Gen Z is networking more than any other generation on LinkedIn—and they’re networking in new ways.
Historically, young people would create LinkedIn accounts because their schools told them it was a good idea for their careers. They would check their feed periodically, post the cliché “I’m happy to announce” post when they landed a job, and put on an insincere corporate persona. I know, because I’m a member of Gen Z myself, and because I have interviewed countless fellow members of my generation on the subjects of networking, job seeking, and interviewing.
But now, Gen Z is changing what it means to network—especially on LinkedIn.
“Gen Z is networking the most on the platform, making the most connections month-over-month,” says Suzi Owens, senior director of corporate communications at LinkedIn. “Younger generations in the U.S. are growing their network at a faster rate than older generations, including 28.7% more monthly connections than millennials, 54.7% more than Gen X, and 143.5% (over twice as many) than boomers.”
And the networks that Gen Z is building are more diverse and community-oriented than past generations. Owens says they are using “internet sleuthing” skills to research, find, and connect with people who have similar backgrounds and journeys, emphasizing the importance of peer-to-peer networking rather than just top-down networking. And they are leading with authenticity, being open about their values, and even breaking the ice with a joke.
I interviewed 10 Gen Z thought leaders to ask them how they network differently on LinkedIn and here’s what I found.
Redefining what networking means
Millions have seen the Duolingo Owl on TikTok. Duolingo’s account, which is one of the most successful company accounts on the platform, is run by Gen Z marketing leader Zaria Parvez, who says it’s important to redefine networking. “There’s been a shift from traditional networking, such as specialized events and conferences, to the era of the ‘internet friend,’” she says. For her, “networking is always an opportunity to learn. No matter how cliché that sounds, I try to find someone whose path seems interesting.”
But Gen Z networkers aren’t waiting to garner giant followings before starting to develop digital relationships either. Arin Goldsmith, senior talent marketing specialist at Blizzard Entertainment, says it is a common fallacy that you “have to be a mega-popular influencer who posts cringey inspirational quotes.” He recalls: “I had 300 connections and LinkedIn posts with 15 likes each when I got my job offer at Blizzard Entertainment, and it was all through networking and content creation. Networking as a concept was highly intimidating to me, until I reframed it in my mind as ‘making friends’ instead of the traditional meaning which made me feel like I was using people as stepping stones.”
Indeed, many Gen Z workers feel the modern job landscape requires “a different approach to networking,” as Jenk Oz, the 18-year-old founder and CEO of Thred Media, puts it.
“Typically, young people thought about [networking] as competitive and transactional. Instead, they are now being guided by curiosity and exploration,” says Oz. “This is why LinkedIn stands alone as the best platform for non-transactional community building and learning for Gen Z. LinkedIn allows us to approach it differently, turning the old process on its head.”
Gen Z is networking their way into a range of industries, not just social media. Take Meagan Loyst, Founder and CEO of Gen Z VCs. “Our generation shies away from the word ‘networking’ as it feels too transactional,” she says. “We have a very high bullshit radar, and can tell when people just want something from you, versus being interested in building a relationship.”
Many Gen Z workers see networking is an investment in their careers or, as Travis Chen, an account executive at Amazon Web Services, LinkedIn Top Voice, and Forbes 30 Under 30 member calls it, “planting a digital seed.” “Once you engage with people’s content or [direct message] someone, that’s just the beginning,” he says. “The key is how you’re able to maintain and grow that relationship to something meaningful.”
Gen Z is changing how they think about and define networking—and now they are making it more of a priority.
Prioritizing networking day to day
It appears that many Gen Z workers are investing more time into networking than ever before.
As Goldsmith shares, “networking has slowly become more of a priority as my career has continued. It’s kind of forced its way into my life and I have welcomed it with open arms.”
This is the same with Genesis Gutierrez, CEO of Harness Magazine, who “hops on six calls a week just for networking and messages 20 to 30 people across social media platforms, which can easily turn into 100-plus if I dedicate my day to it.”
Even members as young as 18 are making networking a priority. Oz says he “networks far more than others because it’s part of my everyday job. I need to network to develop relationships and then convert some of those relationships into commercial business to drive forward our mission of change.”
Oz adds that he believes in the saying “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”
“If you surround yourself with the best people on LinkedIn, you will become better at what you do as the platform offers the opportunity to have borderless, time zone-indifferent conversations with best-of-breed experts across any field you choose,” he says. “It’s a place where sliding into the comments with qualitative questions, comments, and input is encouraged and rewarded, not frowned upon.”
Gigi Robinson, an award winning artist, designer, public speaker, author, and founder tells me “there is not a day that goes by where I am not thinking about networking and meeting new people.” She has found networking, relationship building, and personal branding to be the three tools most important to help her grow her career.
Some professionals are even networking as much as every day. “It’s part of what I do as an inquisitive mindseeker,” shares Chen. “Whether at coffee shops, on a flight, hiking, or in my apartment building, I look for people to meet and learn from.”
Leading with authentic, informal conversations
Gen Z is giving networking a makeover, and they are starting with revamping their approach. All 10 of the Gen Z professionals I interviewed for this article agreed that their networking approach is more informal.
You might think networking needs to be professional and buttoned-up, but Parvez would argue that the best networking is informal. “Those small moments are actually where the foundation of good connections are built,” she says. “I have found it more effective to be real than put on a professional persona.”
The same goes for Gutierrez, who always goes into a conversation with empathy and curiosity to learn more about the other person’s story. “I never try to sell anyone anything. I focus on getting to know the human rather than their position,” she says.
One potential reason for this approach is that Gen Z can sniff out inauthenticity better than other generations. For instance, Caitlyn Kumi, an associate product marketing manager at Google and founder of Miss EmpowHer, says that she always “shows up as her most authentic self.”
“If we don’t connect, it was not meant to be,” says Kumi. “I don’t force connections just because someone has a certain title or works at a certain company.”
It’s safe to say that Gen Z is generally informal as a generation, and their approach to things like networking follows suit. Take Goldsmith, who says her approach to networking is informal because she’s an informal person. “My networking approach is 100% rooted in authenticity,” she shares. “I’m bad at pretending to be someone I’m not, hence why I couldn’t pretend to like golf at New York corporate happy hours or talk about your summer home in Connecticut?” And a great way to network informally, according to Goldsmith, is to actually wait to send a cold message or email and start by engaging with someone’s social media content.
Another great networking strategy is leading with value. Loyst aims to “think of things to bring to the table to help the other person versus asking for something.” Some examples of ways you can provide first include connecting the other person with a relevant contact of yours, sharing insightful resources, or even supporting their content, she says.
Focusing on peer-to-peer rather than just top-down
Traditional advice was to only network with professionals more senior than you, but Gen Z may be changing this dynamic. Because Gen Z thinks of networking more as making friends and less as transactional, many young workers are focusing on creating a unique peer-to-peer based network.
“I find it easier to network peer-to-peer because it’s always easier to relate to someone who is in the same boat as you,” says Parvez. She also tells me that she calls her mentors “Zaria’s board of directors.’” Her one rule for these mentors is that she doesn’t want them to be someone that can give her a job—so she networks outside of her social media and marketing role.
Instead of focusing on networking with individuals who have more years of experience, Alex York, a reporter covering culture, business, and lifestyle, aims to find individuals with a similar drive and passion. She has found that this likemindedness connects them even further. “I have learned a lot about what I want my future career path to look like from those more experienced than me,” she says. “But I have also built a really strong support system of those closer to my age as we all try to navigate the work world together.”
Morgan Young, a project manager, public speaker, and LinkedIn Top Voice, has a unique “33/33/33” approach to networking. She says that “33% of the people I network with are people that are way ahead of me in life and career and usually older than me. The second group is people that are at or close to my level, career-wise. And the last group is people I can potentially provide value to, trade current knowledge with, and ‘compare notes” as far as careers and school go.”
“You can never underestimate the value of those around you, including your peers,” says Chen.
Unprecedented openness
The beauty of building relationships is that the most robust relationships take time to develop. It seems that Gen Z workers are willing to develop these strong bonds, and are incredibly open to and unforeseen opportunities can arise.
Take my experience, for example. I networked with a fellow podcaster, Alessandro Allaman. Over the years, we became good friends and aligned on common interests outside of work such as surfing and travel. I ended up getting invited on an international surf trip with Allaman and met him for the first time in Nicaragua, and we surfed together for a week. This ended up being such a spontaneous and fulfilling experience that helped me grow as a professional and an individual.
And Goldsmith says that networking on LinkedIn led to her being invited to speak on a panel at John Hopkins called “Networking when you hate networking.” It was an opportunity, she says, she never expected.
“I owe all the success in my business so far to networking, being curious, and asking questions,” echoes Gutierrez. “More networking has led to more speaking engagements, coaching clients, social media clients, and writers for my magazine.”
Plus, networking leads to more visibility, and more visibility can lead to great PR. For instance, Kumi says that “networking has led to media features with Forbes, Insider, Good Morning America, and Buzzfeed, as well as two full-time job offers at EY and Google.”
Ever since Young received her first internship offer, every career opportunity she’s gotten has been through networking. “The success I’ve seen has motivated me to double down on my networking efforts and continuously improve my networking strategy,” she says.
And networking opportunities have no borders. Loyst has been paid to keynote speak at conferences in Singapore, consult for global sports organizations, and more. “To build a robust network, you have to play the long game,” said Loyst.
What’s more, Gen Z is open to networking in any environment. If you are at a coffee shop or on the train, you never know who might be sitting next to you. “I’ve met some of my greatest clients, mentors, friends, and colleagues through networking. Be curious and learn from those around you,” says Chen.
Gen Z is redefining what networking means, prioritizing networking in their day to day, leading with authentic, informal conversations, focusing on peer-to-peer rather than just top-down, and understanding that the wildest opportunities can arise from networking.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AJ Eckstein is a speaker and writer focusing on Gen Z, career advice, leadership, and the future of work. He’s also the founder and host of The Final Round.
