Networking with purpose

Networking is a core part of professional life, but the particular way you go about it will be informed by what you personally want to get out of it. The right connections can help you grow in your current role or discover a new one. The right conversations can introduce you to new ways of using tools like AI in your day-to-day, or even reframe how we approach workplace norms such as hiring. New connections are sparking every day on LinkedIn, find out how to make them work for you with information on:

• Enhancing your LinkedIn profile
• Skills-based hiring for World Refugee Day
• Finding queer-inclusive community 
• AI-powered features on LinkedIn
• Storing knowledge in your Saved Posts

Grow your network on LinkedIn

Today’s connections can lead to tomorrow’s opportunities! On LinkedIn, you can find and engage with a diverse network of professionals who could help you land your next opportunity, become part of a community, or gain fresh career insights. 

Whether you want to build stronger relationships within your existing community or connect with new perspectives, we’ve made it easy to form meaningful connections. Here are a few ways you can expand your network today:

• Showcase your skills and experiences to help others get to know you: This is especially valuable when job searching—your profile is up to 5.6 times more likely to get viewed by recruiters if you have five or more skills, and you are up to three times more likely to receive connection requests if you have more than one position listed on your LinkedIn profile.
• Strategically connect, follow, and message: Connect with people you know, trust, and want to see updates from. Follow people who you don’t know personally, but want to stay up to date with. Thoughtfully engaging with their content can build a professional relationship over time, while existing connections can help make introductions via a group message.
• Gain insights from your community: The LinkedIn feed is a centralized place for meaningful content and conversations that can lead to new opportunities and insights. Explore the feed to find articles and posts about topics tailored to your interests and experiences.

Engaging your network and contributing to the conversations in your feed will cultivate meaningful professional relationships that can help you grow your confidence and unlock opportunities. For more in-depth advice, check out our article Grow your career with the help of your professional network. 

Recognizing World Refugee Day

Refugees are a valued part of our community, but are often overlooked for job opportunities because they lack traditional credentials. To mark #WorldRefugeeDay (June 20), LinkedIn is highlighting the way that a skills-based hiring approach can connect refugees and other nontraditional candidates with open roles, resulting in stronger retention, business longevity, and greater innovation for employers. 

Eighty-percent of hiring managers believe refugees have the right skills and experience; the next step is to restructure hiring processes to focus on skills rather than degrees. Now through October 4, LinkedIn members can access two free learning paths exploring this topic:

• For leadership and hiring teams: Getting started with skills-based hiring, covering the what, the why, and the how. 
• For jobseekers: Landing a job as a skills-first candidate by identifying your skills and aligning your resume, cover letter, and interview responses to the key skills for your desired role.

Learn more about skills-based hiring with tips and real-life stories from three employers: Cisco, NHS UK, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. 

Finding queer acceptance and joy at work

For LGBTQ+ professionals especially, the people you surround yourself with at work play a central role in how accepted you feel. A LinkedIn survey finds that while 66% of LGBTQ+ professionals say they have an ally at work, 75% have also code-switched in the workplace—an example of the obstacles that may not be visible, yet still exist.

This Pride Month, LinkedIn teamed up with Impact Media to release the 2024 ‘Out @ Work’ Guide to Navigating the Invisible Roadblocks of PRIDE, with actionable tips on using LinkedIn and other tools to get ahead. Here, you’ll find advice for: 

• Building a queer-inclusive community, both on LinkedIn and in your personal life
• Viewing queerness as a skill for upward mobility
• Knowing how to determine if a company’s values are grounded in inclusivity
• Recognizing that true allyship is not performative

When it comes to creating an inclusive and supportive network, LinkedIn Career Expert Andrew McCaskill says, “Embrace diversity in all forms within your professional network. A diverse network fosters growth, knowledge, and career advancement. Connecting with individuals from various races, backgrounds, locations, and interests not only broadens your mindset and perspective but also grants you access to their cultures and networks, too.” Read more in his The Black Guy in Marketing newsletter.

Get future ready with AI on LinkedIn

Conversations around AI on LinkedIn are ticking up, having increased globally by 70% between December 2022 and September 2023. So, as you build your community and presence here, it will do you well to prepare to discuss AI and how you’re using it. 

New LinkedIn Premium AI features help you know how to stand out on your job search, navigate your career, and stay ahead of change at work. Watch this video for inspiration on how these tools can give you the edge in your career. 

Better access to your “Saved Posts” 

Saving content on LinkedIn lets you revisit things that you found valuable, reconnecting with insightful members and thought-provoking dialogues. The latest update to this feature has made it easier to get back to your saved items:

On desktop, the previously named “My Items” has been changed to "Saved items" for better clarity.

On mobile, we’ve added an entry point directly to your Saved posts in the left panel.

How has your professional network helped you grow? Let us know in the comments or by using #GetNetworkIn. 👥 Find more ways to get ahead by subscribing to In the Loop.