LinkedIn has become one of the most popular platforms for job seekers and employers alike. With over 722 million users worldwide as of April 2021, LinkedIn offers access to a massive global talent pool for recruiters and companies. At the same time, it provides job seekers with a powerful tool to build their professional brand, connect with employers, and find new career opportunities.
The Popularity of LinkedIn for Job Searching
Recent surveys and studies have shown that LinkedIn is one of the top resources used by job seekers today. According to LinkedIn’s 2021 Global Talent Trends report, 78% of job seekers worldwide use LinkedIn to search for jobs. This number has steadily increased over the past few years, up from 70% in 2016.
Some key statistics on LinkedIn’s popularity among job seekers:
- 78% of job seekers use LinkedIn to search for jobs (LinkedIn 2021 Global Talent Trends)
- 92% of job seekers use LinkedIn at some point during a job search (Talent Works)
- 70% of people found their current job through networking (LinkedIn)
- LinkedIn has over 30 million company pages (LinkedIn)
- There are over 20 million job listings on LinkedIn at any given time (LinkedIn)
Clearly, LinkedIn has established itself as a go-to platform for job hunting and recruitment. Its huge user base, wealth of company and job information, and networking capabilities make it an unrivaled tool for connecting job seekers with employment opportunities.
Key Reasons Why Job Seekers Use LinkedIn
There are several key factors that explain LinkedIn’s immense popularity among job seekers:
1. Access to an enormous range of jobs and companies
With over 30 million company pages, LinkedIn provides job hunters access to a vast number of potential employers and opportunities. Job seekers can search for openings, follow company pages to stay up-to-date on new listings, and browse jobs by industry, location, and other filters.
2. Powerful profile and networking tools
LinkedIn profiles allow job seekers to create detailed, professional summaries of their background, skills, accomplishments, recommendations, and more. Profiles double as digital resumes searchable by recruiters. Networking tools make it easy to connect with professionals at target companies.
3. Ability to be “found” by recruiters
Recruiters extensively use LinkedIn to search for job candidates based on skills, experience, education, and other criteria. A strong LinkedIn presence allows job seekers to be found by recruiters rather than always having to apply cold.
4. Insights into company culture and hiring managers
By following company pages, job hunters can gain useful insights into a firm’s culture, values, and work environment from employees’ posts and comments. They can also research hiring managers before interviews to find common connections.
5. Options to signal interest to employers
Job seekers can follow company pages, join relevant LinkedIn Groups, and follow or connect with key employees to signal interest and get on a recruiter’s radar.
6. Ability to stay on top of job market trends
The LinkedIn Feed provides regular updates on career advice, job market news, salary data, and other useful info to stay savvy in the modern job search.
How Job Seekers Use LinkedIn in Their Search
Job seekers utilize a variety of LinkedIn’s features and tools throughout the phases of their search:
Research Phase
In the early stages of a job search, LinkedIn enables research into industries, companies, locations, job roles, salaries, and trends. Job seekers can follow company pages, join Groups, and build connections with key professionals.
Job Searching Phase
Once ready to look for openings, job seekers can search through millions of listings by keyword, title, company, location, and other filters. Saving job searches and setting up job alerts provide ongoing notifications of relevant new openings.
Applying Phase
After identifying openings to apply for, job seekers can leverage their LinkedIn profiles as resumes and apply through LinkedIn’s easy apply system. Shared connections at the company can provide referrals.
Interview Phase
Prior to interviews, applicants can research the company, hiring manager, and interviewers through LinkedIn profiles, posts, and news articles. This allows them to find common ground and prepare tailored pitches.
Offer Evaluation Phase
LinkedIn enables research into typical salary ranges, company culture, advancement opportunities, and more to evaluate job offers. The platform’s data and peer insights help negotiate salary and benefits.
Onboarding & Networking Phase
Once hired, joining alumni and company Groups aids onboarding by building connections. Ongoing networking expands one’s industry profile for future opportunities.
