Steps to Personalizing Your LinkedIn Inviation to Connect

This morning I received a few generic LinkedIn invitations to connect from people I don't know. That's fine and it seems to happen more frequently than not. Still, it would be nice to know how and why you'd like to connect.

Why not personalize your invitation? There are four easy steps to personalizing your LinkedIn Invitations to Connect:

1. Go to the top of your LinkedIn page. Right next to the Notifications flag there is a silhouette, or Grow my Network icon. Click it.
2. Click, People You May Know.
3. Scroll through the names and faces of the suggested contacts and click the picture of the person with whom you'd like to connect. It will take you to their LinkedIn page.
4. Click the blue Connect rectangle near their photograph to write a short personalized note. 

You'll also be asked how you and the contact are connected (work, friend, other).
That's it. It's so easy and much more professional. Your brief note explains why you'd like to connect; maybe you share a contact, you're in the same profession, you used to work together, you liked what someone said in an update, etc. 

It's professional, easy and I wouldn't be surprised if the personalized invitations are accepted more often than the generic template kind. You wouldn't rush up to someone at a networking event and shove a business card into their hand would you? Why do it virtually?

Finding a Job That Matches Your Interests

Today I visited the NY Mets website to look for information on retiring Mike Piazza's number (31). While there, I thought I’d take a look at the types of careers that were posted. I scrolled to the bottom of the page and there it was, “Job Opportunities. While there wasn’t a lot of detail there, it referred me to the NY Mets LinkedIn page where there were lots of interesting jobs (including internships).

Think about your interests. Does fresh food preparation appeal to you? Maybe you love to look through the food videos and selections at Blue Apron. Do you turn to Netflix to catch up on the latest episodes of your favorite shows or movies? What about your beloved sports teams? Take a look at their career pages. It sounds like common sense but how many people look for careers with their favorite brands or interests? Not many. Sometimes we forget that the Day-to-day companies that we love are also employers.

Snow Storms

A favorite memory from when I was a little girl was waking up in the middle of the night during a snowstorm. I’d get out of my snug bed and pad over to the window to look at the snow blowing around the street light. It usually meant that there would be no school the next day.

I'll admit to the fact I do the same thing now and get just as excited.