Do you need LinkedIn to get hired?

In today’s competitive job market, having a strong LinkedIn profile has become an essential part of any job search. With over 722 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform and an invaluable tool for making connections, building your personal brand, and showcasing your skills to potential employers.

But is having a LinkedIn profile an absolute necessity for getting hired in 2023? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of using LinkedIn to support your job search efforts.

The benefits of using LinkedIn to find a job

Here are some of the key ways that having a LinkedIn presence can boost your chances of landing a job:

• Increased visibility – A complete, optimized LinkedIn profile allows you to be found by recruiters and hiring managers searching for candidates. You can expand your reach further by joining relevant industry and alumni groups.
• Access to insider opportunities – Many companies will post job openings on LinkedIn that are not advertised publicly elsewhere. You gain insider access to these “hidden” roles through your network connections.
• Showcase your full capabilities – Your LinkedIn profile provides ample space to highlight your background, skills, accomplishments, recommendations, certifications, publications, and other assets that a resume may lack room for.
• Build your personal brand – Proactive engagement on LinkedIn through posting content and interacting meaningfully with your connections enables you to build a professional image and reputation within your industry.
• Networking possibilities – You can connect with past coworkers, classmates, recruiters, and other professionals on LinkedIn to grow your overall network. These connections could facilitate your job search through referrals and insights.

In short, LinkedIn opens up more pathways for you to get your resume and qualifications in front of the right people during your job search.

Potential downsides of relying solely on LinkedIn

However, there are some caveats to consider when it comes to utilizing LinkedIn as your main job search strategy:

• Not all employers use LinkedIn – While adoption continues to grow, some companies and hiring decision-makers are not active on LinkedIn. Focusing efforts solely on this platform may cause you to miss openings with these firms.
• LinkedIn still limits your visibility – Despite having over 722 million members, LinkedIn is not a foolproof way for you to gain exposure. Your profile and activity can still get drowned out in such a large pool of users.
• It is not a replacement for traditional applications – Applying directly with a customized cover letter and resume is still required for most openings. LinkedIn on its own is usually not enough.
• Fewer blue collar and entry-level jobs – LinkedIn caters more to white-collar professionals and tends to have limited listings for blue collar, service, retail, administrative, and entry-level roles.
• Oversaturation of applicants – Entry and mid-level jobs in particular often attract an overwhelming amount of applicants on LinkedIn, reducing your odds.

Therefore, solely relying on LinkedIn as your job search strategy could cause you to miss potential opportunities that are advertised elsewhere. Casting a wide net across multiple platforms is the best approach.

Tips for getting the most out of LinkedIn

Here are some tips for leveraging LinkedIn effectively as part of an overall job search strategy:

• Craft a detailed, keyword-optimized profile highlighting your top skills, achievements, and qualifications. This will ensure you appear in relevant recruiter searches.
• Engage regularly by commenting on posts, sharing articles, joining groups, and building your network. This raises your visibility and establishes you as an industry thought leader.
• Follow companies you are interested in to get notified of new openings and gain insider insight that could give you a competitive edge.
• Research who the hiring decision-makers are within target companies and try connecting with them directly via personalized invites and messages.
• Activate job alerts to be automatically notified of new openings matching your search criteria.
• Explore jobs listed as “Easy Apply” where you can submit your LinkedIn profile as an instant application.
• Check the “Career Interests” section of your connections’ profiles to see if their companies are hiring for any relevant roles.
• Contact recruiters at your target companies and send them your LinkedIn URL as a way to get your foot in the door.

Should you pay for LinkedIn Premium?

LinkedIn offers several paid subscription packages under their Premium offering:

• Premium Career – $29.99/month
• Premium Business – $49.99/month
• Premium Sales – $64.99/month
• Recruiter Lite – $99.95/month
• Recruiter – $119.95/month

These memberships provide additional features such as:

• Seeing who has viewed your profile
• Sending InMail messages to anyone, not just your connections
• Seeing full profiles of your non-connections
• Accessing more candidate data and contact information as a recruiter
• Posting jobs and sourcing candidates as a hiring manager

The additional capabilities offered by Premium can potentially take your job search and networking efforts to the next level. But the free version still provides substantial functionality.

Weigh the benefits against the monthly costs to decide if a paid subscription is worth the investment for you. You can also try a free 1-month trial first to test it out.

Should you pay for a premium LinkedIn job posting?

LinkedIn allows you to pay for “spotlighted” job postings that receive extra visibility and promotion. Here are the current LinkedIn rates for premium job listings:

The benefits of paying for a premium job posting include:

• Increased exposure – Your open role gets showcased at the top of search results and promoted to matched candidates.
• Access to active job-seekers – Reach more candidates open to new opportunities, not just passive profiles.
• Company branding – Premium posts let you showcase your employer brand through images, videos, employee spotlights, and more.
• Application insights – You receive metrics on job post performance and applicant demographics to refine your recruitment strategy.

If your goal is to maximize visibility and applications for a high-priority, hard-to-fill opening, a paid LinkedIn job posting could give you a competitive edge. But for general hiring needs, the free job listings should still meet the requirements in most cases.

