LinkedIn is a great way to grow and expand your professional network within your field and abroad. You never know when someone that you've met can help you out, either by throwing some advice your way or putting in a good word to HR (yes please!).
1. Personalise connection requests
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If LinkedIn sounds like the best way to connect with someone, make it worthwhile. Do send a personalized message based on your experience with that person like how you met, and why you would like to connect with them. Generic requests are… well, generic.
2. Keep it professional
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Reminder: this isn’t Facebook or Tinder. Connect with people based around your networking experiences and career progression. So no, the hottie on your suggestions list is probably not a good call to be adding away. Also, if it's something you wouldn’t say in the office, don’t blurt it out on LinkedIn.
3. Portraits not selfies!
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We don’t want to see a selfie of you all glammed up before the Law Ball. It’s much better to be appropriately dressed, looking like a sharp, savvy professional. So please lose the Barbie pink lipsticks and too cool for school shades. Save it for insta.
4. Don’t over post
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One post a day is more than enough. If I see the same person posting over and over, I’ll start to think that they care more about social media than their studies, work or… I don’t know… social life?
5. Don’t continuously ask people to endorse you
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This is similar to that one person we knew in the year 8 who always asked people to ‘like’ their default picture on Facebook. Don’t be one of those people. To put it bluntly, it’s annoying.
6. Don’t add every single person within your field
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I mean, what’s the point of that? Stick by the old adage, quality over quantity. Fewer yet strong connections are much more advantageous in the long haul than potential colleagues gossiping amongst their peers, ‘I think s/he added me but I don’t know who they are?’. Awkward.
Happy connecting!
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