You have sent twenty LinkedIn connection requests this week. Twelve were accepted, nobody replied, and the one message you did get was a "recruiter" asking you to pay for training. Online networking can feel like shouting into a void, especially when you are new to Canada and don't yet have colleagues, classmates or neighbours to introduce you.
It doesn't have to. For many newcomers, online tools are the easiest way to start a network: you can prepare your words, pick your moment and reach people in your field before you even land. The catch is that online relationships grow slowly and requests are easy to ignore. These ten habits help you get past both problems.
1. Give Before You Ask
Most people approach a new contact thinking about what they want from it. The networkers people remember think first about what they can offer. Online, giving is small and concrete: a thoughtful comment on someone's post, an article that fits a problem they mentioned, a congratulation on a new role.
The common mistake is to start networking only when you urgently need a job. Your first message is then a request, and requests from strangers are easy to ignore. Start while you are not desperate, and keep answering when your contacts ask you for help, even when you are busy. A short reply now is what makes them answer you later.
2. Introduce Your Contacts to Each Other
One of the most generous things you can do is connect two people who should know each other. A colleague is looking for a bookkeeper who speaks Spanish; you know one. A recommendation from you carries more weight than a cold application, and both people will remember who made it happen.
Think about fit, not convenience. Two contacts who live in the same city are not automatically a good match. A short note works best: "Ana, meet Karim. Karim is a bookkeeper who works with small restaurants, and I thought of him when you mentioned your new café. I'll let you two take it from here."
3. Play the Long Game
If your network isn't helping you, you may be chasing quick results. Online relationships take months, sometimes years, to become real professional connections. That suits a slow and steady approach: fewer contacts, chosen carefully, kept warm over time.
Keeping in touch is simple. Share something relevant, invite a contact to an event you are going to, and reply when they reach out. Our guide to the art of Canadian networking explains why Canadians value this patient, low-pressure style.
4. Write for the Person, Not for Everyone
A copied message reads like one. Before you reach out, look at what the person posts about, what their company is working on and what stage of their career they are at. Then write one sentence that could only be addressed to them.
Research also helps you add something new. A senior professional has heard every generic question about their industry. A specific observation, such as how their sector works in your home country, gives them a reason to answer. And don't dismiss contacts with a modest title: people outside your bubble often know the people you don't.
5. Respect the Gatekeepers
Busy executives often have an assistant who manages their inbox and calendar. Try the person directly first. If you hear nothing, a polite follow-up that copies their assistant is reasonable. Treat assistants as professionals in their own right: they decide what reaches the desk, and they know who else is worth meeting. If your reply comes from the assistant rather than the executive, don't take it as a rejection. It is another relationship to build.
6. Keep Track of Your Contacts
Maintaining a network gets messy without a system. LinkedIn stores your message history, but it won't remind you to follow up. A simple spreadsheet works: name, where you met, what you talked about, who introduced you, and the date you last wrote.
Set aside a fixed time for networking so it doesn't eat your evenings. Twenty minutes a day is enough to reply to messages, comment on a few posts and send one new request. A profile that does some of the work for you helps too: see our LinkedIn profile tips for newcomers to Canada. And if you would like to plan your networking with an advisor, our Face-to-Face session covers your networking strategy, resume and LinkedIn profile in one hour.
7. Make Your First Contact Memorable
Online, your message competes with dozens of near-identical ones. Give the person something to remember: a shared interest, a question about something they wrote, or an event where you both spoke.
Online events help. A webinar in your industry, a virtual meetup slightly outside your field or an online community around a hobby you love all give you a natural reason to follow up: "I enjoyed your question about pricing during yesterday's panel. Could I ask how you approached it at your company?"
8. Make Warm Calls Before Cold Ones
Cold calls to strangers take time and rarely pay off. Warm calls are easier and often more useful: get back in touch with people you already know, such as former colleagues now in Canada, classmates, or people from your community.
Make a list of ten names and contact two a week. A short call or voice message feels more personal than a written note, and you may be surprised by how much your existing contacts already know about the Canadian job market in your field.
9. Move the Relationship Offline When You Can
A connection that starts online can grow faster once you meet. Suggest a coffee or a short video call: "Would you have 20 minutes for a coffee in the next few weeks? I'd love to hear how you moved into project management in Canada." Keep it under thirty minutes and come with two or three questions. Showing up in person, when you can, shows you are serious about the relationship.
10. Keep Your Messages Short
Without tone of voice or facial expressions, clarity is all you have. Aim for five lines or fewer, readable on a phone in thirty seconds, and end with a clear, easy next step. For example:
"Hello Priya, I read your post on hiring junior analysts in Calgary. I'm a data analyst who moved here from Lagos in March, and your point about portfolio projects was very useful. Would you be open to a 15-minute call in the next two weeks? I'd like to ask how you evaluate candidates without Canadian experience."
A clear subject line or connection note helps the message get opened. For more on writing to strangers, read our guide on how to contact someone you don't know.
Beyond LinkedIn: Where Else to Network Online
LinkedIn is where Canadian recruiters look, but it is not the only place where professional conversations start. Depending on your field:
- Professional associations: many Canadian industry and professional associations run member forums, mentoring programs or job boards, and some offer reduced fees for newcomers or students. Look up the association for your field in your province.
- Slack and Discord communities: tech, design, marketing and data people often gather in free Slack or Discord groups, with channels for job leads and for each city. Introduce yourself in the welcome channel and answer a few questions before you ask any.
- Alumni networks: your university, including the one back home, may have an alumni chapter or online directory with graduates working in Canada.
- Online events: webinars run by industry associations, chambers of commerce and settlement agencies, and virtual meetups listed on Meetup or Eventbrite.
Pick one or two that fit your field and show up regularly. In a small community, a name people recognize counts for more than a polished profile in a big one.
A Word on Scams
Online networking also brings fake recruiters and fake job offers. Be careful with anyone who offers a job you never applied for, writes from a free email address, or asks you to pay a fee or move money through your bank account. These are warning signs listed by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. A real employer never asks you to pay to get hired.
From Twenty Requests to Five Real Conversations
Back to those twenty silent connection requests. The fix is not to send forty more. Pick five people, give something first, write a message only they could receive, and follow up with patience. Five real conversations will do more for your job search than a hundred connections.
If you are not sure who to approach in your field or how to describe your background to Canadian contacts, book a 15-minute career consultation and we will help you plan your first outreach.
