by Pete Scherer

In our last two articles of this series, we explored the importance of asking tough questions when looking for colleges. Dr. Robby Hedrick offered his professional insight into what to consider when looking for a good college. Next, Selinda Cortez shared some of her own experiences as a recent college student.

However, you don’t have to wait for a campus tour to ask questions. Today we will show you how to conduct research with LinkedIn.   

What comes to mind when you think of LinkedIn? For some, the platform is a place for job hunters to upload their resumes and explore the various postings. Others might think of LinkedIn as a professional ‘Facebook’, a place for professionals to discuss business matters.  

LinkedIn can be a tool for research as well. In this article I will explore the process by which you can get a jump on college research. 

Who should I look for on LinkedIn?

When you are building a network on LinkedIn it is helpful to have a goal in mind. Whether you are starting a career or considering higher education you will want to surround yourselves with those who will bring success.

A good starting move is recruiters. It is possible you have met a few at various resource or job fairs. When you meet these kinds of folks, it’s important to follow up on LinkedIn. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 24 hours. This is early enough to ensure the recruiter remembers your face without putting undue pressure on them.

Don’t limit yourself to just recruiters though. Consider reaching out to alumni and professors at your schools of choice. Both can offer excellent insight into the opportunities and challenges that might await you at these universities. 

How do I reach out?  

You may be wondering how to reach out to these potential contacts on LinkedIn. There is an art to networking on LinkedIn, and a critical element is the “connection message”. 

When you connect with others on LinkedIn, you should see an option to add a connection message. Sometimes the option might be hidden, particularly when visiting the mobile version of the website. In this case the trick is to look for the three dot icon and select “personalize invite”.

Why bother with a personal invitation on LinkedIn? First, the effort offers a touch of humanity to your connection attempt, separating it from the mass-produced messages sent by marketing departments. That extra touch of human warmth can make quite a difference in an endless sea of LinkedIn spam.

More importantly, a customized connection message is an opportunity to establish context. There are three elements to consider here:

First, establish the context of your relationship. Did you meet this individual at a recent job fair? Were they recommended by a friend or family member? Or were you impressed by one of their recent articles posted on LinkedIn or elsewhere?

Once you’ve established context, the next step is to make your intent known. This is an opportunity to ask your questions about the college you are considering. For now, keep things short. You have only so many characters to write your message and you will want to make them count. Nor do you want to overwhelm the recipient, either.  

Finally close your message with a call to action. This is a short invitation to follow up the conversation later at a time of their convenience. You can do this online via LinkedIn or Zoom. If they are local, you can also offer to meet at a coffeehouse.  

Here is some parting advice. First, do not be afraid to reach out to these potential contacts on LinkedIn. As long as etiquette is observed, and context is offered the worst you can hear is “no”. Second, avoid the temptation of using AI to compose your connection messages. While reaching out to strangers might seem intimidating, especially for introverted souls, at the end of the day you know your needs better than a random machine.  

If you would like more insight into writing connection notes, consider the following video hosted by Coffee Bunker.