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How can I make the best connections on linkedin as a high school student

I'm a 16-year-old high school student in grade 11, aspiring to pursue a future in the business industry. Subjects like economics, and information technology interest me and I hope to gain more knowledge in those areas. #business #technology #student #highschool #sfu #economics

business technology student highschool economics sfu
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Doc’s Answer

Hi Danieh, Starting your LinkedIn profile while still in high school will give you a chance to catalog all your connections.

A LinkedIn profile will set you apart from other students your age as a person who takes school and wants to take work seriously and understands the importance of a positive professional image. If you’re searching for a job, this type of profile will impress potential employers.

The connections made on LinkedIn are one of the most important aspects of this social media site. As you look for opportunities, these connections — colleagues or relationships through your family, teachers, bosses, or friends — can potentially open doors that could further your career experiences.

√ Customized LinkedIn URL. (Example: www.linkedIn.com/in/DaniehK_____BC)
√ Upload an appropriate photo. (No party shots, cartoon avatars, or puppy pics)
√ Profile Section. (Example: Honors & Awards / Volunteer Experience / Languages, etc)
√ Experience Section. (your in High School, its Okay)
√ Education. Section. (High School or any programs)
√ Skills & Endorsements Section. (list of skills your network can endorse you)

You can (and you should!) also join Groups, it's a great way to connect to new people, build your brand by engaging in these virtual professional communities, and learn the real lingo of the industry you want to get in. Start with groups for students or alumni of your desired college(s) and your desired job function.

Hope this Helps Danieh
Thank you comment icon Thank you Amy for helping us make a difference, thank you for volunteering. Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for taking the time to put so much detail into your response. It is greatly appreciated, and a great reference to look at! danieh
Thank you comment icon Danieh – "Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs". —Farrah Gray Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Danieh – “The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” – John E. Southard Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank You Muneer. “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” — William Shakespeare Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank You Max. “Help one another. There’s no time like the present, and no present like the time.” – James Durst Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank You Vikki. “Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” ― H. Jackson Brown Jr. Doc Frick
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Pat’s Answer

Hello,
It is a great idea to create a Linkden profile in high school! This will put you way ahead of many of your peers. The best way to make connections is to research companies you may be interested in and find fellow employees on Linkden. You can then reach out explaining your background, why you are interested in their company, and ask them about themselves (job, career path, etc.). Hopefully from there you can build a relationship and a connection. Creating a profile at a young age and reaching out to other professionals shows that you are engaged and very interested in a career path in that field, many people will respond extremely positively! Relationships are pivotal in landing a first job out of college and this will help a ton!
Thanks,
Pat
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Andrew’s Answer

Hi Danieh,

One piece of advice I was given was to connect with people on LinkedIn for informational interviews. An informational interview is an informal conversation with someone who works in an area or career that you find interesting. You can search for professionals in business, economics, IT, and other fields and request an informational interview with them. You should be clear in your invitation to connect (mention that you're a student and are interested in their field, say you'd appreciate 15-20 minutes of their time and have a few questions about how they got into the field, etc). You should also always ask for their email during the call to send them a thank you note and keep in touch.

Here is a great article from LinkedIn about how to request, conduct, and follow-up an informational interview - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-request-conduct-follow-up-informational-interview-rebecca-beaton/

I also use Muse as a resource for job searching, resume/cover letter tips, and interview practice. They also have an article on informational interviews - https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-ask-for-an-informational-interview-and-get-a-yes

I hope this helps and good luck!
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Anthony T.’s Answer

Hi! Great question! LinkedIn is on e of the best tools available to you for connecting with people with the same interests as well as those in the same Career Path. You can connect with individuals at schools or at companies that interest you or connect to your career path. You can also see people that those individuals are connected with. In addition, when those connections post information, you will get these updates in your feed so that you stay informed of the latest information. Lastly, there are also groups that can connect individuals at your school, at companies, or with like interests. Network and start connecting and researching. Be sure to update your profile so that people can see your interests and experience and you never know where those connections may take you. Best Wishes!
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Raymond’s Answer

