Networking

Networking Tips for Young Professionals: 7 Ways to Start

October 21, 2026 · Anisur Rahman Fagun

Updated: October 21, 2026 · 9 min read

Key takeaways

Feeling unsure about networking early in your career is common. A study of lawyers found junior lawyers were less comfortable with it than senior ones.
People with less power often underestimate what they can give. Thanks, fresh ideas and interest in someone's work all count.
Ask for advice, not a job. Then tell the person what you did with it.
Writing a short message first is a normal way to start, and in one survey nearly 7 in 10 job seekers said they do not need to be in the same room to connect.
Keep a short note after each conversation. Staying in touch is part of networking, not an extra.

Short answer: Young professionals can network by starting with people a step or two ahead of them, asking for advice instead of a job, offering small things, and keeping a short note after each conversation. Write to a few people a week, one at a time, and follow up to say what you did with their advice.

Why does networking feel hard early in your career?

Jordan (an example, not a real person) started a first job three months ago. Every article says "build your network." Jordan thinks: who would want to talk to me? I have no title, no big results and nothing to offer.

This feeling has a documented side. In a 2016 Harvard Business Review article, Francesca Gino, Maryam Kouchaki and Tiziana Casciaro describe a study of 165 lawyers at one North American firm. Lawyers who found networking distasteful and avoided it billed fewer hours than their peers. Senior lawyers were more comfortable networking than junior ones. In an experiment, people who were made to feel powerful found networking less distasteful. The authors also write that people with less power often underestimate what they can give.

This was a study of lawyers, so your field may differ. Still, it suggests that discomfort comes with having less power, not with being bad at it. You can change how you approach it.

What does networking give you?

A 2009 study by Wolff and Moser in the Journal of Applied Psychology collected career data over three consecutive years. It measured networking as building, maintaining and using contacts. Networking was related to current salary, to how fast salary grew, and to career satisfaction. Satisfaction stayed stable over the study, so networking showed no detectable effect on how satisfaction changed.

Read this with care. The study found a relationship, not proof that networking causes a raise. The summary we opened does not describe who was in the sample, so we cannot say how well it fits your field. What it does show is that the researchers counted three parts of networking: building contacts, maintaining them and using them. Most advice covers only the first.

What are 7 networking tips for young professionals?

Tip 1: Start with people one step ahead

Write first to people who are one to three years ahead of you: a teammate in another group, a recent alumnus, someone who held your role last year. They did your job recently, so their advice is current, and the gap between you is small enough to ask a small question.

Tip 2: Go in to learn

The Harvard Business Review authors recommend a focus on learning. In their experiments, people who saw networking as a chance to learn approached it with curiosity, while people who saw it as an obligation felt inauthentic. Pick one thing you want to learn, and ask about it:

What do you wish you had known in your first year in this role?

Tip 3: Write first, then ask for a call

Many early-career people already start online. Handshake, a student job platform, surveyed more than 1,200 alumni and soon-to-be graduates and analyzed more than 2.1 million connections. According to a 2023 summary by the New York State Society of CPAs, nearly 7 in 10 job seekers said they do not need to be in the same room to form a meaningful professional connection, and 87% believed that messaging an employer may lead to a job. These numbers show what people believe, not how many got jobs. Still, a short written message is a normal first step. Offer a 15-minute call, and make it easy to say no:

Hi [Name], I joined [team or program] this year and I am learning about [topic]. Would you have 15 minutes in the next few weeks for two questions? If you are busy, a short reply here is enough. Thank you.

Tip 4: Ask for advice, not a job

A 2016 World Economic Forum article reports that Harvard Business School researchers Francesca Gino and Alison Wood Brooks found that people view those who seek their advice as more competent. The article gives no study details, so take it as a reason to try, not as proof. The article adds that listening to the answer matters, and that very easy questions may be worth keeping to yourself. Look up the easy answers first. Ask the question only they can answer.

