Virtual Networking Success Stories

How LinkedIn got me my First Tech Role (A simple 6-step approach you can replicate) About 2 years ago, I was determined to break into tech as a Product Marketer, but I had zero experience and no direct connections. So I did something that felt uncomfortable but necessary – I reached out to hundreds of product marketers on LinkedIn until someone finally responded. That one response (in the picture) changed everything. Here’s what I did: 1️⃣ Identified and understood my target role: I researched product marketing positions extensively to understand what skills and experience were valued. I didn't want to sound stupid or lazy when I had a conversation with someone in the field. 2️⃣ Found common ground with prospects: I searched for product marketers who shared something in common with me (same university, nationality, similar background) to create a natural connection point for outreach. The person who helped me happened to attend my university and I had no idea, but this formed the basis for our relationship. 3️⃣ Sent personalized connection requests: Each invite acknowledged our shared connection and expressed genuine interest in learning from their experience. I never asked for an internship upfront – that's a major red flag 🔺 . (Check out the comment section for the message I used👇 ) 4️⃣ Focused on learning about them first: We had a virtual call in which I asked about their career journey, daily responsibilities, and insights about their current company. I made the conversation about them, not me. 5️⃣ Shared my story authentically: After learning about them, I opened up about my interests, current situation, and career goals, then asked for specific advice based on their experience (again not an internship!). Positioning the person as a potential mentor or coach during the first interaction compels them to actually take up the role unconsciously. 6️⃣ Built a genuine relationship: Through consistent, value-driven interactions (adding value can be as simple as sharing a podcast that might interest them), I formed a real connection rather than just treating them as a networking opportunity. Eventually we became friends in real life (and still are) and began praying together - part of my value addition. The magic happened during step 4️⃣. During our virtual coffee chat, we connected so well that she directly referred me to her managers (in a startup) to replace her as their product marketing intern (as she was leaving to a Fortune 500 company). No formal application – just the power of authentic relationship building. What do you think about networking on LinkedIn for jobs? ----- Hi, I’m Ore 👋 | I share personal branding, career, and life tips for early-career professionals. Follow me for more posts like these. #earlycareer #earlytechcareer #personalbranding #linkedin #networking

Most advisors think virtual networking is second-best. They're wrong. An advisor I coach was scanning the attendee list for a virtual wealth summit. He saw something that stopped him cold. A daughter's name. Not just any daughter. The 28-year-old daughter of a $50mm prospect he'd been courting for months. He sent a LinkedIn message. Started a conversation about impact investing. Three weeks later, she introduced him to her father. At an in-person event? She wouldn't even be there. I've coached advisors in the HNW space for 25 years. Virtual networking isn't inferior. It's access to relationships you can't reach any other way. But most advisors blow it. Two ways: They skip virtual events entirely. Or they attend with cameras off, multitasking, half-listening. Both leave massive opportunities on the table. The advisors who dominate virtual networking do something different. They treat every event like intelligence gathering. They capture insights. Market trends. Regulatory updates. Investment themes. Then they share those insights with clients and prospects who didn't attend. Not a generic summary. Specific takeaways that matter to each relationship. "John, you asked about ESG trends. Here's what the CIO at Goldman said yesterday..." This positions them as the advisor who's always learning. Always connected. Always adding value. Virtual networking isn't about replacing face-to-face. It's about accessing conversations that matter. So I'm curious: What virtual events are you attending this quarter? Follow Matthew Curran for topics that resonate with wealth management executives

One of my clients, an international student, landed 6 job offers from Bloomberg, Amazon, New York Life, Morgan Stanley, and two roles at American Express before graduation. The total compensation across those offers was over $1 Million.  Most roles offered a visa sponsorship. This wasn’t a result of luck or mass applying. And it definitely wasn’t asking for referrals from strangers. Here’s how she made it happen with every possible challenge stacked against her. 1. She didn’t do need based networking: She started networking six months before her job search began.  She had meaningful conversations putting spot light on others and their journey  instead of asking “ can you refer me?” Instead, she asked questions like: “What would you do differently if you were in my shoes?” “What surprised you when you started this job?” “What helped you stand out in the hiring process?” She worked on their advice and circled back with updates.  And Referrals followed naturally with advocacy. 2. We translated her overseas experience She didn’t dump a list of everything she’d ever done. We focused on highlighting transferable skills and directly mapping them to her target role in the U.S. We doubled down on highlighting measurable results from:  Internship  Class projects  On-campus leadership  Foreign experience 3. She accepted an internship that wasn’t a perfect fit but a strategic move. It gave her: U.S. corporate experience Real relationships Interview stories That internship led to industry introductions that paid off months later. 4. Her LinkedIn made recruiters stop scrolling. We optimized her LinkedIn to show her as a thought leader focusing on: Clear metrics Visible wins (team results, press mentions, product launches) Real recommendations Targeted keywords She started getting inbound messages from recruiters and one of those messages led her to her dream role at Amazon. The biggest highlight of her job search journey was an offer without even going through a formal hiring process. One Wednesday, she reached out to the hiring manager for a role he was hiring for. (She had already applied online, and the hiring manager had posted about this role on his LinkedIn.) Thursday, an internal advocate vouched for her. Friday, the hiring manager requested a quick intro call. That intro call became the interview. By Monday, the recruiter reached out with a verbal offer. Yes, the job market is competitive, and this story feels like too good to be true!  Yes, being an international student makes it harder. But she has done it, and so can you! Clarity + credibility + consistency still compound. If you’re trying to figure out how to turn your background into momentum, feel free to reach out.

When I met Michael through networking, he had recently been laid off, and was looking for his next role. He’s part of senior executive leadership and knew early on that application submissions on LinkedIn weren't going to take him far. There are too few quality jobs at his level. So he decided to lean hard into networking. When we talked, he admitted, “I’m an introvert. This is not my natural space.” But he was eager to work, so he adopted a whatever-it-takes attitude. He proactively reconnected with previous colleagues, clients, vendors, and consultants. For each, he told them what he was looking for and asked for recommendations of others he could contact. He attempted to turn every networking meeting into another or, even better, multiple. He wanted to scale his network and distribute his message far and wide. His goal was to meet with as many people he could who were in and around his target role. He eventually connected with a super-connector who had two things Michael needed: 📃 A long list of quality contacts 🤝 A spirit of generosity to help him out That one meeting led to some excellent leads and eventually promising conversations. He even found some consulting assignments from it. In the end, Michael’s networking efforts yielded success. He found an opportunity that was the right match for him. When reflecting on his networking, he recognized that the initial discomfort with it was temporary and he eventually found upward momentum. He concluded, “With all that I got from it, networking didn’t seem so hard after all.” If you’re an introvert struggling with the idea of networking, take some inspiration from Michael’s story. You can do this too! If you are an introverted job seeker, how are you approaching networking ⤵️ To learn how to turn one networking meeting into two or three more, check out my free networking guide. Link is in the comments.