LinkedIn is a professional networking platform used by over 700 million members worldwide. With so many users, LinkedIn makes it easy to find and connect with almost anyone. Here are some tips on how to find other LinkedIn accounts.
Search by Name
The easiest way to find someone’s LinkedIn profile is to search for them by name. Use the main search bar at the top of any LinkedIn page. Type in the full name of the person you want to find. For example “John Smith”. LinkedIn will show you profiles that match that name.
To narrow it down, you can add in location or company details if you know them. For example “John Smith Atlanta” or “John Smith ABC Company”. This helps filter the results to profiles more likely to be the person you’re looking for.
Search Within Your Network
If you and the person you’re looking for have any shared connections, you may be able to find their profile through your own network. Go to the My Network page on LinkedIn. This shows all of your connections.
Type the name into the search bar at the top of the My Network page. If anyone in your network is connected to someone with that name, their profile will show up in the results. You can then send a connection request to connect with them directly.
Search Company Pages
If you know the company someone works for, look for their profile on that company’s LinkedIn page. Go to the company’s LinkedIn page and click “See all employees” to view everyone who has listed that company on their profile. You can search for the person’s name in the search bar there.
This works best for larger companies that have hundreds or thousands of employees on LinkedIn. For smaller companies you may have to search through the employee list manually.
Ask for an Introduction
If you have a shared connection with the person, you can ask that connection for an introduction. This allows you to bypass sending a cold connection request.
Go to your shared connection’s profile and click “Ask for an introduction”. Type in the name of the person you want to connect with. Your shared connection will get a notification. If they agree to make an intro, the other person will get a message with the option to connect.
Join the Same Groups
LinkedIn Groups bring together like-minded professionals in the same industries or with shared interests. By joining groups that your target connection is in, you may be able to find and connect with them more easily.
Go to the Interests section on LinkedIn and browse groups related to your industry and interests. Look through the members list once you join to see if your target connection is a member.
Advanced Search Filters
LinkedIn’s advanced search allows you to filter by location, industry, company size, job function, and more. To use advanced search:
- Go to the main LinkedIn search bar
- Click “All filters”
- Select your search criteria from the options
- Type the name into the keywords field
- Click “Search”
For example, you could search for “John Smith” who works at a “Computer Software” company with “501-1000 employees” located in “San Francisco Bay Area”. The more filters you use, the more your results will narrow down.
Search by Email Address
If you have the exact email address of the LinkedIn member you’re looking for, you can search by email address to find their profile.
Next to the main search bar, click the option for “Email”. Type in the full email address of the person and click search. If that email is associated with a LinkedIn account, their profile will appear.
Find Alumni
The LinkedIn alumni tool allows you to search profiles by school. You can find fellow alumni who graduated the same year or were part of the same student groups and clubs.
Go to your university’s LinkedIn page. Click on the number below “Alumni” to open the alumni search tool. Filter by graduation year, major, degree, clubs and more to narrow down your search.
Premium Subscriptions
LinkedIn Premium subscriptions offer more advanced profile searching and filtering capabilities. Upgrading to Premium allows you to search profiles by mutual connections, location, industry, job title, and more.
With a Premium account you can also see the full list of people who have viewed your profile. This can potentially help you discover LinkedIn connections you may have in common.
Boolean Search
Boolean search uses operators like AND, OR, and NOT to combine keywords and filter search results. Here are some examples of Boolean searches:
- “John AND Smith” – Results must match both keywords
- “Marketing OR Sales” – Results can match either keyword
- “Software NOT Engineering” – Results must match first keyword but NOT second
Boolean operators give you more control to include or exclude specific search criteria. You can combine these with other filters like location, company, job title and more.
Tips for Effective Searching
Here are some additional tips for searching LinkedIn effectively:
- Try different keyword variations of the person’s name
- Use their full name instead of just first or last name
- Search by job title and company if you know that information
- Check name spellings – many profiles have alternate versions of names
- If you share any groups or connections, focus your search there
- Use LinkedIn Premium free trial to access more filters
Other Places to Check
In addition to searching LinkedIn directly, here are some other places you may be able to find the person’s profile or make a connection:
- Company website – look for their bio or contact page
- Conferences and events – connect in-person if you both attend
- Industry directories – some list social media profiles
- Mutual connections – ask around your network
When You Still Can’t Find Them
If you still can’t find the person through searching, they may not have a LinkedIn profile. Other options to consider are:
- Search for them on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks
- Look up their published articles, papers, or other written works
- Use a people search or business directory to find other contact info
- Ask mutual connections for an introduction or their contact details
Connecting With People You Don’t Know
When reaching out to strangers on LinkedIn, it’s important to personalize your request and explain why you want to connect.
- Mention common connections, interests, or affiliations
- Explain why you want to get in touch
- Share what value you think you could provide them
- Let them know you respect their time and input
Finding the right people on LinkedIn takes persistence and creativity. Start with their name and use available filters and search tools. Also leverage your own network and shared connections. With the right approach, you can find and connect with almost anyone.
FAQs
Is it possible to find someone’s LinkedIn if you only have their name?
It is possible to find someone’s LinkedIn with only a name, but it can be challenging. You would need to search for their name and filter through any profiles that come up by location, company, job title and other details to try to identify the correct person. Additional name search tips would be to use their full name rather than just first or last name, check different keyword variations of their name, and search groups and networks you share to uncover mutual connections.
What are some ways I can narrow down my search results on LinkedIn?
Some ways to narrow LinkedIn search results include:
- Add location details like city, state, or country
- Search within your own network connections
- Filter by company, job title, industry, skills, school
- Use advanced Boolean search operators like AND and NOT
- Upgrade to a Premium account to access more filters
Is there a way to search for someone if I don’t have their exact name spelling?
If you don’t have the exact spelling of someone’s name, try different variations when searching – for example try Jon, John, or Jonathan for someone named John. You can also search by job title and company instead. Or look through groups and alumni networks you have in common where their name may be listed. Getting creative with alternate names and filters can help track down the right profile.
What is the benefit of having a Premium account for finding LinkedIn profiles?
LinkedIn Premium accounts unlock more advanced searching and filtering options, including:
- Filter by mutual connections
- Search by member ID number
- See full list of who’s viewed your profile
- Search by proximity and location radius
- View profile visitor trends and analytics
Premium also removes search result limits, lets you browse in incognito mode, and gives expanded profile views. Overall, it provides more tools to control search parameters and visibility.
Conclusion
With over 700 million users, LinkedIn is a powerful platform for finding and connecting with professionals in almost any industry. While it may take some digging, in most cases you can find a specific person’s profile through a combination of creative searching, filtering, and leveraging mutual connections. Focus your efforts and be persistent until you locate the profile you need.