Connect with as many folks in the fields you're interested. You'll start seeing their posts and learn about their fields and what people are saying. For a high school student, LinkedIn is probably not a good place for you to launch a career. For that, you still have to go to college and, possibly, graduate school to obtain the necessary credentials which are critical if not required by many professions/occupations. LinkedIn is good forum for networking, an essential but not the only part of success.
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Simeon’s Answer

Believe it or not, the best connections you can make on Linkedin are with people who are in a similar position to you. While you can reach out to people well established in the field, they are likely to be people that won't respond to your messages or take an active interest in you. Try to reach out to people that you've met in real life and developed some kind of connection with. If people remember you positively from in-person connections, they'll be more likely to respond or reach out to you regarding opportunities.
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Jacob’s Answer

This is a great question. Linked In is a great platform to start forming connections with those in the career world (whatever industry you may be looking at). For a highschool student, my advice would be to start making those connections and then find a couple people who you think you can connect the best with and send them a nice little message that you would like to talk / get to know the person better. Something so small as a quick note or a phone conversation can really go a long way. If you keep doing this you will keep yourself versatile and ahead of the curve of those doing the same type of thing.
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Cori’s Answer

I think informational interviews can be your best friend. Once you've identified organizations that you're interested in based on your career aspirations, locate a couple of people in each one to set up an informational interview. This is an excellent way to build your network and you never know who may be looking for someone to fill a job down the road. While it's great to speak with a CEO/President, look at some other titles that may have many levels reporting to them. This will increase your chances down the road of possible opportunities.
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Xavier’s Answer

I would say reach out to anyone you may find in the field you are looking to work. If you do this now, you will be so far ahead of others, and when it comes time to look for a job, you will have already built a connection with people who can get you hired (possibly). Just to be on the safe side, I would advise doing this with a guidance counselor, or another adult, just to make sure you are receiving legit information from the people you are trying to connect with.

You can also see if there are any programs available for high school students to get some small experience.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for the feedback. I will defiantly take what you said into account. danieh
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Tonya’s Answer

If you already made a profile, then you've taken the first step! Then I would look for people to follow in industries that interest me. If you find someone that looks interesting, message then to see if they would be willing to talk to you for a 1/2 hour. Make sure you have a list of questions that you'd like to discuss prior to the call. Better yet, set up a meeting with them and provide them with the questions before to make their time and yours as productive as possible. That becomes the start of building your network. And networking is critical when you start applying for jobs! Good luck!!

Tonya recommends the following next steps:

Create a LinkedIN profile
Find members that in the positions you would like to explore and follow them
Set up a 1/2 hour meeting with someone you follow (have questions ready for discussion)
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Sam’s Answer

LinkedIn is a great resource to start building your network and overall resources when it comes to different business industries you might be interested in. Even if you're not at the point where you would necessarily be actively applying for jobs, you can certainly connect with people who might work for companies that you are interested in learning more about or colleges/programs that you want to learn more about. This can be a general search or maybe connect with some family members/family friends and you will quickly be surprised just how small the business world is and who is connected to who. If you feel like you have found someone who has a specific job title or works in an industry that you want to learn more about, I find that people are usually fairly receptive to messages asking to do a quick phone conversation about their background/journey (people enjoy talking about themselves) and this cold be a great learning tool for you as well! Good luck. networking business
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Richard’s Answer

At that age, it is almost certainly more efficient to focus on college placement than on LinkedIn connections; focus on any way in your area to perhaps gain work experience, as well as on your grades, extracurriculars, and most critically, your own personal interests
Thank you comment icon Hey Richard, this is helpful but doesn't address the student's question on how to make good LinkedIn connections. Gurpreet Lally, Admin
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Nick’s Answer

Great question! I follow a lot of companies, schools, and groups on LinkedIn that I either find interesting or want to eventually join. You can also get updated when any of those groups you follow have something posted about them, or when there's big news with that group. Generally, there will be folks commenting and liking those articles or announcements, and you can find folks there that are like-minded and share your interests. Those are always great people to connect with. Bonus points if you follow up with a thank you note for their connecting with you and why you wanted to connect. Good luck!