Tip 5: Find something small to give

You may think you have nothing to offer. The Harvard Business Review authors list what people with less power can give: gratitude, recognition, fresh insights and enthusiasm for someone's work. After a call, write back with one specific detail:

Thank you for your time. I tried [the thing they suggested], and [what happened]. Your point about [detail] helped me see [what changed].

Tip 6: Join the work, not only the conversation

A 2026 article in Physics Today by Anne Marie Porter and Trevor Owens suggests volunteering and contributing as ways to build lasting relationships: helping at events, serving on committees, joining student chapters, giving talks and applying for mentorship programs. The authors write about physical scientists and engineers, but the idea fits any field. People get to know you when they see how you work. They also write that relationships tend to strengthen through repeated collaboration, so pick one group and stay with it.

Tip 7: Keep notes and follow up

After every conversation, write three lines: what you talked about, what they suggested, and what you will do next. Two weeks later, tell them what you did. Not sure how long to wait before you write again? Read How soon is too soon to follow up?

What does a 20-minute week look like?

10 minutes: Write to two people one step ahead of you. Write each message yourself, with a reason you chose that person.
5 minutes: Send one thank-you or one follow-up that says what you did with advice.
5 minutes: Update your notes: who, what they said, what happens next.

Do this for four weeks before you judge it. If you need a way to set goals around it, see our five-step plan for LinkedIn and professional growth.

What should you avoid?

Asking a stranger for a job in the first message. Ask for advice first.
Sending the same message to many people. Write to one person at a time.
Writing only when you need something. A thank-you with no request is a good message.
Using bots or auto-message tools. Skip any tool that sends messages for you.
Judging yourself by silence. Many people are busy. One short follow-up after two weeks is enough, then move on.

FAQ

How do I network if I am shy or an introvert?

The Harvard Business Review authors write that introverts cannot become extroverts, but they can choose a more positive focus. Start with written messages and one-to-one conversations, which are easier than large events.

How many people should I contact each week?

Two or three is a good start. No study gives the right number, so choose what you can keep doing for a month.

Is LinkedIn or in-person networking better for young professionals?

Both can work. Writing first on LinkedIn is easier to start, and a short call or a shared project builds the relationship. Use the one you will actually keep doing.

What can I offer if I have no experience?

You can offer thanks, a specific compliment about their work, a useful article, or news about what you did with their advice. The Harvard Business Review authors say people with less power often underestimate such gifts.

What if nobody replies?

Silence is common and is usually not about you. Wait two weeks, send one short follow-up, and then move on to the next name on your list.

Do this today

Write down three people who are one to three years ahead of you.
Write one question you want answered about your first years in the field.
Send one message to one of them, in your own words.

Early in your career, a good conversation can fade because there is no place to note it. GrowthSeeded is a LinkedIn relationship tracker: you add the people, write a note after each conversation, and a due-today view shows who needs a follow-up. The next step comes from what happened, such as an accepted connection or a reply. You write every message, and it never sends anything or touches LinkedIn. The Free plan is $0 for 5 active people at a time, enough for the five people one step ahead of you.

Sources

Learn to Love Networking, Harvard Business Review, 2016 (copy hosted by the Association of Corporate Counsel)
Effects of networking on career success: A longitudinal study, Wolff and Moser, Journal of Applied Psychology, 2009
Why asking for advice makes people think you're smarter, World Economic Forum, 2016
Survey: Gen Z builds networks differently than previous generations, New York State Society of CPAs, 2023
How to build long-lasting professional relationships, Physics Today, American Institute of Physics, 2026

About the author

Anisur Rahman Fagun is a marketing and content strategist with more than 9 years of experience in SEO, content, paid advertising and brand growth. He holds a master's degree in mass communication and journalism, and has led content and SEO strategy, built editorial teams and worked with product, design and sales teams. He also builds simple tools that turn marketing data into clear decisions. He writes the GrowthSeeded blog, which shares practical ways to build professional relationships on LinkedIn.