SECTION 3 - LEVERAGE
MODULE 9: LEVERAGE YOUR CONNECTIONS
Welcome to the Leverage section
You have built your profile. You have done the groundwork. Now it is time to use it to actually get the job.
The Leverage section has four components: Connections, Content, Closing and Pitch.
In this section, you will learn how to use your online presence to bring opportunities to you, rather than chasing them down. The goal is to set up a system that suits where you want to go, and then fill it with the right connections.
Once you have an audience, you share content that helps them understand who you are and what you offer. That is content marketing, and it is what builds the kind of trust that gets you noticed. Once those people are warmed up, you need ways to move the most interested ones closer to a real conversation or opportunity.
Finally, you will work on how to pitch yourself when you meet new people, so you have a confident, clear answer to the question every student gets asked: "So, what do you do?" This simple skill helps you position yourself in the industry before you even have the title.
Connections is where we start, and it is one of the most important things you can build right now to support your job search.
Let's get into it.
Leverage Overview
What you'll cover in this video:
What connections are, and why growing the right ones now gives you a head start
How content keeps you visible and builds trust with people who could hire you
Why your personal pitch matters and how to answer "So, what do you do?" with confidence
How all four components work together to help you move from job-seeking to job-ready
Build and grow a professional connection base strategically on LinkedIn and other platforms
Learning Objectives
Understand how to move people from not knowing you to trusting and remembering you
Understand how to use content and engagement to warm up your connections and move them closer to your hot zone
Grow your connection base strategically so that when opportunities come up at your target companies, you are already known and trusted
This section covers four areas that work together to help you build visibility and get noticed by the right people. Connections looks at who you should be linking up with and how to grow your network strategically on LinkedIn and beyond. Engagement explores what it actually takes to get people to pay attention to your content, not just follow you. Measurement Tools gives you a practical way to track what is working in your job search without overcomplicating it. From there, you will look at the key platforms, starting with LinkedIn, then Facebook, and how to make sure your overall online presence answers the questions hiring managers are actually asking.
Topic Items
Readings
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Your connections are one of your most valuable career assets. The size and quality of your network directly affects how visible you are to the people who could hire you.
Connections include anyone you can share your story and skills with: LinkedIn connections, email subscribers, social media followers, or anyone who has shown interest in what you do. These are people who have either chosen to follow your work or engaged with you in some way. Having these connections means you can reach them, share useful content, and stay on their radar when opportunities come up.
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Having connections is one thing. Getting them to actually pay attention is another.
A strong example of this comes from Jules Lund, who managed the Facebook page for Fifi and Jules at Fox FM. Despite having fewer followers than Hamish and Andy, his page had higher engagement across the board. More people liked, commented and shared his posts than any other Facebook page in Australia at the time.
The difference? Jules ran the page himself. He put real effort into every post and responded to people directly. Hamish and Andy used an agency, and their audience could tell.
The lesson for your job search is the same. If you want people in your industry to notice you and remember you, you need to show up authentically and consistently. Posting generic content and disappearing is not enough. Attention and ownership of your online presence is what builds real trust.
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You do not need expensive software to track how your content is performing. The platforms you are already using have free analytics built in.
LinkedIn shows you how many people viewed your posts, who engaged with them, and where your profile traffic is coming from
Facebook Page Insights gives you detailed data on how your content is landing
YouTube Analytics shows watch time, viewer location and drop-off points
The challenge is not finding the data. It is knowing which numbers actually matter. Keep it simple. Focus on the outcomes that connect directly to your job search: how many people are visiting your profile, clicking through to your portfolio, or reaching out after seeing your content. When you talk to people in your network, ask how they found you. That will tell you more than any dashboard.
If you want to go deeper, Google Analytics is free and well worth learning. The Google Analytics Academy is the best place to start.
For a more consolidated view of your activity, HubSpot brings together social content, website stats and reporting in one place, and has a free version.
Not all platforms will be equally useful for your job search. Let's look at which ones matter most.
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For marketing students looking for their first role, LinkedIn is your most important platform. It is where hiring managers check your credibility, where recruiters search for candidates, and where the people who could refer you to a role are most active.
Your LinkedIn presence needs to reflect who you are and where you are headed. It is not just a digital CV. It is your first impression in the professional world, and often the one that counts most.
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Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world and should not be ignored, even if it feels less professional than LinkedIn.
Think of it as the new television. People use it for entertainment, and they accept ads and promoted content as part of that experience. That is exactly why it has one of the strongest advertising platforms available. As someone entering the marketing industry, understanding how Facebook works as both a content and advertising channel is genuinely useful knowledge for your career.
You do not have to be active on Facebook right now if it does not suit where you are focusing your search. But understanding the platform and having a presence on it is worth considering, because the people you want to connect with are likely already there.
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Whether someone finds you on LinkedIn, a personal portfolio, or elsewhere, your online presence needs to answer a few clear questions quickly:
What do you do and what are you looking for?
What experience or skills can you bring?
Why should someone consider you?
What is the best way to get in touch?
Keep it focused. Do not try to say everything at once. Lead with the most relevant information and make it easy for someone to learn more if they want to. A clear, scannable profile that answers these questions is far more effective than a dense one that tries to cover everything.
Module Resources
What you'll cover in this video:
Why connecting with people you do not know yet is one of the smartest moves you can make
How the three stages work: unknown, known, and the hot zone
Why trust takes time to build and why starting now matters
How to search for and connect with people at the companies you actually want to work for
The simple daily habit that keeps your connection base growing in the right direction
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