3 tips for connecting with development professionals on LinkedIn

Having a standout LinkedIn profile is only the first step if you want to advance your global development career using the platform. Without the ability to engage meaningfully with other users, you won’t be able to take full advantage of all the career development opportunities LinkedIn offers. Before you start, you should know exactly what you want to get out of your efforts. During a recent Devex digital career event, development career coach and consultant Simone Anzböck suggested asking yourself: “What's your objective that you think LinkedIn is the answer for?” This matters because someone looking to be a thought leader in their industry will take a different approach than someone looking for a new job, she said. Throughout the event, Anzböck offered guidance on how to develop meaningful and fruitful relationships with other development professionals on the platform. Here are a few key tips that emerged from the discussion. Set up your shop window Before engaging with other users and content on the platform, make sure your LinkedIn profile is communicating what you want it to. “Your profile is your shop window. So that means, who do you want to attract to your shop?” Anzböck said. Of particular importance is your profile’s headline. “That's the first thing that people see. So, what does it say about you? Is that relevant to what you want to do?” she asked. Other ways to optimize your profile include having an updated and professional photo, about, and experience sections that clearly state your value and are relevant to your goals, and taking advantage of LinkedIn’s call-to-action features such as custom buttons. Consider the action that “you want people to take when they come to your profile,” Anzböck said. Who is your ideal connection? To help you identify LinkedIn users who might be beneficial to connect with, Anzböck suggested creating a “connection avatar” that embodies someone you might describe as an ideal professional contact. You can think of specific people who may already fit this mold or list the characteristics this hypothetical contact would possess. Anzböck said it could be helpful to think about “who is close to what you want to do, who can introduce me to what I want to do, [and] who can connect me — if you're a freelance consultant, for example — to the client I want to work with,” she said. Engage first, then connect Once you know who you want to connect with, it’s often not as simple as sending them a connection request. Anzböck suggested that you engage with these users’ content on the platform before asking to be formally connected. LinkedIn users want and appreciate thoughtful responses to their posts and are more likely to respond positively to a connection request from a user they recognize. When adding comments to another post, try to go beyond phrases like “ ‘I love this. I needed to hear this today.’ Or other platitudes,” Anzböck said. “Add to the discourse. What's your opinion on it? What's your reflection on what has been shared? Do you have a question that hasn't been answered?” Adding insightful comments on posts could have an added benefit, as the “LinkedIn algorithm wants discourse and discussions. And if your comment is really good, other people will like it [and give] you more visibility. So there is a whole host of benefits for you doing mindful commenting,” she said. Ready to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the recruiters who matter most? Update your Devex profile and start connecting with top global development recruiters now.