Don’t go searching for people’s cell numbers and call them unsolicited.

Networking is a learned skill. I haven’t always been good at it, but I’ve learned how to approach people online, and the best way to approach other UX designers specifically.

As a junior designer myself, I’ve spent my fair share of time reaching out to people on LinkedIn. I also have some experience of being reached out to. Here are some of the things I’ve learned throughout my time on LinkedIn so far:

State your reason for connecting immediately

It’s not appropriate to message someone, “Hey”, “Hope you’re having a good day” or “How are you?” without any other information on why you’re messaging.

If you have a previous connection with the person, this could be fine, but generally, you want to state the purpose of your connection immediately. If you don’t people won’t reply, assume you’re a Marketing solicitor or remove you as a connection.

Do not search for their phone number and call whenever you feel

Don’t call people who you don’t know unsolicited. You’d think this would be self-explanatory, but it’s happened to me before. I’ve had people find my number online whether through old resumes or websites and call me. They’d say they found me from LinkedIn and wanted to chat. This is a huge NO. Don’t call people who you don’t know unsolicited. People often don’t want to talk to strangers on the phone at random, especially if you’re asking them on the spot to interview, mentor or anything else. It’s invasive, rude and quite unsettling.

It’s a shocking thing to specify, but in case you’ve ever considered doing this: Don’t.

Have a plan

When you write someone, have a plan of action. If you’re messaging a designer you want to have a method of communication, a time, date and purpose. Let them know why you’re reaching out (be specific) what you’d like to learn or get out of the meeting and a few options of dates, times and length of the chat you’d like to have. Realistically, most people don’t want to spend much time going back-and-forth on LinkedIn without a clear objective.

If you’re looking for a one-time chat, let them know. If you’re looking for possibly long-term mentorship have a time frame and what you’d like to discuss. Also, ask about compensation. Not all designers do free meetings. They may meet for free for a chat but charge for portfolio or resume reviews. It’s good to acknowledge that you’ve done your research and are aware of whether they charge or not.

When you’re making this plan, pay attention to this person’s profile and lifestyle. Have they listed anywhere that they’re accepting mentees right now? Do they already have a calendar or portal for booking meetings?

Don’t give or request feedback without premise.

No one on the planet’s sitting around begging for someone to critique their work when they’ve not asked for a critique.

This comes in two subcategories:
Don’t give unsolicited feedback and don’t ask for it.

No one on the planet’s sitting around begging for someone to critique their work when they’ve not asked for a critique. It can leave an immediately bad-taste in people’s mouths. If you notice something that you believe can be helpful information, you can ask if they’d like to go over it or you can leave them alone. To some people the idea of simply not reaching out sounds foreign, but believe it or not, your opinions aren’t as valuable to everyone else as they are to you.

Requesting feedback is a great thing as a designer. But you want to make sure you’re approaching it correctly.

In a similar breath if you’d like to receive feedback, reach out and ask first if this is a service this person offers, and if they’d be free to make time to do it with you. Leading with and immediately requesting a full run-through will likely be met with a no or a non-response.

Requesting feedback is a great thing as a designer. But you want to make sure you’re approaching it correctly, to build lasting relationships with your peers.

In this industry connecting and networking is an important part of your progression. Not only from a professional point of view but also from a well-being perspective. It’s important to have a community and feel welcome in your community. If LinkedIn is your networking platform of choice, ensure you’re putting your best foot forward.