As a job seeker, building your network is crucial. It’s not just about having more connections, but about truly engaging and connecting.

It’s about having conversations with others. For career changers, this is invaluable.

Who to connect with

Here is a short list of who you want to connect with and why:

• other career changers doing the same (or similar) thing you are doing — for moral support and advice
• other professionals doing what you want to be doing — to understand more about their job and the industry and to learn what worked for them in their job search
• career coaches in your field — learn from someone who has successfully helped others find a job
• recruiters and hiring managers — for obvious reasons

One of the most asked questions for Career Changers is how do to reach out to others on LinkedIn. Up to this point, they may be familiar with reaching out to co-workers and others in their industry.

But how does one reach out to strangers?

There is a lot of resistance to doing this. Why? It seems awkward. Who isn’t somewhat uncomfortable reaching out to a complete stranger. But, there are a few key points you need to understand.

Key points about LinkedIn

• LinkedIn is made for this. What you are doing is not something new. It’s what LinkedIn is about.
• People on LinkedIn expect to get connection requests. It’s the nature of the beast.
• LinkedIn has made it ‘easy’ to do this.

The first several times you reach out to a stranger may be a bit nerve-wracking, but after you’ve done it 8–10 times, it’ll get easier.

What do you say?

The next question is what do you say?

The key is not to make them a total stranger. You do this by finding something in common. This might be:

• alumni of the same school
• worked at the same company
• in a position you’d like to be in
• one of your connections already follows them
• you like what they are posting on LinkedIn, or on any other social media platform

You want to make connections for various reasons. You might just want to connect with them to be able to message them at some point. Or, you might want to connect with them because you want to do a video chat with them. (for an Informational Interview). Or, maybe they are a recruiter or a hiring manager.

Below are 7 different templates you can start with. Edit them as needed to fit your situation and your personality. Each template is used for a different reason.

It’s great to connect with an individual before making an ask. Use the first template for connecting with them. Then, you can use one of the other templates if you’d like to have a conversation with them.

You’d be surprised how eager people are to share their experiences. Helping someone else makes them feel good. It’s likely someone helped them in their journey and they welcome an opportunity to return the favor.

But first, some tips.

Tips for making asks on LinkedIn

Making an ask on LinkedIn is mostly about being courteous and professional. Think about what would make you respond positively to a message from a stranger on LinkedIn. Then, include that in your ask.

Also consider what kind of message would make you not want to respond. Don’t do that!

When receiving requests from others, here’s what I find helps:

• Keep it short. Don’t give them all the reasons you want to connect with them.
• Give them one reason why you want to connect with them.
• Be concise, direct, and specific.
• Tell them what you want to know. (see templates below)

Use the templates below to connect with others.

Templates

1) To connect with someone you are already following

Use this template if you already follow this person. This might be someone who posts information relevant to you and your career journey. If so, let them know and ask for a connection.

2) To chat with someone who has made a similar transition

As a career changer, it’s helpful and important to connect with those that have made the same transition. These cornnctions will motivate you and inspire you in your job search.

I suggest having regular conversations (Informational Interviews) with these types of individuals — at least once a week during your job search. This is just as important, if not more so, than making connections with recruiters or hiring managers. And, who knows maybe these connections will know of a job opening or be a referral.

Similar-Transition Template

3) To chat with another career changer

Although this is similar to the previous one, it differs in that they do not have the same background as you. They made a career change into your new field, but their previous experience differs from yours.

TIP: Be sure to check if they are active on LinkedIn. Otherwise, it’s likely they may never see your message. To do this, go to their profile. Scroll down to their Activity section and observe how recently they have been active on LinkedIn.

Career-Changer Template

4) To connect with someone who works at a company you want to work for

If you are targeting specific companies in your job search, learn more from someone who already works there.

Target-company Template

5) To connect with a Team Lead/Supervisor

Team leads and supervisors within your field have insights about working in your role. Consider doing informational interviews with them.

Lead/Supervisor Template

6) To connect with a Recruiter

Recruiters are very busy, yet they are always looking to expand their network. Let them know who you are and that you are looking.

Recruiter Template

7) To connect with a Hiring Manager

Hiring managers are great resources for understanding the selection process. Understanding their needs and what makes candidates stand out to them is invaluable in your job search.

I suggest connecting with hiring managers even before your job search. They don’t have to be hiring right now. You want to understand more about their perspective.

Hiring Manager Template