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How to Build Connections Online

by Anoushka Singhal

It can be exhausting sending out cold emails or connections on LinkedIn and never getting a reply. There are many ways you can get noticed, whether it's by recruiters, CEOs, or people whose work you are generally interested in.

Social networking has become very important with remote working, and many don't know where to start. Your very first step should be to create a LinkedIn profile.


Personalize your LinkedIn

LinkedIn is used by many professionals to recruit employees, make connections, or find mentors. It is the 'Facebook' of professionals. LinkedIn can lead to success, and it all depends on how you use it.

Personalizing your LinkedIn plays a huge role in your connection requests getting accepted. Online, everyone wants to know who they are connecting with. Add a profile picture, a background image, and any achievements. Add your education, projects, languages you know, groups you are part of, volunteer experience, and basically anything you think will help you build a rapport.

Online involvement will help you stand out and help you get noticed. On this platform, it is your job to celebrate progress, thank people, and participate in other people's achievements — as long as you’re a genuine about it. Start liking people's posts, reading them, and commenting appropriately. Share things that are happening to you or around you — something you feel passionate about, emotions you have been feeling, etc. Your online appearance is very important to continue to make meaningful connections.

 

Do your research

You never stop learning and with technology growing rapidly, there isn't anything you don't have access to. Use this to your advantage by researching career aspirations, job opportunities, companies that do work relevant to your interests, as well as their values and ideologies — this will help you narrow down your search to find a suitable place to apply for a job. 

Once you have your companies narrowed down, work towards the skills they look for and find online resources that can help you learn and improve these skills.

Do research on the employees of the companies you want to work at and talk to them about their experience. It can be very scary to message them but remember one thing, they would love to help you and answer any questions you have. However, don't feel down if you don't get a reply right away as they are very busy people. Talking will help you narrow down your research while making a connection.


Attend online webinars and events

Right now, the world is at our fingertips. We have access to so many varieties of events that we couldn't attend before. Make use of them, whether it's a webinar or event, listening to people's stories, they are all great tools to improve your skill and knowledge. These events will increase your interaction with successful people in the industry by getting you noticed. Since you have done research on the person/people speaking at the event, your questions will be catered to their skills and knowledge: this will help you stand out. This is also where your LinkedIn profile will play a huge role as most professionals use LinkedIn to connect and communicate with people.


Connecting with people online can be intimidating, especially not knowing where to start. This is where your research comes in handy. By learning about their role and their successes, it will help you steer the conversation to the right place. Get ready to ask questions because they are here to help you. You can do your research on LinkedIn, hence why having a LinkedIn profile will help you. LinkedIn is a place where you can attend events, find jobs and connect with people, so attend as many events as possible.


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Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada

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