There’s a running joke in the comment sections of both TikTok and Reddit, where Gen Z users are being labeled “LinkedIn warriors” for their pursuits of professional development. This has caused LinkedIn to address follower farming on its platform, which is when people mass-add connections.
While the number of followers you have on a platform may feel like something to brag about, the real value of having 500+ connections with no emphasis on relationships is less impactful than organic growth. Instead, people should focus on fostering conversations and expanding networks more genuinely through cold emails, leveraging their alumni and seeking mentorship.
“I don’t think anybody succeeds completely on their own,” journalism professor Robert Quigley said. “All of my success, or a lot of my success, can be attributed to people who have helped me out.”
The people who can propel your career forward can also be mentors who help you to develop professionally. The direct impact that comes from quality mentorship and guidance serves tailored results because it means creating a genuine relationship with someone with prior experience.
“There’s not a huge barrier to get somebody to be your mentor,” Quigley said. “It’s just a willingness to reach out.”
Taking the initiative to take the first steps forward can happen in many different ways, whether it’s showing up to office hours, sending out that email or asking an upperclassman for help.
Taishi Shiao, a business freshman and the external director for the Asian Business Students Association, holds a role requiring him to network and reach out to different companies. This past month, he secured the first ‘Austin Trek,’ where students met with PWC and Google.
“It’s a lot harder than it seems; it was a lot of consistency in the peak times I was doing my position,” Shiao said. “You’d be sending maybe 30 emails a week, consistently. There’s a lot of company research to tailor toward that email.”
Learning how to approach people is a skill that many should develop, and figuring out the best way to ensure a smoother experience comes a lot easier when someone before you is guiding and orienting a path forward.
“My (vice president) in ABSA taught me all of this,” Shiao said. “How to talk in Zoom calls, … reading through my templates, learning how to put the signature on Gmail. I didn’t know how to do that.”
External support allows a different point of view and a broader range of industry knowledge and information. Leveraging your resources, professors or other faculty members at UT can open up professional development opportunities, increasing involvement and personal visibility. According to the World Economic Forum, your chances of getting an offer are up to 6.6% more likely when referred by a previous employer — in contrast to not.
“When you are getting ready to go do an internship or ready to apply for a job, the more people you have that you can turn to for advice helps,” Quigley said.
When looking at the difference between amassed numbers on LinkedIn and practical networking, the external validation that comes from a number on a screen fails to quantify the true value of real-world connections and networking skills. People should take the initiative to create a robust network and engage in personal connections and relationships rather than solely focus on their follower count.
Apuda is a journalism freshman from The Woodlands, Texas.
