LinkedIn is a fantastic tool for networking. By following the steps below, you can find people with whom you would like to conduct informational interviews about their jobs.
- Every day, add to your connections. LinkedIn will be much more helpful if you have hundreds of connections instead of just a handful. Take ten minutes each day to search for people that you know. You can do this in a few different ways:
One, by typing in the names of people you know in the search box.
Two, through searching for alumni that you know under the “Connections” navigational tab.
And three, by reviewing LinkedIn’s “People You May Know” section.
- Join groups related to the careers you want to explore more. For example, if a person is interested in music therapy, there are several groups that they could join, including the American Music Therapy Association LinkedIn group. You can find groups in the top search box of LinkedIn by typing in the keywords of the career areas you are considering.
Once you are a member, you can interact with other members through discussion boards and contact them through LinkedIn or outside of the LinkedIn system by phone.
- Join the alum group page of any college or school you attended. Most alum group pages will also have a discussion board where you can connect with people who have attended the same school. Once approved as a member, you can participate in the discussion board and ask for assistance talking to someone who works in the career area you are researching.
- Check out the university pages of any colleges you are an alumnus or attended. You can do this by visiting your profile and clicking on the university logo of the schools you attended.
You are automatically added to the university page when you list the university on your LinkedIn profile.
Once you are on your university page, click “alumni,” which will take you to a page where you can search for people you want to talk to. You can search by “Where they live,” “Where they work,” “What they do,” “What they studied,” and “What they are skilled at”. You can also search by keywords. So, for example, by entering the words “social media director,” you can view any alumni with these keywords in their headline or profile.
- When identifying alumni you want to speak to, use the “Connect” button or the “Connect” link you will find when clicking on “More.” (Usually, you will not want to ask to connect to people you don’t know. One of the exceptions is when you go to the same school. When requesting to connect, you will be asked if you want to include a note. Choose that option and write a short message such as “Hi Terry. I see you are also an alumnus of Taylor University. I noticed you are working as a social media director, which I am exploring as a possible career change. It would be great to be connected.”
After Terry has approved your request, the “Message” button will unlock. You can then write a message of any length requesting an informational interview. Here is an example, “Thank you for accepting my link request. You’re in a profession that interests me, and I was hoping you could help me gain insights into your work as a social media director. Would you be available for a 30-minute Zoom call this week or next? If so, what dates and times would you be available?
- If you are still waiting to hear back in a few days, be persistent, send a second message, and follow up with a phone call. Phone calls typically get a better response as most people get overwhelmed by emails.