“I want to be a superhero, I want to be Spider-Man or Batman. Will you let me know if you have any connections? Let’s make it happen.” -Stephan James
LinkedIn is not the problem.
LinkedIn is not the problem; you are.
Now, before you un-connect with me, hear me out.
So many of us are quick to say we hate LinkedIn. We hate how transactional it is, and how the way professional experience translates into a headline often feels like a sort of strange witchcraft.
We hate that you can say one thing and be living another, and that it always somehow feels like the person you know IRL is not the one you see online.
It feels fake, and we all know it.
There are lies, to be sure, and there is a lot of window-dressing. I’m not here to excuse that at all.
But beneath all that, there is something else…
Today, I want to talk to you about the opportunity of LinkedIn, and by the time you have finished reading this post, you will wonder why you never took advantage of it.
Furthermore, you will realize that 99% of us are using LinkedIn all wrong, and that with a few small changes, it can be transformed into your secret weapon for success.
#1: LinkedIn arithmetic. 100 real connections > 500 random connections.
Ah, the “500+ connections”.
At the beginning of my freshman year of college, this was the Holy Grail of humblebrags.
What surprised me, though, was that while everyone obsessed about the number, no one seemed too fussed about the quality.
So in the end, what happened was that most of those “500+” connections were superficial and ultimately useless.
They were not people rooting for you to succeed. They were not mentors or people you admired. In fact, lots of times, they were not even people whose profiles you had looked at.
It was a status symbol more than a tool, and I quickly learned that seeing LinkedIn like this was a mistake.
Since I downloaded LinkedIn less than I year ago, I eventually got to 500+ connections, but here are a few examples of bigger wins I achieved using the app:
- 9+ months of participating in a UC Berkeley lab focused on applications of carbon nanotubes
- 2 data analysis projects with a women’s health non-profit
- Free mentoring sessions with senior women in the fields I’m passionate about
- Doubling web traffic to my blog
How did I achieve these wins?
Firstly, by changing my mindset from quantity to quality.
I sought to talk to people, to connect, and most of all, to learn.
#2: Don’t ask for jobs. Ask for conversations.
I am under no illusions; in almost every skill I could have honed, I am an amateur.
I’m only a sophomore in college.
I’ve only been alive on this planet for 20 years.
Despite all that, I am armed with strong curiosity and genuine interest.
So what do I do?
I give curiosity and interest.
When you reach out on LinkedIn as someone hoping to advance and grow, people will line up to help you.
When you reach out coldly, asking for a favor without having given one first, people will dismiss you with no guilt.
#3: Give value to get value.
Successful people get dizzying amounts of solicitations on LinkedIn. They are used to other people wanting something from them.
So don’t try to take. Instead, try to give.
Consider inquiring about what sorts of problems they face and whether they would let you help out.
Maybe you have familiarity with a certain technical skill, like programming, Excel, or AutoCAD. Perhaps you know someone who could help them.
Offer value to get value.
Open LinkedIn & Leverage These Hacks Now.
Set a timer for five minutes.
Ready?
Okay, first, scroll through all your connections, and pick 3 people who have recently been working on projects that you genuinely find cool.
I’m talking projects you could fangirl about, maybe even projects you would dream about being a part of one day.
Have you chosen your people?
Now it’s time to reach out.
Tell them you are inspired by or interested in their work (be specific!), and then ask if they would be open to a 15-minute informal chat to discuss it more.
Don’t ask about internships. Don’t ask about job openings.
Just a chat.
This isn’t about getting something for yourself. More so, it’s about connecting with people who truly inspire you.
By connecting them, you will get insights into what they did to succeed and how you can get there too. Maybe it’s a reference to someone else in the field, or some reading material to explore.
Sometimes, you will even find that they need exactly the type of help you can provide, and an opportunity does emerge from the discussion.
If it doesn’t, though, you have at least become a high-quality contact to reach out to in the future.
What’s to say in a month that 20-minute chat hasn’t turned into a 10-week internship, a groundbreaking realization, or even a life-changing career pivot?
The only way you’ll know for sure is if you give it a shot and finally stop hating LinkedIn.
Thought To Action
- Ask “What If” Every Day: Start or end your day by writing one bold “What if…” question. What if your shoes were edible? What if your routines were designed for joy? These questions open space for unexpected insight.
- Do a 5-Minute Redesign Challenge: Pick an object you use daily (a water bottle, backpack, phone case) and sketch or describe how you’d redesign it to be more circular, comfortable, or creative.
- Make Space for Creative Input: Commit to one hour a week where you absorb inspiration—watch a documentary, visit a museum, or read outside your field. Creativity is fueled by unexpected collisions.
- Redesign Something That’s Annoying You: Find one product, system, or space in your life that bugs you—and reimagine it. You don’t have to fix it in reality, just give yourself permission to sketch possibilities.
- Start Your Future Job Library: Curate a mini reading list around your dream career or project. Not sure where to start? This post will show you how to learn from curiosity, not credentials.
Sources
No external resources were used for this post.
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