LinkedIn unveils "Grow" and "Catch Up;" the latter is not what you think it is

With job seekers facing a competitive market in 2024, especially with all the lay-off news we’re getting daily, building and maintaining a professional network is increasingly important. However, finding the right people to connect with and nurturing existing relationships can be time-consuming. Recognizing this challenge, LinkedIn is rolling out new AI-powered features to streamline networking.

The updated Network Tab now boasts two distinct sections: “Grow” and “Catch Up.” The “Grow” tab uses AI to personalize recommendations for relevant connections, building upon the existing “People You May Know” feature. This system analyzes billions of interactions and connections on the platform to identify new contacts within your industry or based on specific interests.

The “Catch Up” tab rekindles connections within your existing network. By identifying events like work anniversaries, new job announcements, or even birthdays, this feature suggests opportune moments to reach out and re-engage. This approach encourages organic conversations and strengthens existing relationships.

In short:

• Grow: Helps you find relevant people to connect with and manage existing connections.
• Catch Up: Suggests reasons to reconnect with existing connections, like new jobs, work anniversaries, etc. It’s more like a reminder.

Initiating conversations with new connections can be daunting. LinkedIn Premium now offers an AI-powered message drafting tool to address this hurdle. This feature generates personalized message suggestions based on your profile information and details about the recipient, prompting you to choose between introducing yourself or inquiring about their experience. 

LinkedIn, which now allows setting salary expectations, emphasizes the tangible benefits of a strong professional network. In 2023 alone, the platform facilitated over 5 billion connections, highlighting the power of networking in securing new job prospects, connecting with potential clients, and fostering knowledge sharing within industries.