Yewande Jinadu: Things To Consider When Building a Network on LinkedIn

We all know the labor market is not smiling and a lot of people are looking for various opportunities to network in order to get them to their desired career path. Fortunately, LinkedIn is a good platform to network. Some people are looking to meet clients on LinkedIn. Some are looking for  jobs, while some just want to network. No matter the category you find yourself in, you will definitely be sending invites to people of interest.

I learnt something from a senior colleague who trained me on how to recruit talent on LinkedIn. This works for the recruiter and the job seeker.  Include a note when you’re sending a request to someone you don’t know – especially a candidate or a job seeker. However, the point of this article is to address job seekers; I believe recruiters know what to do.

Here are some tips to guide when communicating with someone on LinkedIn

Please keep your message formal
This is a professional site and not Facebook. One thing that creeps me out is when someone starts by addressing me with ‘Hello Dear how are you doing?’ Do not send a “Hi or Hello or Hello Sister” and wait for a response. Go straight to the point and hit the nail on the head. Nobody has time for a back and forth chat unless you have proved yourself engaging enough.

Introduce yourself
When you connect with someone and you just want to reach out without needing anything, it’s not a bad thing to do but how you present it matters. ‘Thanks for connecting’ is just a cliché and you may not get a response. I would rather suggest a formal introduction of yourself and you looking forward to a mutual professional relationship.

Write professionally
Please avoid grammatical errors when sending a message to recruiters. Also avoid short hand like using ‘am’ instead of ‘I’m’ or ‘have’ instead of ‘I’ve’ etc. Even if you’re looking for a job, please don’t sound too desperate.

This is an example of a message you can send to a recruiter:

Hi (name of the recruiter),

I’m Yewande, a recent graduate of Mathematics (a brief summary as it pertains to you). I stumbled on your profile and noticed you work in xyz company in an xyz role. I would appreciate an opportunity to work in your company as a xyz(fill in terms of your area of interest). I have xyz skills to enable me perform excellently on the role. I would definitely be an asset to your company.

Don’t feel bad if you don’t receive a response
If the person doesn’t respond, don’t feel bad. Just ensure you evaluate your message and perform better in the next one. Relationships can be built from LinkedIn. I am a testimony of that.

Keep your profile updated and engaging
A recruiter will first look through your profile to size you up before responding. You don’t need to have all the experience in the world before having a good profile. However, the way you package your profile will determine if you will get a positive response or not.

I wish you the best in your career journey! Feel free to ask questions.