Getting a job through LinkedIn can be challenging, but not impossible. With the right strategy and effort, LinkedIn can be a valuable tool for finding and landing your next career opportunity. Here are some tips and insights on successfully using LinkedIn to get hired.
The Importance of a Strong Profile
The first step is having an impactful, polished LinkedIn profile. This is vital because it’s often the first impression hiring managers will have of you. Make sure your profile is 100% complete with a professional headshot, compelling headline, detailed work experience, and rich background summary conveying your value. Include key skills, certifications, awards, volunteer work, and recommendations. You want to paint a full picture of who you are as a candidate. Take time crafting the written content to use powerful language demonstrating your achievements. The more robust and intriguing your profile, the better.
Expand Your Network
Building out your network is crucial for surfacing job opportunities. The larger your 1st degree network, the more hiring managers and employees you’ll have access to. Send personalized connection requests to colleagues, peers, alumni from your university, former bosses and coworkers, recruiters from relevant companies, and more. Aim to connect with at least 500+ people. Also join targeted LinkedIn Groups related to your industry and interests to expand your reach. Participate actively in the Groups commenting on discussions and posting content to establish your expertise.
Follow Target Companies
Research the companies you’d like to work for and follow their LinkedIn Company Pages. This ensures you stay up-to-date on new job postings, news, events, and other developments. It also signals to the company that you’re interested. You can even go a step further and follow specific employees like recruiters, department heads, and senior managers. This gives you a direct connection to monitor and nurtures a relationship over time through engaging with their content.
Keyword Target Your Profile
Make sure your profile is optimized with relevant keywords for the types of roles you want. Research job listings that appeal to you and take note of key terms and phrases commonly used around required qualifications, skills, duties, and more. Work these keywords naturally into your profile content so you appear in recruiter searches. You can also include a skills section with the most critical keywords highlighted.
Leverage the Open To Work Feature
Switch on the “Open To Work” setting so recruiters know you’re actively job searching. This surfaces your profile to hiring managers looking for candidates. You can get ultra-targeted by indicating specific job titles, locations, and employment types you have interest in. Recruiters can reach out to you directly if they feel you’re a potential match.
Apply to Jobs on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has a robust jobs board with relevant openings available right in the platform. Tailor and submit quality applications to increase your chances. Customize your resume and cover letter to align with the job ad. Also take time to thoughtfully respond to any supplemental questions when prompted. Applying directly on LinkedIn can give you a leg up over competition from external sites.
Follow Company Pages for Job Alerts
Get notified the second a relevant new job is posted by following Company Pages and turning on job alerts. You’ll be among the very first applicants which improves likelihood of consideration. Immediately apply when you see a good opening rather than waiting and risking the role being filled.
Build Connections with Recruiters and Hiring Managers
Initiate relationships with recruiters, HR personnel, department leaders, and executives at organizations you’re interested in. Comment thoughtfully on their posts to organically engage. Send brief, polite messages introducing yourself and expressing your enthusiasm for the company. Offer to connect for a quick virtual coffee chat to learn more. Building these direct ties can help position you for unlisted opportunities.
Attend Company Sponsored Virtual Events
Join live and on-demand webinars, conferences, and other virtual events put on by your target employers. Participate actively in the chat and Q&A. This visibility paired with your existing connections can lead to outreach and conversations post-event. It also shows the company your eagerness to engage.
Share Valuable Insights and Perspectives
Posting and interacting on LinkedIn in ways that showcase your skills, experience, and thought leadership can grab recruiter attention. Share educational articles, advice, data, trends, industry commentary, and more. Participate in discussions adding value. Ask smart questions. These actions highlight what you can bring to the table as a candidate.
Consider Paid Tools
Investing a small amount of money can further boost your LinkedIn job search effectiveness. Options like premium subscriptions give you access to features like contacting anyone without being connected, seeing everyone who viewed your profile, expanded search filters, unlimited InMail messages, and more. Paid job ads let you really target and directly pitch specific companies.
Have Patience and Persistence
Keep in mind that landing a job through LinkedIn does take effort and consistency over an extended period. Set aside dedicated time for your search every day or few days. Follow this routine for weeks or months. Tweak and refine your approach based on what gains traction. With a thoughtful strategy and tenacity, LinkedIn can definitely help advance your career over time.
Summary Data on LinkedIn’s Effectiveness for Job Seeking
| 62% | of people hired in 2021 found their job through networking |
| 40% | of people use LinkedIn to look for work |
| 20% | of people found their current job through LinkedIn |
| 10%+ | of jobs on LinkedIn are posted exclusively on platform |
| ~50% | of hiring managers use LinkedIn to evaluate candidates |
Pros of Using LinkedIn for Your Job Search
There are many advantages to leveraging LinkedIn as part of your overall job seeking strategy:
Direct Access to Professionals and Hiring Managers
You can connect directly with recruiters, talent managers, and decision makers responsible for openings at target companies.
Ability to Showcase Your Skills and Experience
Your rich profile acts as a dynamic resume highlighting your background, achievements, credentials, knowledge and more.
Surfacing of Relevant Openings
Jobs matching your interests and qualifications appear in your feed and notifications based on your preferences.
Targeted Networking Opportunities
Groups, events, commenting, and messaging allow you to build and nurture the relationships that lead to jobs.
Posting of Exclusive Roles
Some jobs are posted only on LinkedIn and unavailable elsewhere giving you early access.
Built-In Application System
You can conveniently apply for relevant openings directly through the LinkedIn platform.
Higher Quality Candidate Leads
Hiring managers can better assess potential fit based on your detailed profile and existing connections.
Cons of Using LinkedIn for Your Job Search
There are also some potential limitations or drawbacks to relying solely on LinkedIn:
Time Investment Required
Effectively using LinkedIn to get hired demands a significant time commitment to build your network and nurture relationships.
Not All Roles Listed
While LinkedIn has many jobs, some companies still primarily use their own career sites or external platforms.
Increased Competition
Applying through LinkedIn can mean going up against a larger pool of candidates versus other channels.
Difficulty Standing Out
With hundreds of millions of members, differentiating yourself and connecting meaningfully takes effort.
Messaging Limits
Free members have restrictions on how many messages they can send which hinders outreach.
Impersonal Nature
Networking and applying online can feel distant compared to more personal in-person interactions.
Requires Online Presence Comfort
Those not liking promotion via social media may feel less comfortable leveraging LinkedIn fully.
Conclusion
Overall, dedicating yourself to mastering LinkedIn as part of your job search strategy can yield great rewards. While challenging, the investment can pay off with access to more exclusive opportunities, direct connections with key decision makers, and showcasing of your full capabilities beyond just a resume. Approach LinkedIn as critical piece of the puzzle but not the only approach. Combining it with networking, job sites, career fairs, recruiting agencies and more gives you the best chances for success. With a thoughtful, multi-channel plan incorporating LinkedIn best practices you can stand out from fellow applicants.
