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Career Center, Santa Clara University

Networking can be really simple.
LinkedIn can help you get started.

Networking & LinkedIn

Networking & LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the most commonly used networking and internship/job search platforms among job seekers and recruiters. To optimize your use of this platform, consider the steps below:

  1. Create a strong and compelling profile
  2. Build Your Network Before You Need It
  3. Reaching out to Professionals and Maintaining Relationships
  4. Kickstart and Refine Your Internship/Job Search in LinkedIn
Build your network before you need it

Building any relationship takes time and effort—networking is no different. It is wise to organically incorporate networking into your daily lives (e.g. with peers, professors, guest speakers, family) and it is also necessary to be intentional with the process, especially if you hope to explore and discern a potential career path or eventually land an internship or job.

Your goal is both quantity and quality. Don't just randomly connect with lots of people on LinkedIn. Instead, be purposeful about who you are connecting with and why. When reaching out to a professional for the first time, your goal is to set up a career conversation (informational interview).

Here are several strategies to help you identify professionals you might want to connect with:

Reaching out to professionals and maintaining relationships

You might be thinking, OK, I've identified a couple of professionals I want to reach out to. What are my next steps?

Please refer to our Professional Communication resource for:

Kickstart and refine your internship/job search in LinkedIn