4 answers
Jenna
Student
Charleston, South Carolina
1
Question
Asked
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What steps should I be taking to connect with industry professionals or companies, and how should I be using platforms like LinkedIn or networking events to explore job opportunities?
Being halfway done with senior year and having post grad be right around the corner, what are some tips to get yourself out there and continue to network to increase job opportunities?
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4 answers
Justin Shapiro
Accounting | Finance | Financial Systems | Non-Profit Volunteer
76
Answers
Charlotte, North Carolina
Updated
Justin’s Answer
Hi Jenna,
Since you’re nearing graduation, connecting with industry professionals and companies now is a great way to jump-start your job search. Here are some strategic steps to take:
1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Professional Photo and Headline: Use a clear, friendly photo and make your headline specific to the field you're targeting, such as "Aspiring [Job Title] | Senior High School Student."
Detailed Summary: Write a brief summary that highlights your skills, interests, and goals, especially if you’re interested in a specific industry or role.
Showcase Experience and Skills: Add any internships, relevant school projects, volunteer work, or side projects that demonstrate your knowledge and skills. Emphasize technical abilities and soft skills.
2. Connect with Industry Professionals on LinkedIn
Search for Alumni: Look up people who graduated from your school and are in roles or companies you’re interested in. Reach out to introduce yourself, mention your shared background, and express interest in learning about their career path.
Engage with Industry Leaders: Follow and engage with professionals in your field by commenting on their posts and resharing relevant industry content. This can build rapport and increase your visibility.
3. Attend Networking Events
Career Fairs and Industry Events: Check for virtual or local job fairs and events, especially those targeted at students or young professionals. These events can help you meet recruiters and learn about companies hiring entry-level candidates.
Professional Associations and Student Organizations: Many fields have student chapters or young professional events (like the American Society of Civil Engineers for engineering). Attend these to build connections and learn about industry trends.
4. Leverage Informational Interviews
Reach Out: Ask professionals in roles you’re curious about if they’d be open to a short chat about their career path and current role.
Ask Questions and Show Interest: Use this opportunity to ask about their day-to-day work, industry advice, and insights on landing similar roles.
Express appreciation for their insights.
5. Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn and Other Platforms
Share Your Work: Post about projects, internships, volunteer experiences, or any relevant accomplishments on LinkedIn. This shows your enthusiasm and builds credibility.
Comment and Interact: Actively engage with industry-related content to increase your visibility.
6. Follow Up and Maintain Connections
Stay in Touch: After meeting someone at an event or through LinkedIn, follow up with a thank-you message and keep them updated on your progress.
Share Opportunities and Offer Help: Even though you’re just starting out, share relevant information or connections when possible. It shows initiative and helps build mutually beneficial relationships.
Networking and connecting with professionals takes time, so keep a steady pace and remember that each conversation or interaction can help you grow your network and open doors for future opportunities.
Best of luck to you!
Since you’re nearing graduation, connecting with industry professionals and companies now is a great way to jump-start your job search. Here are some strategic steps to take:
1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Professional Photo and Headline: Use a clear, friendly photo and make your headline specific to the field you're targeting, such as "Aspiring [Job Title] | Senior High School Student."
Detailed Summary: Write a brief summary that highlights your skills, interests, and goals, especially if you’re interested in a specific industry or role.
Showcase Experience and Skills: Add any internships, relevant school projects, volunteer work, or side projects that demonstrate your knowledge and skills. Emphasize technical abilities and soft skills.
2. Connect with Industry Professionals on LinkedIn
Search for Alumni: Look up people who graduated from your school and are in roles or companies you’re interested in. Reach out to introduce yourself, mention your shared background, and express interest in learning about their career path.
Engage with Industry Leaders: Follow and engage with professionals in your field by commenting on their posts and resharing relevant industry content. This can build rapport and increase your visibility.
3. Attend Networking Events
Career Fairs and Industry Events: Check for virtual or local job fairs and events, especially those targeted at students or young professionals. These events can help you meet recruiters and learn about companies hiring entry-level candidates.
