The answer to this question is similar to another question:
Should I start saving money in high school?
Yes, you should start saving what money you can as early as you can.
Look what $1000 a year can create if you start investing at 16 yrs old.
Base on a simple 5% APR.
At age 22 – $8300 in the account. At 35 – $34,000, and at 65 – $222,000.
Imagine if the APR were closer to 10%, the result would be closer to $1.4M at age 65.
Financial advisors will tell us to follow these best practices for the greatest financial results:
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Start investing as early as we can
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Consistently add to the funds
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Manage the risks relevant to our goals
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Diversify our investments
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Reinvest the interest
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Measure our results
A financial asset and a LinkedIn network are two different types of assets, however, managed correctly they are both important assets in life. There are great similarities in the best practices of these two assets.
As a LinkedIn consultant, I offer these best practices of Networking on LinkedIn:
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Start as early as you can.
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Consistently grow your LinkedIn Network every day.
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Manage the risk by making purposeful decisions of who you connect with.
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Diversity your connections beyond your current role/career.
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Reinvest in your network by helping your network when and where you can.
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Measure your network to ensure you are actually building a mutually beneficial network.
Starting early with these best practices can create the greatest value in your life if you are purposeful and deliberate in your actions.
If however, you are going to start building your LinkedIn Network in high school you will want to commit to the process, otherwise, your LinkedIn Network will become stale and become disconnected, just as our high school friends become when we lose track of them in life. I recommend installing the LinkedIn App on your smartphone and use it at least a few times each month as you begin networking on LinkedIn.
The more you connect on LinkedIn the more chances you’ll have to find ideas and philosophies that can help you in your career journey.
The more you connect on LinkedIn and engage with your network in meaningful ways, the more you can grow your personal/professional brand.
Here are a few examples of value:
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LinkedIn helps you stay in touch with the career journeys of the people you meet in real high school and beyond.
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LinkedIn helps you to meet new people through your existing network.
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LinkedIn can help you discover new career ideas as you start and travel through your career journey.
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LinkedIn can help you uncover new ideas and sources of knowledge through the people in your growing network.
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LinkedIn can help you stay aware of industries, companies, and people you are interested in.
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LinkedIn can help you to be discovered through your 1st and 2nd level connections as an authority in the space you want to be known for.
I am an advocate of starting to grow your LinkedIn network before you leave high school. Deliberately begin to use LinkedIn with purpose and focus on your career and business goals.
The return on investment can be significant.
If you want to discuss this philosophy further, contact me – info@BurrissConsulting.com or 336-283-6121