Nick recommends the following next steps:

Go to LinkedIn and find 5 companies, groups, schools, or interest to follow
Find at least 1 person per your follows that you think would help you on your career path and ask to connect with them. It doesn't have to be anyone famous!
Send a thank you note and share why you wanted to connect with that person in a direct message to them
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Max’s Answer

This is the age of digital communication! You are in a great position if you want to begin connecting with the right people. Pop open your LinkedIn page and search those terms (economics, and information technology) along with the top companies that you want to work for and follow everyone with content available. Connect with as many people as you can because the formula for LinkedIn is based on people you know - especially for recruiters to be able to find you in like-minded searches.

I also have Google News Alerts set up - you can try " economics networking events near me" or "information technology seminar" to stay up to date on current opportunities as well.

Go crush it!
Thank you comment icon That great advice! Thank you for sharing it with me and for the positivity! danieh
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Dora’s Answer

Hi Danieh,

LinkedIn is a great platform to reach out to different people -you first should decide what exactly you are interested in and want to get more information, then browse forums or networks related to that topic, read the conversations and if you find someone, whose answers or contribution catches your attention,you can reach out to that person in a private message.
Best is if you make your message personal, explain why you write and where you think that person could help you. I recommend you to define what type of support you need - a 30 min call, a written answer to your specific questions, etc. The more concrete you are, the highest chances you have that someone will answer - generally people like helping others, they just don't know how.:)
Best of luck!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for taking the time to respond Dora. Your tips are great! This will defiantly help me in the future. danieh
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Stacey’s Answer

Connect with everyone you work with on LinkedIn, no matter what kind of work you did with that person. My most rewarding experience with LinkedIn was when I saw a job posting for a job I really wanted. I was then able to search my connections for anyone who was working, or had worked with that perspective employer. I was surprised to see how many people I knew that had a connection to that perspective employer and one of my connections was even connected to the person who posted the job. When I reached out to them, they were excited to allow me to put them down as a reference, and their recommendation won me the job. Sometimes it is who you know that counts; that personal recommendation put me ahead of other applicants.
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Brad’s Answer

Connect with people who have similar interests.
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Donna’s Answer

Start with people you know, co-workers, teachers, bosses this is a good start. Especially if you are in organizations like DECA where you meet many people in various careers who you can get business cards from. Always personalize your message to connect - this provides context how you know the person.
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Ganesh’s Answer

Hey Danieh,

LinkedIn is meant for professional networking, you can find connecting with great people with like-minded. Join groups in economics, information technology to interact and learn from them. Also start writing your understanding about the subject and the learnings from your readings will give you an edge over other candidates. Be confident in what you do, that will bring you lot of motivation to do more. Try to converse and make connection within LinkedIn network. My approach to do anything and everything is to follow 4Cs.
Communication
Collaboration
Commitment and
Contribution

Hope this helps.
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Patrick’s Answer

I think just getting started and having a professional profile picture alongside some family and friend connections is a good way to start. Look up the prominent businesses and leaders in the respective community you reside and follow them, they post great content all the time!

Lastly, be sure to enjoy your teen years and enjoy the moment!
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Rob’s Answer

Hi Danieh,

You are already taking the first step in getting more connected by expressing the desire to use LinkedIn as a tool to network and meet potential mentors, employers, and colleagues. Well Done!

Networking on Linkedin is a fairly active endeavor. It requires diligence, patience, and an acceptance that many invitations to connect may get ignored. Fear not, as the times you do connect with folks will far outweigh the times that you do not.

First things first, utilize the Follow button on role models that you admire. CEOs, Business Owners, etc. Following individuals will give you access to their posts and mentions in articles.

Next step is to come up with a very honest email introduction. When you invite people to connect, I find the most honest invitations get accepted the most. Most business professionals will take the time to mentor students as long as they feel they can help. Honesty will get you far on Linkedin.

Once you have an introduction, I would get strategic on the people you want to connect with. Find people located geographically close that are in occupations that you aspire to. Find similarities with those individuals(ethnic background, gender, same HS). The more targeted you are, the better the results.

Best of Luck!

Rob recommends the following next steps:

Follow 5 people on Linkedin
Write an email introduction you can use on your Linkedin invitations
Target 10 connections based on geographic, occupational, and profile similarities
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Rebecca’s Answer

I had this same question when I was in high school too. I found it intimidating to reach out to people at times. But have confidence! I received great feedback when I friended people. Here are some of my suggestions.