Professional Associations and Student Organizations: Many fields have student chapters or young professional events (like the American Society of Civil Engineers for engineering). Attend these to build connections and learn about industry trends.
4. Leverage Informational Interviews
Reach Out: Ask professionals in roles you’re curious about if they’d be open to a short chat about their career path and current role.
Ask Questions and Show Interest: Use this opportunity to ask about their day-to-day work, industry advice, and insights on landing similar roles.
Express appreciation for their insights.
5. Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn and Other Platforms
Share Your Work: Post about projects, internships, volunteer experiences, or any relevant accomplishments on LinkedIn. This shows your enthusiasm and builds credibility.
Comment and Interact: Actively engage with industry-related content to increase your visibility.
6. Follow Up and Maintain Connections
Stay in Touch: After meeting someone at an event or through LinkedIn, follow up with a thank-you message and keep them updated on your progress.
Share Opportunities and Offer Help: Even though you’re just starting out, share relevant information or connections when possible. It shows initiative and helps build mutually beneficial relationships.
Networking and connecting with professionals takes time, so keep a steady pace and remember that each conversation or interaction can help you grow your network and open doors for future opportunities.
Best of luck to you!
Donna McLeod
Project Manager
9
Answers
Charlotte, North Carolina
Updated
Donna’s Answer
Start by ensuring your LinkedIn profile is complete and up to date with your professional details and volunteer experience. Don’t treat LinkedIn like Twitter or Instagram. Connect on LinkedIn with people from your contact list, as they likely have profiles too. This initiates networking and expanding your connections. Follow organizations in your desired industries, read posts, engage with them, and ask questions. See if professionals are willing to talk about their roles and responsibilities. Commit to having touchpoints with someone in your industry network at least twice a month. Also feel free to ask your connects to refer you to someone else they feel would be beneficial for you to speak too. Following these steps provides insights into networking events where you can set alerts for such opportunities.
Maura FitzGerald
Instructional Designer
21
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Maura’s Answer
Agree with the advice here to make sure your profile is complete! LinkedIn can be an incredible resource for networking, and it can also be very daunting. I read a book called "The 2 Hour Job Search" and it gave a lot of practical advice for how to send out networking requests. One, do some research to find the contact's professional email and send it there instead of LinkedIn. Two, be concise! Stick to about 150 characters or less. Three, be direct and name a clear ask in your message- for example, "would you be willing to connect on zoom or the phone for 20 minutes to share more about your path to <company name>? And four, don't take it personal if you don't hear back- not everyone will answer and that's okay.
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian-Nutritionist & Software Developer since 1972 🡆 Optimization Of Human Performance
7220
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Good Day Jenna!
Steps to Connect with Industry Professionals and Explore Job Opportunities
1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Professional Photo: Use a clear, professional headshot.
Compelling Headline: Write a headline that reflects your career aspirations and skills.
Detailed Summary: Craft a summary that highlights your education, experiences, and what you’re looking for in your next role.
Skills and Endorsements: List relevant skills and seek endorsements from classmates or professors.
2. Build Your Network
Connect with Classmates and Alumni: Start by connecting with fellow students, professors, and alumni from your university. Use the alumni tool on LinkedIn to find graduates in your field.
Join Relevant Groups: Participate in LinkedIn groups related to your industry. Engage in discussions to showcase your knowledge and interest.
3. Research Companies and Professionals
Identify Target Companies: Make a list of companies you are interested in working for. Research their culture, values, and job openings.
Follow Industry Leaders: Follow professionals who are influential in your field. This can provide insights into industry trends and opportunities.
4. Engage with Content
Share Articles and Insights: Post articles or insights related to your field to demonstrate thought leadership.
Comment on Posts: Engage with posts from others by commenting thoughtfully; this increases visibility within your network.
5. Attend Networking Events
University Career Fairs: Participate in career fairs hosted by your university where companies recruit students.
Industry Conferences and Meetups: Attend events specific to your industry where you can meet professionals face-to-face.
Workshops and Seminars: Look for workshops that focus on skill development; these often attract industry professionals as speakers or participants.
