3 Tips to Find Jobs Using LinkedIn

by Sydney Frodsham November 30, 2022

We all know LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals. With over 250 million users worldwide, it’s the perfect place to connect with people in your industry.

However, LinkedIn is more than a social networking site. It’s also a great place to search and apply for job openings. Like any site, it has certain features that make it unique and valuable to the user. In fact, over the last three years, 81% of people we supported during their career transition said LinkedIn was a key to finding their new role. This is why it’s critical to leverage LinkedIn in any passive or active job search.

Here are three tips to help you get the most out of your LinkedIn job search.

Tip #1: Create job alerts.

Like some other job search sites, LinkedIn has a feature that lets you set job alerts for job postings that meet your criteria.

To set it up, go to the “Job” section of LinkedIn and click on the “Job alerts” tab. After pressing “Search for jobs,” you’ll be able to filter your job search preferences, such as experience level, salary, job type, and more. You’ll also have the option to manage how often you receive notifications of relevant job postings. If you want an email every day or just a LinkedIn notification once a week, you have options.

*Side note: “Easy apply” means you can apply for the job through LinkedIn.

Tip #2: Make a list of target companies and interact with them.

LinkedIn, like any social media site, uses an algorithm to determine what you see on your feed and how other people (connections, recruiters) view your profile.

In short, the more you interact with certain people or companies, the more likely LinkedIn will show your profile to those people if they’re searching to fill a job opening.

To optimize your LinkedIn, write down a list of companies you’d love to work for. Follow them on LinkedIn, like and comment on their posts, and try and connect with people at each company. If you’ve connected with enough people on LinkedIn, chances are you’ll have some tie to current employees at one of your target companies. Reach out to them. Build a connection. If a position at that company opens up in the future, you’ll have a better chance of filling it than someone with no connections to the company. This leads me to Tip #3…

Tip #3: Network, network, network.

Did you know that 70% of job openings are never posted online? Or that 60% of jobs are found through networking?

As mentioned in Tip #2, LinkedIn is perfect for networking. If you haven’t already, connect with everyone you know who has a LinkedIn account. Friends, family, neighbors, former and current colleagues, bosses, acquaintances—everyone. Send a short, personalized note to each. Expanding your network will increase your chances of having connections at some of your target companies. Perhaps your child’s soccer coach is friends with a manager at one of your target companies. You can use that mutual connection to your advantage.

Build on each connection you make by commenting on peoples’ posts, sending a work anniversary message, or sharing relevant articles. Remember, a network must be fostered. If you don’t work on keeping up relationships, your network will be of no use to you.

Bonus Tip: Hire a coach to help you optimize your LinkedIn profile.

There’s more to LinkedIn than meets the eye. I took a five-week course on optimizing a LinkedIn profile to best suit the algorithm, but not everyone has that time (or desire).

Instead, hiring an expert to help you navigate the site could be instrumental in your job search. Our programs at Don’t Dread Monday include resume help, as well.

With a little bit of work, LinkedIn can be a valuable tool in your job search. Take some time to work for you.

Happy optimizing!

Sydney