Your LinkedIn network is a professional directory made up of people you know and trust professionally. Building your network helps you stay in touch with alumni, colleagues, and recruiters, discover career opportunities, and engage with professionals in your industry.
As your network grows, you may see more relevant updates in your feed, identify professionals with shared interests, and learn about new roles, events, or industry trends.
Note: To ensure an optimal site experience, LinkedIn members can have a maximum of 30,000 1st-degree connections.
Ways to build your professional network
LinkedIn provides several opportunities to connect with people, depending on how you want to interact and build professional relationships.
Connect
Sending a connection invitation creates a 1st-degree connection. Once connected, members can message each other directly and see more information on each other’s profiles.
You may be asked to add a note to your invitation when sending an invitation.
When this is helpful
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You’ve worked together before or share a professional context.
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You want to start a direct conversation or collaborate.
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You’re following up after a meeting or event.
Example
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You send a connection invitation to a former teammate to stay in touch professionally.
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You connect with a recruiter you spoke with at a hiring event to continue the conversation.
InMail messages
InMail message is a Premium feature that lets you send a message to a LinkedIn member you’re not connected to. This can help you introduce yourself professionally before sending a connection request.
If you have a Basic (free) account, you can only message members you’re already connected to.
When this is helpful
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You want to explain your context before connecting.
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You’re reaching out to someone outside your existing network.
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You want to introduce yourself clearly before requesting a connection.
Example
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You send an InMail message to a hiring manager about an open role before sending a connection invitation.
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You introduce yourself to a potential collaborator before deciding whether to connect.
Follow
Following a member lets you see their posts, articles, and activity in your feed without sending a connection request. Following doesn’t create a 1st‑degree connection or enable direct messaging.
When this is helpful
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You want to learn from someone’s posts before reaching out.
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You’re interested in industry insights without starting a direct relationship.
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You want to stay updated on professional content at your own pace.
Example
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You follow an industry expert to learn about emerging trends.
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You follow a company leader to stay updated on announcements and job opportunities.
Engaging with member content
You can interact with posts by reacting, commenting, or sharing them with your network. This helps you stay engaged in professional conversations and build visibility with other members.
Example
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Comment on a post about a recent industry trend.
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React to a colleague’s work anniversary update.
Joining LinkedIn Groups
Groups allow members with shared professional interests to participate in discussions, ask questions, and share knowledge with others.
Why this helps
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Groups make it easier to meet professionals with similar goals.
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Learn from others in your field.
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Build connections around common interests without sending connection requests right away.
Example
You might join a group related to digital marketing to exchange ideas with other professionals or participate in conversations about new tools used in your industry.
Attending LinkedIn Events
Events provide opportunities to interact with other attendees before, during, or after the session.
Why this helps
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Engaging with content helps you take part in professional conversations.
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Show interest in topics you care about.
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Become more visible to other members, often making future connections feel more natural and relevant.
Example
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Comment on a post about a recent industry trend to share your perspective.
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React to a colleague’s work anniversary update to stay connected.
Importing contacts
You can build your network by importing contacts from your mobile device. This helps LinkedIn suggest relevant connections and show updates from people you may know.
Why this helps
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Makes it easier to reconnect with people you already trust.
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Helps grow your network using existing professional relationships.
Example
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You can import contacts to find former colleagues who are already on LinkedIn.
Alumni tab
The Alumni tab helps you find former classmates or alumni from specific schools or graduation years.
Why this helps
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Alumni often share context that makes reaching out easier.
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Helps you identify people with shared educational backgrounds.
Example
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You explore alumni from your university who work in a field you’re interested in.
Search
Search lets you explore professionals by name, role, company, location, or industry.
Why this helps
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Helps you find people relevant to your career goals.
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Supports targeted networking instead of generic requests.
Example
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You search for marketing managers to learn more about career paths in that role.
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You search for professionals at a company you’re interested in working for.
Related tasks
Learn more