Who are you connecting with? 

Ozford uses many methods to connect with people both in Melbourne and abroad. To list only a few examples, we have Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, emails and face to face. It goes without saying that we connect with fellow colleagues and people we already know but, a large part of people we connect with are unknowns from all walks of life. Some, particularly those online, aren’t even people at all but bots or trolls. It’s wise to try to connect with, not only, those with an actual pulse but, quality individuals who will advance you in your journey and not stymie your plans or ideas.  

Influential people  

People of influence, like professionals in your field of interest, are great connections, try to find them on socials, connect with them and write them a short message of gratitude and a pertinent question that they would likely be able to answer. There’s no harm in trying but that said, you don’t want to badger them either. One follow up message is enough and if they don’t get back to you, no hard feelings, for they’re no doubt just extremely busy… after all, they are influential! 

Cynical people 

By contrast, cynical people should be kept at arm’s length as their caustic tone and intentions can be infectious and counterproductive but, at the same time, you don’t want to offend them otherwise, you might become a victim of their torments. 

Teachers and lectures  

Lectures and teachers are great people to connect with because you already have something in common, you attend an educational institution. With teachers, it is their job to give you the best advice possible, so don’t be shy, come and say hi!  

“Well, that’s a weird idea Elon!” 

When someone presents a unique idea that they’ve been working on, you could think about investigating what they’re about. Their vision, to the uninitiated, may seem crumby and not be making much money but who knows where their idea could lead! You could be talking to the next Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs or J.K. Rowling so, we at Ozford suggest that you treat all of your connections as though they are about to explode into the stratosphere! 

Safety    

Keep your wits about you because sadly, there are predators out there whose intentions are to take advantage of others, so, always have a good circle of friends around you, report anything you think that is suspicious and always trust your gut instinct… your gut knows more than you think! 

Happy connecting!  

References; 

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/7-types-people-you-should-connect-with-linkedin.html