Most people are lousy at networking.

98 of 100 linkedin network requests I get, fail to build any meaningful connection.

Here is a great example of cold emailing and networking.

Few things Jay Khedekar did well.
1. Get to the point quickly. Convey your intent in the first message. People are busy. Show them that you will not be a time drain..
2. Ask pointed questions.
3. Show humility. Eagerness to learn.
4. Pick a time when busy people may have some free time. Jay did this on a Sunday evening.
5. Jay had a crisp profile headline. Lets people know who you are.

Of course, there is an element of luck. I was free at that time. I am a Tesla and Elon fan boy. But you have to take action to give luck a chance.

I am really happy to see young folks like Jay being proactive about their careers.

Reminds me - When Steve Jobs was 12 years old, he cold-called Hewlett-Packard's co-founder Bill Hewlett. His goal was to request some leftover electronic parts to build a frequency counter. To Steve's surprise, Hewlett picked up the phone. Bill not only gave Steve the parts, but also gave an internship job at HP.. This was a pivotal moment for Steve jobs and for Apple and for the world.

We are lucky to live in this era of hyper connectivity. Folks who use this wisely have an unfair advantage