How do I use LinkedIn Boolean search?

LinkedIn’s advanced search allows you to use Boolean operators to narrow down your search results. Boolean search helps you find more relevant profiles and content by combining keywords with operators like AND, NOT, and OR. Using Boolean search properly can help you connect with the right people and opportunities.

What is LinkedIn Boolean Search?

LinkedIn Boolean search allows you to combine keywords with operators like AND, OR, NOT and parentheses to conduct a more targeted search. For example:

• “marketing AND social media” finds profiles with both keywords
• “engineer NOT software” finds engineers in other fields besides software
• “product manager OR program manager” finds profiles with either keyword

By using these Boolean operators, you can eliminate irrelevant results and hone in on the LinkedIn members and content that aligns closest with your search intentions. LinkedIn’s Boolean capabilities make it easy to find the right profiles without having to sift through thousands of results.

Why Use LinkedIn Boolean Search?

There are a few key reasons why you should use Boolean search on LinkedIn:

• More relevant search results – Boolean search gives you more control over your results. You can weed out profiles that aren’t applicable and find better matches.
• Improved targeting – Combine keywords about job titles, skills, companies, locations and more to land on the best possible prospects.
• Time savings – Boolean searches eliminate the need to scroll through pages of irrelevant results. You’ll find who and what you need faster.

In summary, LinkedIn Boolean search ensures your efforts are directed towards the connections and information that matters most to your goals. The added search precision can significantly improve your experience using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Boolean Search Operators

Here are the key Boolean operators you can use on LinkedIn search:

AND

The AND operator lets you filter for results that match both terms. For example:

• marketing AND New York
• social media AND advertising

This would return profiles of marketers based in New York and people in social media advertising respectively.

OR

The OR operator matches profiles/posts containing either term. For example:

• marketing OR communications
• CEO OR founder

This would return profiles of marketing or communications professionals and profiles of CEOs or founders.

NOT

The NOT operator excludes any profiles that mention the term after it. For example:

• software engineer NOT intern
• marketing NOT sales

This would search for software engineers who aren’t interns and marketing professionals excluding those in sales roles.

“”

Using quotation marks around a specific phrase will search for the exact term. For example:

• “content marketing”
• “consumer goods”

This would find profiles mentioning that exact vocabulary. Quotes help match precise job titles and other keywords.

()

Parentheses group operators and establish the order of operations. For example:

• CEO OR founder AND (Stanford OR Wharton)
• (engineering OR product) AND manager

The first example would find CEOs/founders who attended Stanford or Wharton business schools. The second example searches for engineering or product managers.

LinkedIn Boolean Search Examples

Here are some specific examples of advanced LinkedIn Boolean searches:

Software Engineers in Austin

“software engineer” AND Austin

Marketing Managers Excluding Sales

marketing manager NOT sales

UX Designers with 5+ Years Experience

“UX designer” AND (“5 years” OR “5+ years” OR “5 + years”)

Developers from Top Tech Companies

(developer OR programmer) AND (“Google” OR “Facebook” OR “Microsoft” OR “Apple”)

Investment Bankers who Attended Ivy League Schools

“investment banking” AND (“Harvard” OR “Yale” OR “Princeton” OR “Columbia”)

Tips for Effective LinkedIn Boolean Search

Here are some tips to use LinkedIn Boolean search effectively:

• Start broad – Use 1-2 keywords before adding Boolean operators
• Use quotes – Enclose specific phrases like job titles in quotation marks
• AND is narrower than OR – AND gives fewer results focused on both terms
• Avoid over-targeting – Being too narrow can exclude good results
• Check your search history – Refine searches over multiple attempts

Mastering these best practices takes some experimentation, but can help surface the ideal profiles and content for your goals.

Where to Use LinkedIn Boolean Search

You can use Boolean operators in these key areas of LinkedIn:

• People search – Find relevant profiles for networking and recruiting
• Content search – Discover posts, articles and other content
• Job search – Search for open positions and filter postings
• Companies search – Research organizations to work for or sell to
• Groups search – Identify active groups in your industry or topic

Boolean search works across LinkedIn to pinpoint the right connections, information and opportunities.

LinkedIn vs. Google Boolean Search

While LinkedIn and Google both support Boolean search, there are some key differences:

In summary, LinkedIn Boolean search is specialized for professional search intents while Google covers a broader set of information.

Conclusion

LinkedIn Boolean search provides a simple yet powerful way to control and refine your search results. Using Boolean operators like AND, OR and NOT gives you more precision in finding the right profiles, companies, groups, content and job postings.

Investing time to learn Boolean techniques can significantly boost your LinkedIn networking and recruiting. With the right search queries, you can cut through the noise to connect with your ideal audience.

So tap into the full potential of LinkedIn’s platform by mastering Boolean search. Combine keywords and operators to accomplish your professional goals faster.