When you first got on LinkedIn, you probably noticed how much LinkedIn looked like Facebook. Given your first reaction, you begin to treat LinkedIn like Facebook. I bet the first thing you wanted to do was connect with everyone under the sun. It sounds like the beginning of the story for most of us. LinkedIn is not a place where you want to have as many connections as possible. That sounds like Facebook. LinkedIn is where you focus on the connections that only can help benefit you. You want to be able to connect with people who are in the same field as you, or someone who lives in your desired area that can help connect you, or your former employers and employees. These connections can help direct you in the right direction to reach all of your career goals. You’re probably wondering, how do I find people that I have never met. Let me help guide you through this process:

Start with the people you have met that work in your field or have the same career goals. If you are in the beginning stages of your career, start with connecting with your favorite college professors. Here is why I say favorite. Your favorite professors will remember you. If you’ve built a wonderful connection with them, if something ever comes up that could help you, they will more than likely send you the information you need. All professors want was is best for their students, even those who have graduated and moved on! 

Another way to find the right pool of people for you is to discover groups. During your search, be specific about what group you join. Find a group that has all of the characteristics that we previously talked about. This will help you meet new people, find more and exciting jobs, and learn more about your field and others’ experiences while a part of the group. Once you’ve made those connections, begin conversing with those to learn more about them and their profession.

One of the last things you can do to connect with people on LinkedIn is to go through the job search tab. You can insert what you are looking for, you can add the area in which you want to find a job, and choose from many jobs within your field. LinkedIn is updated every day with thousands of users joining. In the professional world, LinkedIn is like your Facebook but, keep it classy.