How to reach out to a stranger on LinkedIn

We are often told of the value of networking. The same norms for face-to-face networking can be applied online. LinkedIn is a great tool to connect with people you do not know that work for organizations you aspire to join.

When I first started targeting the private sector before leaving the federal government, I set up a LinkedIn profile. I started researching organizations and finding people with similar backgrounds and skill sets. After researching the role, the organization, and the individual, I would send them a message to introduce myself. Most of the time, those messages were ignored while occasionally the person on the other end would reach out, set up time to speak over the phone, and a connection was born. The outcome of those discussions has never been a job on the other end. Instead those connections are still in my network and I can occasionally reach out to them for mentoring. However, organizations need to fill jobs and in this tight labor market, reaching out to strangers via LinkedIn may land you a gig.

Here's what I would do before reaching out to someone on LinkedIn:

1. Update your profile. LinkedIn is not an extension of your other social media accounts. Take your time to craft a clear and concise LinkedIn profile. You don't need to list every job or internship you've ever had. No one will care that you were a cashier at Taco Bell in high school. Use your profile to showcase the top skills and experiences you've acquired. If you are in school and have minimal work experience, populate the education fields with information on the courses you've taken and projects. Mr. Career Guide's LinkedIn profile (You Won't Find It!) contains short paragraph summaries of the duties and outcomes I've done. It's a fairly basic profile and I don't have 500+ connections but I'd like to think it gets the point across. Remember, showcase outcomes in the roles you've held.
   

2. Professional Picture. Take a few hours out of a weekend day and go to the mall, dress up nice, and get a professional photo taken. Use a picture that you are confident about that makes you look professional. Save the tail gate picture for the fridge.
   

3. Target the right person and organization. Do your research. Don't send a message to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. They won't answer. Well if they do, that would be cool. You can try that route if you are fearless, I'm not stopping you! Find a mid-level professional who has been there for more than five years. Perhaps there is someone who attended your university or grew up in your hometown. Maybe, they do the type of work you envision. Nearly every organization has a LinkedIn page, you can conduct research on the people and the mission of the company. Use LinkedIn as a tool for diving deep into the organization.
   

4. Craft a personalized message. There's nothing worse than receiving a generic message that has been sent to the masses. I hate when I get an email that looks promising only to know that thousands of others have received the same message. When reaching out to a stranger via LinkedIn, personalize the message based on the research you've conducted in step 3. Start out by saying something like: "Hi Katie, I noticed that you work for Ernest & Young and attended the University of Wisconsin. I currently attend the University of Wisconsin and......" Show the recipient that you've done your research and are personable.

5. Don't sound desperate. If you are reaching out to someone you've never met on LinkedIn, chances are they know why. Professional that have been working long enough receive their fair share of stranger messages. You don't need to tell them you are looking for a job or want a way in. They already know why you are reaching out to them. If you indicate that you want a job and hope they can help, chances are they will ignore the request. Instead, use your personalized message to show interest in the organization and the individual.
   

6. Boost their ego. Most people like to talk about themselves. The older you get, the less opportunities you get to show off. In your personalized message, indicate that you hope to be where the stranger is one day. Show an interest in what they've done in their career and how you can learn from them. People can spot a phony so be sure to be as subtle as possible when boosting their ego. Say things like, "I would benefit from learning about your career path," or "I'm hoping to break into the technology sector one day and could benefit from hearing your successful perspective."
   

7. Be Flexible. In the personalized message, indicate that you can meet whenever it is best for them. Even if you have an appointment or a class, it doesn't matter, it's all about the strangers time. They have work to do and if they choose to connect with you, they will be taking time out of their day. Specify that you can meet over the phone for 15 minutes or longer. The key is to start the connection and you'll want to be as open as possible. If you are in college, you've got all the time in the world. The library, gym, sports bar, a date can wait. Finding a job is your #1 priority, be flexible with your time for those that will help.
   

8. Identify what you can offer them. This is a bit more difficult than other components of the personalized message. There's not much you can offer the stranger since you have little to no leverage. After all, you may have zero to minimal work experience. That's okay. If you can find something to offer them, add it to the message. I'm not talking about a gift card or free T-shirt. I'm talking about the opportunity to repay them in the future for their time. You can say something like, "I would really appreciate an opportunity to connect and share perspective on how I can add value to the organization in the future."
   

9. Keep the message short. Time is money. Keep the message short and sweet. Make it personable, boost their ego, don't sound desperate, identify something you can do for them, and be flexible with your time. LinkedIn also restricts your word count to connections outside of your network to only 300 characters. Regardless, you'll be required to keep the message short.
   

10. Follow up and say "thank you." Sometimes the difference between getting a job and getting passed over are two words: "thank you." If someone takes the time out of their day to speak with you, send them a message thanking them for their time. Even if you spoke with them over the phone and said thank you, a personalized thank you message goes a long way. I remember I was once in the running for an internship in the Pentagon. I was competing against two others who had similar backgrounds. My supervisor indicated that I landed the internship because I was the only one who sent a "thank you" note. The message went a long way. Sadly, people are becoming terrible at showing gratitude. No one owes you anything so if someone takes time out of their day, follow up with a "thank you" note.

Reaching out to a stranger via LinkedIn can be scary. At the end of the day you have nothing to lose. Don't make a fool out of yourself by coming off as entitled and not showing gratitude. There's nothing worse than receiving a message from someone who expects a favor. You may not have much to offer. Like I said, that's okay. As long as you recognize that and are personable in your approach, you will make an impression.