6. Conduct Informational Interviews
Reach out to professionals for informational interviews. Prepare questions about their career paths, advice for entering the industry, and insights into their companies.
7. Utilize Job Boards Effectively
Use platforms like LinkedIn Jobs, Glassdoor, Indeed, or specialized job boards relevant to your field to search for openings.
Set up job alerts based on keywords related to positions you are interested in.
8. Follow Up After Networking Events
After meeting someone at an event or an informational interview, send a thank-you email expressing appreciation for their time and insights. This helps solidify the connection.
By following these steps consistently throughout the remainder of your senior year, you will enhance your networking efforts significantly, increasing the likelihood of discovering job opportunities post-graduation.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
LinkedIn Learning Provides comprehensive courses on networking strategies, optimizing LinkedIn profiles, and effective job searching techniques tailored for recent graduates.
Harvard Business Review Offers research-backed articles on professional networking strategies that emphasize building meaningful connections within industries.
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Supplies data-driven insights into employer expectations from new graduates along with best practices for effective networking during college years.
Probability the answer is correct: 95%
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
|=========================God Bless You, Richly!============================|
|===James Constantine Frangos ~ THE LITTLE OLD AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK DIETITIAN===|
|=========I Have Been Programming For Your Nutrition Education ~ Since 1972!========|
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Steps to Connect with Industry Professionals and Explore Job Opportunities
1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Professional Photo: Use a clear, professional headshot.
Compelling Headline: Write a headline that reflects your career aspirations and skills.
Detailed Summary: Craft a summary that highlights your education, experiences, and what you’re looking for in your next role.
Skills and Endorsements: List relevant skills and seek endorsements from classmates or professors.
2. Build Your Network
Connect with Classmates and Alumni: Start by connecting with fellow students, professors, and alumni from your university. Use the alumni tool on LinkedIn to find graduates in your field.
Join Relevant Groups: Participate in LinkedIn groups related to your industry. Engage in discussions to showcase your knowledge and interest.
3. Research Companies and Professionals
Identify Target Companies: Make a list of companies you are interested in working for. Research their culture, values, and job openings.
Follow Industry Leaders: Follow professionals who are influential in your field. This can provide insights into industry trends and opportunities.
4. Engage with Content
Share Articles and Insights: Post articles or insights related to your field to demonstrate thought leadership.
Comment on Posts: Engage with posts from others by commenting thoughtfully; this increases visibility within your network.
5. Attend Networking Events
University Career Fairs: Participate in career fairs hosted by your university where companies recruit students.
Industry Conferences and Meetups: Attend events specific to your industry where you can meet professionals face-to-face.
Workshops and Seminars: Look for workshops that focus on skill development; these often attract industry professionals as speakers or participants.
6. Conduct Informational Interviews
Reach out to professionals for informational interviews. Prepare questions about their career paths, advice for entering the industry, and insights into their companies.
7. Utilize Job Boards Effectively
Use platforms like LinkedIn Jobs, Glassdoor, Indeed, or specialized job boards relevant to your field to search for openings.
Set up job alerts based on keywords related to positions you are interested in.
8. Follow Up After Networking Events
After meeting someone at an event or an informational interview, send a thank-you email expressing appreciation for their time and insights. This helps solidify the connection.
By following these steps consistently throughout the remainder of your senior year, you will enhance your networking efforts significantly, increasing the likelihood of discovering job opportunities post-graduation.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
LinkedIn Learning Provides comprehensive courses on networking strategies, optimizing LinkedIn profiles, and effective job searching techniques tailored for recent graduates.
Harvard Business Review Offers research-backed articles on professional networking strategies that emphasize building meaningful connections within industries.
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Supplies data-driven insights into employer expectations from new graduates along with best practices for effective networking during college years.
Probability the answer is correct: 95%
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
|=========================God Bless You, Richly!============================|
|===James Constantine Frangos ~ THE LITTLE OLD AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK DIETITIAN===|
|=========I Have Been Programming For Your Nutrition Education ~ Since 1972!========|
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