By Emily Seamone

Photo by Free To Use Sounds on Unsplash

LinkedIn is a social networking tool that connects professionals in various fields around the world. It is also a helpful resource for finding and applying to jobs. During one of our recent webinars, we reviewed how to use LinkedIn for job searching, networking, and personal branding. This blog post provides an overview of how to use LinkedIn specifically for job searching.

The Active Job Search

Jobs Tab

The first way LinkedIn can help you find jobs is by allowing you to review actual job postings. To access open positions, visit the “Jobs” tab in the header of the LinkedIn platform. LinkedIn reports that they have more than 30 million companies posting approximately 20 million jobs at any given time. These companies pay a sizeable fee to post on LinkedIn.

Once in the Jobs section, you will be able to search by title, keyword, company, and location. Here you can also use Boolean search terms, such as AND, OR, and NOT. When the search results appear, filter further (see additional filters at the top of the page) by selecting several other criteria, including company, job function, industry, job type, experience level, date posted, commute, benefits, and other LinkedIn features, such as searching for people in your network. In other words, you can create your own unique search criteria combination.

You can save job postings that you are interested in, as well as your unique job search combinations, which then create a job alert notification email that you will receive for any new jobs that fit your criteria. Experts indicate that it may be advantageous to apply within the first few days of a posting, as hiring managers seem more likely to pay attention during this time. Job search alerts are helpful because they can let you know immediately when new jobs are posted. While you’re in the Jobs tab, don’t miss the jobs “Based on Your Profile,” “Similar Jobs,” and “Other Jobs People Have Viewed” areas, which are great ways to expand your search.

The major benefit of browsing jobs on LinkedIn is the ability to see if you have connections to anyone working at a particular organization. After all, having a “connection” to a company can greatly help your prospects of landing an interview. In the details of each LinkedIn job posting, you will be able to view whether you have connections at that company. As mentioned above, you can also filter your search to include jobs at companies where your connections are working (see the filter “Who is in your network”). Your network in this case includes your first-degree connections, alumni from schools you have attended, and professionals who used to work at your current company. Once you have found a connection, you can strategically reach out to these professionals. Your specific approach may depend on several factors, such as whether you already know the person, and if so, what your relationship is. You can learn more about different ways to reach out to professionals in our last blog post, “LinkedIn Connections: Using LinkedIn to Network for a Specific Job.”

Company Pages

Another place to find jobs is through Company pages. There are more than 30 million companies on LinkedIn, ranging from large Fortune 500 companies to smaller non-profits, and representing more than 150 different industries. Most of these companies have a page, just as you have a profile. These pages allow companies to promote their products and services and to attract job seekers. Company pages contain general information, such as an overview, list of employees on LinkedIn, and general news. Most companies also list job openings on their pages (which you can also find in the Jobs section).

If you have a targeted organization list, one strategy is to “follow” companies of interest (you can follow up to 1,000 companies). Simply type in the company name (or keywords if you are looking for several companies) in the general search box at the top of the LinkedIn platform. Then filter by “Company” to narrow your results. When you come across your target organizations’ pages, select the “follow” button. Now you will receive updates on the company’s activities and status updates, such as news about the company and, importantly, new job postings. These updates will appear on your LinkedIn homepage alongside updates from your connections.

On the Company landing page, you can view who in your network is working at the organization and then choose the best person to reach out to, as mentioned previously. If you don’t have any first-degree connections at the company, LinkedIn will indicate alumni from schools you have attended that work at the organization.

Each Company page also has a menu with tabs, which typically includes a Jobs tab and People tab. The Jobs tab is where you can view open jobs at the organization and jobs recommended for you, if there are any. You can also create a job search alert so that you receive a timely email notice when new jobs are posted.

In the People tab, you can conduct research on current employees, such as where employees live, where and what they studied, what they do, their skills, and how you are connected to them. You can also search through employees by keywords, such as by a school you attended or a specific type of role or position title. Once you have a smaller pool of profiles to review, check out any people that look interesting. This gives you a group of potential professionals to reach out to as well.

Apply Here

There are two ways by which you can apply for jobs on LinkedIn. Job postings will have a button labeled either “Easy Apply” or “Apply.” Apply means you are applying via the company website portal. When you use the Easy Apply route, LinkedIn sends your contact information and LinkedIn profile to the employer. Be careful with this method, as you want to ensure that your profile makes sense for that particular job and company and closely mirrors your resume. Your profile does not need to be an exact replica of your resume, but it should convey the same general personal brand. When using Easy Apply, you will have the option of including your resume and cover letter. Keep in mind that LinkedIn’s algorithms may also analyze your profile and share with the employer how strongly you match the job and how you compare to other candidates.

Other helpful information may also appear in the details of each LinkedIn job posting, such as when the job was posted, how many people have applied, how your skills and education match the job, estimated or actual salary and benefits, how long your commute might be, similar jobs, and other jobs people have viewed. Not every posting will have all of this information, as it depends on what the employer includes, but it’s worth looking for.

The Passive Job Search

Finally, if you want employers to come to you with open jobs (what we call “the passive job search” or “job-searching-while-you-are-sleeping”), there are two tasks to take care of. First, spend time optimizing your profile, which will increase your chances of showing up in searches that employers and recruiters are conducting on the backend.

Second, you can secretly let recruiters know you are open to job opportunities. Near the top of your profile, there should be a box with the linked text “Show recruiters you’re open to work.” After clicking on that, fill in details about the types of jobs you are interested in. Note that recruiters are more often used in certain fields, especially those that involve large, for-profit companies. However, it doesn’t hurt to turn on this button if you are not sure whether your field taps into recruiters or not.

Further Resources

You are now ready to use LinkedIn to strategically help you find and secure your next job by setting up job search alerts, following companies of interest, finding professionals to reach out to, turning on the recruiter button, and priming your profile for the passive job search.

For more information on how to improve your profile, read our blog post about optimizing your LinkedIn profile and review the recording of our “Stand Out Online: Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile” webinar.