Most Valued LinkedIn Features Among Job Seekers
In a 2021 survey by TalentWorks, over 2,000 job seekers ranked the most useful features on LinkedIn for their job search:
| LinkedIn Feature | Percentage Finding Useful |
|---|---|
| Company Pages | 92% |
| Groups | 63% |
| Search Jobs Feature | 91% |
| Saved Jobs | 84% |
| Job Alerts | 81% |
| Profinder (Freelancer Marketplace) | 39% |
| Salary Insights | 46% |
| LinkedIn Newsfeed | 68% |
| LinkedIn Learning (Lynda) | 49% |
| Profile Badges | 36% |
As the data shows, company pages, job search features, and Groups rank among the most useful LinkedIn capabilities for job hunters. Resources like company pages and news provide valuable insights, while tools like saved searches and alerts provide ongoing notifications of promising openings.
Meanwhile, features like profile badges and the freelancer marketplace have niche utility for specific segments of job seekers. But for most, the core networking, job search, and research features deliver the greatest value.
Most Popular Job Search Keywords on LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s vast database can be searched using an extensive array of keywords and filters. But data indicates several terms consistently rank among the most popular for job seekers on the platform:
Most Popular Job Titles
Recruiter, Project Manager, Business Development, Account Manager, Business Analyst
Most Popular Skills
Leadership, Management, Sales, Marketing, Communication
Most Popular Companies
Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, UnitedHealth Group, Walmart, IBM
Most Popular Locations
New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Houston
Most Popular Industries
Information Technology, Finance, Healthcare, Marketing, Education
Job seekers can maximize their chances by using the keywords and terms that recruiters search for most when sourcing candidates on LinkedIn. Tailoring one’s profile, skills, and experience accordingly helps attract their attention.
Tips for Using LinkedIn to Find a Job
Here are some top tips for job seekers to use LinkedIn effectively during their search:
Complete your profile – Include all relevant skills, achievements, education, certifications, volunteer work, languages, and employment history. Profiles that are at least 80% complete fare best.
Customize your LinkedIn URL – Claim a unique, professional URL with your name to include on your resume, email signature, etc.
Showcase your skills and achievements – Sprinkle in key skills throughout your profile and summarize measurable achievements from each role. Use visually engaging media like charts, images, slides, and videos if possible.
Expand your network – Connect with professionals at your target companies, fellow alumni, former colleagues, and those in your desired industry.
Follow companies you’re interested in – Follow relevant company pages to join their talent network and stay updated on new job posts.
Join relevant LinkedIn Groups – Join Groups focused on your target roles, industries, interests, universities, etc. to expand your reach.
Research hiring managers – Look up their LinkedIn profiles before interviews to find common ground and personalized talking points.
Turn on job alerts – Set up email or in-app alerts to get notifications of newly posted jobs matching your saved searches.
Watch relevant content – View LinkedIn videos, presentations, and other content posted by your target companies to gain insider perspective.
Optimizing your LinkedIn presence and leveraging all its capabilities can give your job search a tremendous boost in reaching the right people. Consistency and persistence are key to using LinkedIn effectively.
Conclusion
LinkedIn has cemented itself as the #1 platform used by job seekers and recruiters today. With over 722 million users and unparalleled access to companies, networking, postings, data, and career resources, it has become the go-to resource for the modern job hunt.
Nearly 80% of today’s job seekers use LinkedIn at some stage of their search. Its unmatched ability to connect job hunters with opportunities, be “found” by recruiters, and provide insights into industries and companies explains its immense popularity. Core features like company pages, job search tools, and networking deliver the greatest utility.
Optimizing one’s LinkedIn presence with a complete, keyword-rich profile and broad network is essential to maximize visibility and opportunities. Consistently engaging with the platform by researching companies, joining Groups, viewing content, and setting up alerts keeps job seekers visible and in the loop on new roles matching their experience. For most seekers, consistent, savvy use of LinkedIn offers a significant boost versus other job sites in connecting with the right opportunities.
