Using LinkedIn for Your Internship or Job Search

LinkedIn is a networking tool—so don’t be afraid to use it as such. You can connect with people you don’t know and build a relationship. Reach out to people who may be able to assist you in your search. Even if they can’t assist you, they may know someone who can!

• Start a conversation with someone in one of your groups. What do you both have in common? Perhaps they previously worked somewhere you would like to train (check their profile!) and can put you in touch with the right person there.
• Ask questions! People love to talk about themselves. It can be anything from how they got involved in the field or a question about a specific aspect of their profile, such as a previous job or particular project. Find the “links” between you and the other person to generate a discussion.
• Use your access to a wider pool of connections. It’s important to keep in mind that once you connect with someone, you are getting access to more and more potential connections, so take advantage! When you click on the profile of someone to whom you are not connected, you can see if you have any connections in common as well as the degrees of separation between that person and your connections.

Don’t be offended if someone doesn’t accept your invitation to connect, doesn’t respond to a message, or doesn’t ask a question about you in return. People use LinkedIn differently – some check it everyday and others use it sporadically. If you don’t hear back from someone, just let it go and work with the connections you do have.

LinkedIn should be mutually beneficial. If someone helps you or puts you in touch with someone, thank him or her! Likewise, if they ask a favor of you or even send you a message, respond to them promptly or return the favor if you can. Even if they can’t help you at this time, you should still be responsive and courteous to all of your connections because their status could change.