Networking without feeling pushy after 3 years as a teaching assistant

I sent 3 messages on a professional network and got two replies. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. Some people reply with short answers.

I asked what they wish they had known at my stage. People enjoy answering that.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.