How to create the perfect LinkedIn profile summary

Your LinkedIn summary section is hugely valuable real estate – it’s your prime opportunity to hook viewers and tell your professional story. Follow these tips for writing a compelling, results-driven summary:

• Lead with a strong headline. Summarize your experience and skills in a short, memorable professional title.
• Tailor to your target audience. Emphasize details that would appeal most to your ideal connections and hiring managers.
• Focus on value propositions. Explain how you solve pressing problems and deliver tangible results, not just responsibilities.
• Quantify achievements. Hard numbers and facts back up vague claims and create more impact.
• Use concise sentences in short paragraphs. Avoid large blocks of text that are hard to digest at a glance.
• Incorporate keywords. Work in relevant terms that align with your industry and professional goals.
• Close with a call to action. Leave readers with a specific request, such as to connect or start a discussion.

Proofread thoroughly and enlist others to review your summary before publishing. A well-crafted overview is your ticket to more meaningful LinkedIn engagement.

Leveraging LinkedIn groups for your job search

One of the most underutilized features on LinkedIn is the ability to join highly targeted Groups based on your location, school, company, interests, and industry. Here are some ways to use Groups to aid your job search:

• Research which Groups your target companies, hiring managers, and alumni are part of to increase your relevance.
• Monitor Group feeds for insider job listings, career advice, and openings posted by other members.
• Ask Group members for introductions to people at companies you want to work for.
• Participate in Group discussions to demonstrate your subject matter expertise.
• Connect with Group members who work in your desired role or department to pick their brains.
• Find mentors, collaborators, and like-minded professionals who can expand your career opportunities.
• Give back by answering questions and sharing resources to build your reputation as a thought leader.

The more active you are within your target Groups, the more visibility and contacts you will gain relevant to your goals. So be purposeful in identifying and engaging with the right Groups for you.

How to get the most connections and followers

Growing your network on LinkedIn takes consistency and creativity. Here are some tips for attracting more high-quality connections and followers:

• Personalize invitation messages using common interests highlighted on profiles.
• Connect with authors, influencers, and leaders who produce content you find interesting.
• Follow companies you admire or want to work for, and engage with their content.
• Join LinkedIn alumni and industry groups where you can connect with like-minded professionals.
• Comment thoughtfully on others’ posts to spark conversation and demonstrate expertise.
• Cross-promote your LinkedIn with other social platforms to increase awareness.
• Create and share compelling original content to provide value to your network.
• Give before getting – offer to help others before asking for favors in return.
• Connect with former coworkers, classmates, friends, family, and other existing contacts.
• Build relationships gradually over time – avoid spamming connection requests.

Focus on building genuine relationships, not just amassing connections. The more you have to offer, the faster your network will grow.

Should you pay for LinkedIn job ads?

Sponsored LinkedIn Job Ads enable you to target your open roles to specific demographics and gain extra visibility in search results. Here is an overview of LinkedIn’s job ad pricing structure:

Benefits of paying for LinkedIn job ads include:

• Increased job views and applications.
• Improved quality of candidates.
• Targeting by location, education, skills, and more.
• Flexibility in budget setting and campaign timelines.
• Ability to track performance metrics and optimize approach.

However, free job posts still receive decent exposure. Weigh your recruiting budget and needs before opting for paid ads.

Some best practices if investing in job ads:

• A/B test different ad variations.
• Define and target your ideal candidate persona.
• Highlight your employer brand and culture.
• Drive traffic to an engaging, mobile-friendly careers page.
• Retarget passive candidates from your talent network.
• Track conversions and cost per applicant to assess ROI.

How to find the right LinkedIn recruiter

Recruiters on LinkedIn can provide warm introductions and insider access to unlisted jobs at the companies they represent. Follow these tips for connecting with the right recruiter:

• Search by company and location using the recruiter filter on LinkedIn.
• Focus on in-house corporate recruiters at your target employers versus third-party agencies.
• Look for common connections who could provide a referral intro.
• Assess if they are actively hiring for roles matching your background.
• Aim for recruiters focused on your specific function, level, and geography.
• Send concise InMail messages highlighting your fit and interest in opportunities.
• Mention colleagues, advisors, or others who referred you for a warmer approach.
• Follow up any placements with candidate referrals and sincere thanks.

Building relationships with the right recruiters takes persistence but can fast-track you past the initial application screen.

Should you pay for LinkedIn open candidates?

LinkedIn’s Open Candidates feature lets you pay to view and contact professionals listed as “open to opportunities” on LinkedIn. Some key things to consider:

• Open Candidates get inundated with outreach, lowering response rates.
• You still need an effective qualifying and closing strategy.
• High price point, from $99-$249 per person contacted.
• People can become “open” passively just by opting in to career interest ads.
• Open Candidates are not necessarily urgent active job seekers.

An alternative is targeting passive candidates through regular LinkedIn Recruiter seat licenses or talent pool searches. The ideal approach depends on your budget and recruiting needs.

Conclusion

In summary, while having a LinkedIn presence is certainly an asset in today’s job market, it should not be the sole focus of your job search. The most effective approach is casting a wide net across multiple platforms and networking channels. Leverage LinkedIn to complement, not replace, traditional job hunting efforts.

Build a complete, optimized profile, but also be proactive about applying to roles, tapping into your existing network, attending industry events, and looking past LinkedIn to uncover hidden opportunities. With a balanced, multi-pronged search strategy, your next great job is within reach.