Being polite and doing some networking homework are the easiest ways to get a response.
5) Most importantly, be responsive. It is just incredible how the basic etiquette of responding to emails and meeting requests has gone awry. When the contact responds to you, respond ASAP. The faster you respond, the more you signify your interest and enthusiasm. Ideally, respond within a minute as though your life depends on it. Otherwise, you have to respond in an hour. Beyond that, you are painting a boorish image of yourself. Networking is all about enthusiasm. Your words, tone and action all signify interest. It is surprising how many networkers avoid follow-up to messages, forget to set up calls or, even worse, do not turn up for calls. Sometimes, the old-timers are left asking – who wants to make this connection work, the connector or the target?
Two years ago, I launched a student mentorship program, where students from across a bunch of IITs were connected to alumni who wanted to guide the students. It fell apart quickly, The reason being that students were turning up unprepared for conversation, not acting on follow-up identified in conversations, students being too busy for meetings and ghosting meetings by not being present. At a point, senior executives were wondering whether they wanted to connect with students more than students wanted to connect with them. Although the program was launched with much fanfare and enthusiasm, it did not last as there was not enough discipline on the part of the networkers. It is the same networkers who are now looking out for jobs and internships in a tough recruiting season. If only they had taken networking more seriously and in a less cavalier fashion.
Tips when you target your dream company:
– Reach out to somebody in recruiting or someone who has posted a job opening on Linkedin posts.
– Answer the three questions: why the company, why the role and why you.
– When you talk about why you, talk about skills
– Be thoughtful about the time you want the other to commit. Remember that you are asking for a free appointment when people can instead focus on their job which is paying them around 200-300 dollars an hour.
Example of an effective networking note:
Dear Mr. Gates,
I have been tracking Facebook’s growth for the last decade and reading up on everything about the company and the engineering team. I have been amazed by the launch of the Threads app and its ease of use. However, compared to TikTok, there are at least 30 issues with the user experience. You can open the enclosed PDF document to go through the details.
I have been interested in building responsive websites that handle very high volumes and with minimal server loads. I have two internships in this space, where I was ranked as the best-performing intern. I would want to leverage my skills in making Meta better. I am interested in an opening for a “Full-Stack Software developer” (hyperlink) based in Bangalore.
I am graduating in 2024, and my skills in PHP, Erland, Java, and C++ can make me fit anywhere in the engineering team at Meta. Can we have a quick chat for 15 minutes over video or audio anytime in the next couple of weeks?
Here is the link to my LinkedIn profile (hyperlink).
Thanks,
Vinod
Closing checklist for any networker:
