Playing the Networking Long Game with LinkedIn Learning Instructor Morgan Young

Published Nov 19, 2024, 8:00 AM

You know you should be talking to people in your industry, but sometimes it can feel overwhelming or even transactional. In this episode, Gianna and Jamé give networking a rebrand. They chat with Gen Z content creator and LinkedIn Learning Instructor Morgan Young about how to shift your networking mindset from a tit-for-tat, one-time conversation to consistent community building.

Do you have any burning questions about work? We want to hear them! You can email us your questions at letstalkoffline@linkedin.com. 

And thank you to Morgan Young for joining us this week! Follow Morgan on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/itsmorganyoung).

For more, follow Gianna (http://linkedin.com/in/giannaprudente) and Jamé (http://linkedin.com/in/jamejackson) on LinkedIn and subscribe to Gianna’s weekly newsletter: https://linkedin.com/letstalkoffline.

Credits
Gianna Prudente - Co-host, Early Career Development Editor, LinkedIn
Jamé Jackson - Co-host, Community Manager, LinkedIn
Sabrina Fang - Producer, Western Sound
Maya Pope-Chappell - Director of Content & Audience Development, LinkedIn
Jessi Hempel - Chief Content Officer, LinkedIn
Savannah Wright - Senior Producer, Western Sound
Sarah Dealy - Associate Producer, Western Sound
Alex MacInnis - Engineer, Western Sound
Courtney Coupe - Head of Original Programming, LinkedIn
Dan Roth - Editor in Chief, LinkedIn
Ben Adair - Executive Producer, Western Sound
Katrina Norvell - Executive Producer, iHeartMedia
Nikke Ettore - Executive Producer, iHeartMedia

LinkedIn News.

When I think about like when you're just starting college and you don't really have that much to offer, It's like, what am I offering? The bread roles? Like seriously, like not a lot. But I like to challenge people with that mindset because regardless of where you are in your career, a lot of people feel like they don't necessarily have a lot to offer. But I think that that's a really misconstrued concept because we forget that we as people having lived the unique life experiences that we have, that is intrinsic value. You have intrinsic value in just like being yourself.

From LinkedIn News and I heard podcasts.

This is Let's Talk Offline, a show about what it takes to thrive in the early years of your career without sacrificing your values, sanity or sleep. I'm Gianna Prudenti.

And I'm Jamaye Jackson Gadsden. Networking, Am I right?

Okay?

That?

Jokay? I mean love it, hate it? The truth of the matter is networking can give you the but it's also a really important part of advancing your career. Now. Look, networking, unfortunately, is not just those happy hours and sliding into people's DMS. Trust me, I wish it was that easy. The real challenge is what comes after figuring out how to build and maintain those relationships.

Look, I'm sure most of us have exchanged numbers with somebody at a networking event and just never follow it up me or you know, had that coffee chat and kind of ghost to the person double me. Also, you know, I'm not here to tell you it's okay. The reality is networking requires time and it can feel socially draining.

So it probably stresses you out. I get it.

We're going to talk today about how you can foster those professional relationships and play the networking long game without it feeling ichy.

Okay, guys, so today we are talking all about networking, But honestly, our girl is a little bit of a facelift Gianna, I mean botox, little filler. She's coming out. She's coming out, she got a new attitude. Okay, we need to give networking a rebrand. Now, let's just take a step back. Okay, networking feels really daunting, but I think even more so, it feels so transactional for people. You know, you're approaching people thinking okay, what can this person do for me? What do I even say to them? Like, how do I even introduce myself? There's just so many things that are always happening in our minds that makes networking feel very anxiety inducing. You guys already know my art pits are always weady, and they certainly gets sweaty for networking. But the truth of the matter is mastering the art of networking is really going to set you up for success in your personal and professional life. So we want you to start thinking more about networking as a relationship building exercise and that you are also creating this community for yourself.

I love this rebrand and I like that you mentioned this idea of networking feeling transactional because I definitely approach networking that way when I was starting out, especially when I was like full on on my job search as a senior in college. And I think that transactional feeling is what really stops you from taking the next step in your networking efforts. So you know, it's easy to go to an alumni event, for example, and exchange numbers or connect on LinkedIn, but.

Then you're like, what do I do with this?

Right?

You know, what's the next step that follow up and maintaining the relationship hard gets a little bit tricky, So a lot of those interactions, you know, end up being these one and done meetings, like you got the coffee and then that's it. But like you were saying, investing in your network and those relationships is super important and it's kind of a long term thing, right, Like you have to have that mindset going in. So later in the show, we're going to bring on gen Z content creator and LinkedIn learning instructor Morgan Young, who's been documenting her career journey on LinkedIn. What I love about Morgan is that she's kind of mastered networking at an early age and has kind of built her network and her brand online and it's led her to all these opportunities. So I'm excited for her to join us in a bit to talk about, you know, playing that networking long game.

Oh look, a friend of Gianni's is a friend of mine. I'm excited for that convo. But first, Gianna, let me ask you, how have you approached networking? I mean, what's your relationship with networking been?

Like?

Yeah, you know, networking is like it's like flirting, Like it's awkward and people are good at it's some aren't like oh, but like I was saying, when I started, you know, full on job searching during college, I definitely kind of view it as transactional because I thought, you know, I need referrals, I.

Need any money me sobbing any money you help me?

No?

But like, yeah, but I think the nature of our industry too. You know, who you know is really important. Right, That's the same across the board, right, It's not about what you know, it's who you know.

But especially in media.

The reason why my parents wanted me to go to a good journalism schools for that alumni network. They were like, we have no connections, honey, so we can't help you. Like if you want to be an account and like we said, will help you, but in journalism you're out on your own. So I definitely like was hardcore networking when I was looking for jobs, just to get a better understanding of like what roles are even out there, what's it like to be in a certain industry. And then also when I was applying to certain jobs, reaching out to people at those companies or recruiters, you know, expressing my interest. You know, I definitely didn't maintain those relationships. It was a lot of those one offs like I was describing before.

But now I feel.

Like when I'm reaching out, I will always send a follow up after. You know, if I'm the one who asked you for the coffee chat or asked you for the call, I'm always going to follow up to thank you for your time, because fifteen minutes out of a day is a lot, honestly, Like everyone has fifteen minutes to spare, but it's still asking something of another person. And so people who I feel like I have, you know, strong ties with, I kind of think about networking that way, like weak ties strong ties. People who I have strong ties with, I feel like I'm so connected with them on LinkedIn that we're constantly commenting on each other's stuff, you know, we're texting or messaging. And then there's like the weaker ties of people who maybe I don't interact with so often. And I think that's where I struggle with networking, because you know, maybe I meet somebody at a networking event who I think is great, but we're busy and we don't really maintain the relationship, and something comes up that I want to reach out to that person, but it feels random to be like, hey, remember me from like a few months ago.

So yeah, but what about you?

How do you kind of approach networking?

How do you feel about it?

Yeah, I mean a lot of things that you mentioned. I was in the very similar boat. I was going to have to get out there and I was going to have to learn how to network and talk to people. And it was really an encouraging thing because as someone who tends to be a little bit more on the choir or introverted side when it comes to being in networking rooms, I know, right, but literally it's so anxiety using it. But you know why, it was because I always saw networking as transactional and I don't like I don't like asking for help. I'm always open to giving help, but I hate asking for it. And it was one of those things where I was like, oh, gosh, I'm going to go into this room and I'm gonna have to ask them for a job or if they're gonna be like, so what do you do, I'm like, I'm unemployed. Can yeah, I work for you aspiring and we know you don't like that time. I do not like aspiring. No, listen to our personal branding episode guys. But I was like, Okay, let me figure out how to talk to people, how to market myself. I had to learn when I walk into different rooms, what is the most crucial information about myself that I present. One thing I will say is that I have learned over my career that your network is truly your net worth. I had an incident years ago and a friend of mine who was like a high sitting lawyer, like she's been in the game for like thirty plus years. She was like, Oh, don't worry, it's handled, called up one of her friends who was also a lawyer, and her friend gave me like free legal advice and help and got me out of a very sticky situation. And I say that because I'm like, you know what, when we say that your network is so important, we're not just talking about your professional development. We're talking about all realms of your life and that personal board of directors of people who are going to help you and help you get to the next step and just help protect you. You know, we are such a communal based entity. Humans are so like if you think about it as building community versus a transactional what can I do for you or what can I get out of you? I think you get better now. One thing I also add is that because I've had so many jobs as like a contractor or a freelancer, my network was extremely crucial because I would work on projects, whether it was cover stories or smaller contract periods. And I am banking that that editor will remember me, because those editors are hopping to different places and they're gonna hopefully take their people with them. And so all I can say is that networking is so important. I get it that it's cringey. I get it that it feels uncomfortable, and it's going to feel that way right. Small talk in and of itself is also very nerve wracking for a lot of people. But I will say that if you can master the art of networking, if you can master the art of speaking about yourself, but also if you can master the art of saying, I can offer this to you and then we can figure out what you can also do it as an exchange versus transaction, I think you would be set up for success.

And I think that's key. Right when you're early in your career. I hear this all the time, What do I have to offer this person if you're viewing networking as transactional, then you're going to have that mindset. But when you view it as you're bringing a perspective and they're giving you advice or whatever it might be, in that situation, you kind of start to approach networking differently.

Absolutely, because I'm going to let you in on a little secret, that feeling of what do I have to bring does not stop once you get out of your early career. I get in rooms now with people who have been in their industry for twenty thirty years and I feel the same way. And I'm sure they feel it to people who are even more senior than them. So that feeling, what I think, is kind of like professional imposter syndrome. I don't want to say it never goes away, but what I'm saying is if you can learn how to master it early in your career, you will know that any room you are in, you belong there, and that anyone who you build a connection with it's meant for you.

We've all got those questions that run through our head when it comes to networking. What should I say, when's a good time to reach out? What do I even have to offer?

Well, don't worry.

We're bringing in gen Z content creator Morgan Young to teach us all about the art of networking that's next.

So I know what you're probably thinking. Networking is so cringe, and honestly I get it. But thankfully Jihan and I have a heavy hitter in today's hot seat. We have a guest star who is going to tell us all about how you can network and make it a little less friend to Gianna, who do we bring in this week?

All right, We're bringing in Morgan Young, and I feel like heavy hitter is the best way to describe her. She's a twenty twenty four grad who recently joined Shopify as an apprentice product manager, and how I first met Morgan is through LinkedIn. She's a gen Z content creator and LinkedIn learning instructor who helps professionals build their personal brands and leverage LinkedIn. She's been documenting her journey on the platform for quite a few years now and hopes people can take away valuable insights from her story to help push their careers forward.

Hey Morgan, Ay Morgan, Hi, we are so excited, But let's first start from the very beginning. What do you tell people as far as how they should approach their mindset when it comes to networking.

Don't go into networking conversations and don't approach networking with a transactional mindset or an agenda, because I think that's what most people, especially in my generation, get wrong. I get like that my generation's impatient. Everything for us is all about getting things instantaneously. But that's not what networking and that's not what relationship building is. It takes time, and so the best way to approach networking is through a relationship building mindset. It's all about the long term and the long game. To give like a real example, I went to my very first career for and I had a speed lightning round interview with a CEO of a local startup that wanted to interview me for an internship. And I ended up leaving in a really big impression on the guy, and he followed up with me later and offered me the internship. Turned it down because I had had another opportunity come my way. But then I kept everything good, didn't burn any bridges, and stayed in touch and I started posting on LinkedIn, and then he reached out to me later and said, hey, like I feel like you remind me a lot of me. And even though I'm kind of salty, didn't you know take the internship. I still have to be a part of your journey somehow, So like, can I can I step into a mentor role for you? Three and a half years later, he's still my mentor and he has done so much for me. He has written me letters of recommendation, He has helped me get through like major life and career decisions, and not only that, he was just the first donor of my nonprofit that I just started. So and but then again, I didn't go into that conversation with him, and I didn't go into that meeting him thinking of all that. It was just like I want to form a relationship with this person, and that's how it should go, Like always play the long game and go into networking thinking to establish long term relationships, not just trying to do transactional things.

Yeah. I think that when you really go into these conversations saying like what can I give to this person or how can I help this person, it shows them that you're genuine, but also that you probably have something to offer. But let me ask you, I think that a lot of people, especially when whether it's you're starting out in a new job or you're just graduating, you may not even know what you bring to the table, like are we bringing like steak? Are we bringing the vegetables?

Like?

What are we bringing?

You?

Know?

So, like what what advice would you give to someone who is early in their career as to how they can articulate what they can offer to a potential connection.

I love what you use that analogy because when I think about, like when you're just starting college and you don't really have that much to offer, it's like what am I offering the bread roules? Like seriously, like not a lot. But I like to challenge people with that mindset because regardless of where you are in your career, a lot of people feel like they don't necessarily have a lot to offer. But I think that that's a really misconstrued concept because we as people having lived the unique life experiences that we have, that is intrinsic value. You have intrinsic value in just like being yourself and your perspective is unlike anyone else's in this world because no one has lived your life, and so starting there, that's the intrinsic value that you have to bring. And here's my thing in terms of networking, like networking up. Chances are you might not have, you know, a lot of value to give to that person. Chances are they probably in that relationship and in that dynamic, they pro probably have a lot more to offer you. But if you can go into it just like you said, where it's like offering that person like, Hey, my favorite sentence to say in a networking interaction is if there's ever a way that I can help you or support you in what you are doing and what you're building, please feel free to let me know, because that kind of leaves the door open of like you don't necessarily have to know what your value is. You can kind of just open the door and say like I'm here to help, I'm here as a resource, and then that puts it on that person to say, like, oh, could you help me with this? Not only is that a great way to establish and deep in a relationship with someone, but that could also help you figure out what your value is because some other person might see it even if you don't love that.

So, Morgan, I kind of got a question for me. What's your advice for people who might be more introverted in nature and feel like a nuisance sometimes for following up.

Absolutely, I think anyone gets anxiety from a follow up because it's like, am I bothering this person? But number one, following up is always a good thing, and it's almost never a nuisance. For example, I did a venture capital fellowship a year ago, and I got it kind of untraditionally. I didn't apply like normally, like I actually just knew someone in the fellowship and they referred me and this and that and the person who was the director. I emailed them once and it quite literally took me a month of follow ups, like emailing her probably about every four or five days, and she kept saying, thank you, please keep bumping this. I'm so sorry, like I just have so much work this month. I ended up getting the fellowship, and that wouldn't have happened had I not followed up with her quite literally five times. And so it's not usually a nuisance. People do get really really busy, and sometimes they need those friendly inbox bumps, those follow ups, And as long as you're polite and friendly and warm in the way that you approach the follow up, it's never going to be received. Negatively and as far as like just getting over the anxiety to like send the message to begin with, people are always nice with me. Think that's that's like a motto that I like to use, and so that applies for both follow ups and just like sending out the email to begin with and worrying about annoying or you're pestering the person like it's it's not like that. That's how we naturally feel the way to get over that is to assume, just to assume that people are nicer than you give them credit for.

Yeah, I like to always call that like polite persistence, and I think too when it comes to like that anxiety piece, you really just have to like also think, yeah, people are busy, So if you're not hearing back, like, it's not rejection honestly, like people like have busy live so just like don't let that from you know, deterring you from moving forward with networking exactly.

So now we have a really fun part where we get to get questions from our listeners. Morgan, this is Dear Work, Bestie, where we are answering questions from people who listen to the show, and this week's question comes from Ashley in Utah.

Question that I have often when I'm trying to network is who I should specifically be trying to reach out to. Should it be hiring managers, recruiters, or someone in my same position? Is there any kind of insights you could give on that, Morgan, what do you think?

I would say all of the above again, like, don't like network when you need a job, always be networking, Like don't. It's not like a It's not like a one time thing out of a couple of years. It's like a you should consistently make a habit out of this. It's almost like working out, like you just have to like build a habit out of it. And so I think you should be reaching out to not only hiring managers, recruiters, and people in your position, but a variety of people. So in my LinkedIn learning course, I had this thing called the thirty three thirty three thirty three role in networking, which is where thirty three percent of the people that you reach out to and talk to should be people that are on your same level. Think like, for me, I just graduated college, I'm starting a job, So for me, that would be people early in their career, and those are the people that are number one going to be going through the same things as me, so they might be able to like commiserate with me for lack of better words, but also relate to everything that I'm going through. The next thirty three percent of people that you should network with are people that are above you, more advanced than you, a lot further ahead in their career. For me, that's a lot of people because I'm not that far into my career, so it could be someone in a mid level position, a senior level position, or even an executive level position. And then the last thirty three percent that you should network with is people that are behind you in your career. For me, that's people like still in college, still in high school. And in that dynamic, you are probably the one that has more value to give to them than they have to give to you. And the reason that's important for me particularly is paying it forward. I've asked all of the people that have mentored me, you know, I don't pay them. They're just in my life and they do all of these things for me, and they look out for my best interests because they want to. And whenever I ask them why, they say the same thing, which is I just want to be a part of your journey. I see your potential. I want to make sure you hit that. And at the same time, they've all hinted to me or said to me outright, when you get to that age or when you get to the ability of doing so, we want you to pay it forward. And so for me, I feel very lucky to have those people ahead of me that are willing to give me their time, give me their mentorship, and so I pay it forward to the people that are a little bit behind me in my career and I can help them in that way. So that's like my how I strike a balance of who to network with, not just hiring managers, recruiters, or people that are in the career that you want to be in.

I love that framework.

I want to know though, like for someone like Ashley who wants to maybe get on the radar of let's say, for instance, she's gone on LinkedIn. She has identified a role that she thinks is really awesome and she sees that there's the recruiter attached to it. Do you have any language that you might suggest to someone on how they can kind of do that cold email? Like, because I would say, hey, big head, and I know this. Not you make the cold email warm? Basically, how do you mean how do you warm up the dish? Exactly? Can you not tell me you don't have mistake?

When it bread? It's breads?

What do you offer.

Butter? That's how you wore it up? But no, Actually, Number one, don't ever use the phrase can I pick your brain? I so agree that is like my biggest pet peeve, and the reason is is it's so vague. Number two, the way to warm up a cold emails First of all, be personal. I feel like the art of like greetings and pleasantries has kind of been lost in this generation and I kind of get it. But at the same time, I have a lot of friends who are recruiters and work in the recruiting and hiring like space, and it can be a very thankless and unforgiving job. So even as simple how are you, how is your day going? Can really do a lot. The second thing is be specific and be concise. Do the pleasantries, but also get to the point explain who you are and give that person a little bit of context, because remember you're a complete stranger to them. They don't know you. And so the best way to warm up that relationship is to help them get to know you, and so do a greeting, you know, ask them a question about themselves, do an intro that introduces who you are and kind of what your objective is and what you're trying to do, and then say like, hey, can I have fifteen minutes of your time to speak to you about this? And also I'm personally a really big fan of going the extra mile beyond, like even like a LinkedIn DM like if you can find a person's email, like most people, surprisingly including myself, actually put their email in their profile, like email them. If they have their email and their profile, take that extra step and actually email them. But the way to warm up a cold message is to just sound like a human being and like you're talking to another human being. You're not trying to get this person to like give you a job or give you a referral, Like you're just a human trying to have another conversation with a human.

I love that you said that because I think it's so important just to be authentic in your outreage and be personable. I feel like a lot of times people reach out to me who are around my age, and it's so formal, and I'm like, oh my god, like, no, we give you friends. Like I was like, just like, you know, it's intimidating when you're reaching out to people who you don't know. And we feel like in the business, you know world, we have to be so formal, and yes you should be professional, but like just be yourself and like add some flavor into it so you stand out a little bit. But I really love those tips on like being personal, being succinct, and making that ask.

But on the flip side, ge I get a lot of people who hit me up and they just start talking to me too much. I'm like, goodness, you couldn't say good morning, you couldn't say hello. Like it's almost like if you just walked into a room and you just started yapping. No, not with Jimmie.

I'll say it again, Jamay is anti apping, and it all comes back to apping.

Okay.

I really want to dive into this maintaining the relationship aspect of networking. You know, a lot of gen zers I speak to, honestly myself included, have a trouble maintaining the relationships. You know, past let's say the first few networking calls and like like you said before, no, networking is not supposed to be transactional, but a lot of times you do find job opportunities from people in your network, So maintaining those relationships is important. And I'm just wondering, like, how do you even go about that?

Right?

Like, is there any rule that you follow?

Yeah, So there's a couple of different ways that I do it. First of all, I'm a big app I kit of posty on LinkedIn. But the reason being is that you know, hopefully you're connected with these people that you're networking with on your LinkedIn. If you're not, do that, and if they're in your network, they will see the things that you post. One of the reasons I started posting was to keep my network updated on what I was doing. And so that's a really good way. Think of it as almost like like when you post on LinkedIn to your network, it's almost like sending a Christmas card of like, hey, I'm here, this is what I'm doing, I'm alive. Still, I'm so relevant, and this is why you should you know, read what I'm doing. The second thing is keeping like a regular pace. Friendships are like one of the first examples of relationships that we have. You think that you have to like talk to the person and see the person every single day to have a relationship with them. That couldn't be further from the truth. You don't need to like see someone or talk to someone every day to maintain a relationship. It just needs to be regular communication. And so the way that I do it, and this is just an easy, like think of it off the top of my head, is like once a quarter, so four times a year, I'll usually make a point to reach out to people that are really in my close network circle at least once a quarter. That's be a text, email, phone call, whatever if you really want to like hone the relationship once a month, but once the quarter is usually enough to do it.

Yeah, I think that's a really great advice. And I think too, like you don't have to maintain a relationship with like fifty people, right, like find your poor group, because I think it breaks down what can feel like an overwhelming task when you think, oh, I have all these people to reach out to.

So Morgan, one of the things that I'm always talking about with my friends is like the added pressure of networking, particularly when you're a person of color, and it's always interesting to me because whenever I chat with my mom, who is like a boomer, she will always say that, you know, the man who really helped change her life and her mentor for many years was like a white guy from the Midwest. And it really paints this picture for me that the people in your wheelhouse, whether it's a mentor, a sponsor, or even just your network, don't have to look like you or come from the same environments that you come from. But I think a lot of people are nerves because they're like, well, I don't even know how to necessarily initiate those conversations or how to identify that. Do you have any tips or like even experiences of your own of like how people or communities of color or people from marginalized groups can navigate building sustainable networks, even if it's like identifying people who maybe don't come from their world.

You know, I'm so so glad you brought this up, because this has literally been like a special interest topic that I've been mulling over in my head for months because truthfully, as an Asian American neurodivergent woman in tech, it's funny because everyone thinks that like all of my mentors are like like me, and it's like, well, first of all, twenty six I think it's like twenty six to twenty seven percent of tech workers are women. So it's like it's kind of hard to get you know, when we're still the minority. It's kind of hard to get that. And truthfully, only one of my mentors is a woman, and a lot of them also happen to be Caucasian. And the thing is is, like, you know, people have a lot to say about that, but the fact of the matter is that in a society where people and in groups and industries where people are marginalized, we really really need allies that are in positions of power and influence to get you into those rooms that you would normally never have access to. Having those mentors and those allies that are in those positions to help you and lift you up in ways that people who look like you might not necessarily be able to do is something that's really important to your career. But the thing is it can be very scary and as you said, very much outside of your comfort zone. I think the thing to remember is number one, again, people are a lot nicer than we give them credit for, and number two. Just because they didn't necessarily come from the background that you had, that doesn't mean they can't understand what you're going through or that they can't help you with what you're going through. Most likely, they actually can help you with what you're going through. And as far as building sustainable networks, I would say, like, I am proud to say I have a very diverse network, and I would say that's very, very intense. When I was working at Disney a few years back, I used to hang around the burgs, the business employee resource groups, mostly in the Neurodivergent Burg, the AAPI Burg as well as the veterans Burg and the Pride at Disneyburg. And because of that, I got to hang around with a lot of different people that looked like Some of them looked like me, and some of them didn't look like me. Some of them had the same background as me, some of them didn't. And like I said, perspectives are unique and those in and of itself bring value. There's so much that you can learn from having a diverse network. So I think like it's just striving to create a balance of people that resonate with you in different ways. Because people that don't have the same background as you can still very much resonate with you, and just as much. I think it's important to recognize when you are a member of a marginalized group, or several marginalized groups, it's important to find those allies, in those advocates, in those spaces of privilege and influence, because they can probably really help you and accelerate your career. And that's I feel like that's something that's really not talked about enough.

Yeah, I think a lot of people either feel shame in bringing that up or again they don't know even how to navigate those But I love what you said. We are often more similar than we are different. So thank you for sick sharing that that was really helpful. Of course, thank you so much. We have had I feel like we could just sit and talk with you all day, because I do love I love big, bold, audacious women, and I just love being around them. So thank you that. Like, we had so much fun. I certainly know I've learned a lot about how I can show up in network even better and build community. But before we go, where can people find you?

Okay, so people can find me on my LinkedIn, my LinkedIn like handle, after Thelinkedin dot com slash and slash is it's Morgan Young on Instagram, I'm at It's Morgan Ashley. I also have a website called that LinkedIn Girl, because that's like my nickname and my moniker. And then I also have another website for my nonprofit that I just started called Innovator dot Io. Those are basically all of the ways to find me. Quid be on LinkedIn, follow me on Instagram, check out my website, do all the things, and if this episode resonated with you, feel free to reach out to me. Love it.

Thanks Morgan, Thank you.

Morgan gave so much great advice and after this episode you can officially count three more people in your network. Morgan, Gianna and Me coming up. I love a good workout, but working out at work, let's discuss after the break.

That was such a fun convo with Morgan.

Oh my gosh, she's great.

Yeah, you know, I really appreciated the advice she shared on recognizing your intrinsic value when you're reaching out to people, because I think that's something like we were saying earlier on in the episode, that you forget right you don't you forget that you're bringing in this unique perspective. I also loved that she shared how she reaches out to people, because listen, like I have gotten messages from people who are around my age. I know other people have gotten similar messages where somebody reaches out, you know, saying like I need help, I need this advice and cold sending their resume and leading with that ask. And this is the first impression that they're getting of you to potentially influence an opportunity, whether it be you know, connecting to a mentor connecting to a job so or even just sharing advice. Right, yeah, So you have to reach out knowing that there's a human on the other end of the line. Uh, don't just you know, share your resume out of nowhere, give context around why you're reaching out, and don't leave with the ask.

It just makes it uncomfortable on the other end.

So, you know, like Morgan was saying, lead with offering support, being like, how can I help you, or here's what I want to talk to you about, and here's how that can both benefit us.

Right yeah, I really love that. What I have taken away from this conversation is that it pays so much to go the extra mile and it honestly just makes my week cold, millennial dead heart warm knowing that people are still doing that. I know, but.

Handwritten.

Now.

I certainly did every job interview. I certainly sent one. Oh my gosh, I have so many more stories. Hire me, give me the money. But seriously, if you guys can go the extra mile, you know, finding their email, connecting with them on LinkedIn, right, getting their email from that, uh, just taking the extra step. I also know, picking your brain. I think that that's just such a u And when we think about this idea of like disbanding transactional commentary, that is certainly one of them. Instead of saying pick your brain, you know, going in, leading in with the hey, here's where we met. You know, your story really interested me because you pulled out blah blah blah. You guys know what this requires, intentional listening, make sure you were writing down what you took out of that conversation, how that impacted you, and then maybe even offering up if you have fifteen minutes informational I would love to follow up or take you to coffee. Yeah, exactly. You can use that as an opportunity to talk to people without making it feel like you are poaching them for information. And then the last thing I'll say is that frequent check ins are necessary. It is one thing to make an introduction with someone and have a great five minutes in the sun. But how you really start to build a meaningful network that is going to last through the longevity of your career is by checking in on people, hitting people up on their birthdays, when people get married, when people start new jobs, maybe even have kids. There are so many different life events that are happening that will allow you to just check in, let people know that you're thinking about them, without actually asking for anything in return. This is so meaningful. It feels so big or so small, but it actually is going to have long term impact on your career.

Yeah, I'd argue it is small, but it goes a long way, so long it has a big impact.

Yeah, speaking of impact, how are you going to speaking of impact? You know what else is impactful?

Guys?

When I go in my purse and I pull out the receipts and we have now showed the receipts. This is a segment where we take a look at some of the headlines or workplace trends, maybe even some office myths and see if there's any truth to them. Gianna, what are we talking about today?

Okay, today we're talking about working out at work. So this past year, Bloomberg published an article arguing that companies should a lot of time for employees to incorporate exercise into their day. Obviously, we already, you know, know the benefits of working out. There's plenty of receipts for those. And because of the benefits, companies are now investing in providing fitness training and wellness opportunities for their employees. So some examples, companies are building gyms at their offices. If they can't build a gym, they're dedicating space for group exercise. They're creating fitness challenges and incentivizing employees with prizes.

People love a contest, you know.

They're also offering discounts and memberships to gyms and fitness programs like you know, class Past Soul Cycle. And what I found interesting about this article was this idea that workplace workouts have become a way for colleagues to actually socialize and network with each other, interesting outside of, like you know, their day to day tasks.

So what do you think, how do you feel about it.

I think it's great because, you know, gen Z has such an emphasis on mental health, and when you think about supporting the whole being of a person, exercise is part of their life, right. So it's also tough, you know, we think now with all these RTO mandates, to find time to work out, if that's something that's important in your life, it's challenging.

Right, Yeah.

So I like the idea that companies are providing space for people to do that. Personally, I don't want anyone to see me in my workout like I don't want people to see me like in my sports were on biker shorts. So I don't know that I'll be participating. We do have benefits here at LinkedIn, we have a wellness studio. I haven't, you know, done the trainings or taking classes there.

I do something on my own time.

But I do really love the idea. But I don't know that I'll be participating anytime soon.

Yeah, so really quick, guys, want to clarify, Gianna brought up OURTO mandates. That's return to office Just for those of you who are like, what the heck is that a lot of companies are starting to require employees to come back into the office after years of working from home, and so a lot of people who might have started off as remote or hybrid are now moving back into office. So this is actually an interesting conversation because I think Gean and I have dissenting opinions. Dun dundune. I have feelings about this because Number one, I feel like this is the modern day golf course conversation. The idea of like you close business deals on the golf course aready right. So it's almost like, well, what happens when you are someone who you know, maybe you have a family, or you are taking classes after work and you can't build that camaraderie with people. Are you now going to be penalized because oh, when it comes time for promotion or when it comes time for upper mobility, everyone's gonna remember, oh yeah, we went to berries together.

Like, I don't think this is like a mandatory thing.

No, no, no, I'm not saying that. But what I'm saying is it puts pressure on people to show because now you feel what am I missing if I don't go. Another thing I have about this is that I think particularly we see this a lot in tech that they will give you all of the amenities so that you don't go home. And as much as that sounds no, it is like there are other companies that they have barber shops and salons on their campuses, dry cleaners, daycare, Oh my god, Yes we can offline about that. Yes, there are companies that will offer that. And as much as it's a beautiful thing, because you're like, wow, like I have a one stop shop, Well why would you want to go home? If I offer you breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I can clean your clothes, and I can give you an opera tunity to work out, and I can cut your caar movie. Well, we live in it, baby. So I just say all of that to say, like, although I totally can understand where this is meaningful and beneficial. Yes, mental health, Yes, physical health is so important. I always kind of look at, well, what is the trap or what is the other incentive in that I think that it kind of can displace people who don't want to work out. I don't want to work out. I got a booty. I don't need y'all seeing it up on a standmen.

Also, there's like accessibility concerns, like not everybody is, you know, able to do that.

Yeah, And I just think of the natural order of like when there's a lot of people in community and you're not there, what are you missing out on? So although I think like it's great and definitely get your you know, get your work out on, you know, you want that body, yadda yadda, like I get it, I just also kind of see, like, hmm, that's interesting. So you know, I'll continue to go to yoga, pilates, all that on my own. I'll meet y'all at the happy Est.

Also, I just want to add I literally fell off the treadmill ones and held on like you would see in a movie. And that was so embarrassing and mortifying. I never went back to that gym, so God forbid that happen in a work setting, I would have to quit.

You want to know my humbling story. The first time I ever went to the gym, I got on the StairMaster. Why did no one save me? Why did no one tell me that? That is actually the worst thing to episode Gianna. I literally had an asthma attack and I starfished out in the middle of that gym. I was like, good God, if this is the time to take me. Everybody know, I love it.

Will the company in company work out class.

Workplace workouts are not for us anyways.

Let us know your take.

We would love Yeah, we kind of have opposing views on this, but agree on something, So let us know what do you think about workplace workouts?

Are you here for it? Are you not?

You can let us know in the newsletter this week or share a post on LinkedIn tagas I would.

Love that, and also we want to thank Ashley for sending in their question. You guys can also send us your questions. Okay, information on how to do that is in the show description.

You know I just mentioned the newsletter before.

Make sure you guys are subscribed if you're not already, it's called Let's Talk Offline. You can find the link in the show description and it's also in my LinkedIn bio. And while you're at it, another thing, make sure you guys are following the show and rate it. We would love love love to hear what you think, and if you guys have any ideas, send them our away please we're open.

Ears.

Before you go, remember Jimmy and I always got your back, So if something comes up, Let's Talk offline.

I'm Janna PRUDENTI.

And I'm Jamaine Jackson Gadsden.

Stay Thriving, Let's Talk Offline is a production of LinkedIn News and iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Western Sound. Our producer is Sabrina Fang. The show is edited by Savannah Wright. Our associate producer is Sarah Dealey. Alex mckinnis is our engineer, and Ben Adair is the executive producer.

Executive producers at iHeart Podcasts are Katrina Norvel and Nikki Etour. We got support from LinkedIn's Jesse Humple, Sarah Storm, and Ayana Angel. Maya Pope shape Well is Director of Content, Dave Pond is Head of News Production, Courtney Coop is Head of Original Programming, and Dan Roth is the editor in chief of LinkedIn

Let's Talk Offline

Each week on Let's Talk Offline, LinkedIn's Gianna Prudente and Jamé Jackson Gadsden answer your unf 
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