- Before requesting a connection, try and research that person in order to ask something specific. If you can see what company they work for, google that company for recent news. Find something that interests you and could start an engaging conversation. This shows that you care about their company and gives insight into why you're reaching out.

- Pose these questions and/or insights about them in your personal message when you request their connection

- Don't be afraid to follow up if a few weeks go by

- Make business cards with your LinkedIn information.

- Connect with all your teachers! This is important because they are the people who can endorse your skills you specify on your profile. Encourage them to do so!

- Beef up your feed. Share articles, create posts about current events. When people you want to connect with view your profile, it will be good for them to see you are active and up to date on current events.
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Erin’s Answer

LinkedIn is a great resource for finding an internship or job. Some of my friends have applied via LinkedIn, interviewed with the company, and got the job they still work for today! Highschool is a great time to get started. If I were you, I would start to research what companies you might want to work for.

First, I recommend reading up on the company (values, mission statement, history of the company, etc.). Then, once you read up on the company, I encourage you to engage with their social activity postings (LinkedIn, Facebook, Indeed) . Companies also post their job openings via LinkedIn. Although you're in high school, they also offer internships. Once you open the application, the company will provide information like "years of experience required", "level of education required", and the "job description." Set job alerts via LinkedIn for the future when you're considering to launch your career.

The most beneficial advice I would give you is to see if you have any connections that have affiliations to the company. Often, you will find a connection you already have works there! Most of my friends in college reached out to alumni they found via LinkedIn who worked at the company they were applying for. Don't hesitate to contact the individual via LinkedIn to express interest. My last piece of advice is you're never too young to get started. I got my first internship my junior year of high school. Hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck in your future career development!

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Elwira’s Answer

Hi Danieh!
That is great question!
During the pandemic internet and social media are becoming even more accessible and more powerful tool that we can use for a different purpose to achieve our personal goals.
. My suggestion would be that before you start building your network you need to work on your PERSONAL BRAND first. That will increase your chances to stand out from the crowd and build effective relations to achieve your goal of building meaningful relations. Please refer to the golden circle introduced by Simon Senek and ask questions: WHY? HOW? WHAT? First of all ask yourself the below questions covering WHY part:
1. what is my purpose in life?
2. what am I passionate ?
3. why do I want to become work in business?
4. what is driving me?
5. what I'm good at?

Here are some ideas HOW and WHAT you can do to increase your chances to stand out from the crowd and build effective relationship:

1.Become an EXPERT:
- set up your media oriented LinkedIn channel where you can share your thoughts, ideas, re-share interesting articles with your comments/feedback/inputs etc.
- sign up for internship to build up your portfolio
- look for the volunteer virtual projects in your field and sign up
2. Become INFLUENCER & be creative- go out from your comfort zone and try something different:
- create your channel on YouTube and start broadcasting
- do your own podcasts on the subject you are interested in
3. Become an NETWORKER& virtual relation builder
- connect on LinkedIn with people, professionals from your field of interest, show them what you are passionate about etc.
- follow people from your field on YouTube and LinkedIn- share your thoughts/ideas to connect with them and build relationships.

Remember to be curious and bold whatever you are doing and learn all the time as only through learning we make things better and better. I would suggest to get some eLearning on Udemy (online learning platform) around soft skills like: effective communication, presentation skills , storytelling, emotional intelligence etc.
Just to sum up, as you don't have any experience in your field of interest yet nothing stops you from becoming for example a journalist through social media and master your skills. That will show your passion and definitely will increase your chances of getting the dream job in the future!
Just keep in mind that the best way to predict the future is to create it! Learn to ignite curiosity and inspire action!
Good luck and let me know if that is helpful!
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Flor’s Answer

This is a great question. You have received solid answers with great advice. I will only add that once you have set up your profile, I recommend you follow your favorite companies/brands and from time to time look at the types of jobs they are hiring for, the job descriptions and requirements (such as types of degree) for those jobs. At your age, you will be asked or will ask yourself about your career aspirations. By doing this, you will be better informed and might even have a good idea of your interests and direction. Wish you the very best!
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