Job hunting on LinkedIn – where to start and how to stand out?

Job search on LinkedIn is an active or passive way of searching for job offers on the LinkedIn professional network, using job advertisements, profile optimization, networking with employers, and direct contact with HR specialists.

This article discusses how to use LinkedIn effectively for job hunting: from active and reactive search methods, profile optimization, and networking with HR specialists to opportunities to get noticed by employers.

Search for jobs yourself

LinkedIn can be used actively or reactively. Reactive job hunting is when candidates search for job ads in the LinkedIn job offers section, i.e., respond to a specific need. This reactive approach is suitable when the candidate’s experience is in demand and there are plenty of job offers on LinkedIn. If the experience is narrow and more niche in nature, it is worth looking for a job yourself, i.e. undertaking an active job search.

An active search can be carried out in various ways, but the most effective is to contact employers who match the candidate’s experience. For example, if a candidate is a QA specialist, they should select the most attractive IT employers and contact their HR specialists via LinkedIn invitations and direct messages. A pleasant, brief inquiry about career opportunities and the submission of your profile can yield unexpectedly good results. Of course, this active method of job searching on LinkedIn requires much more time and attention than reactively responding to job offers on LinkedIn.

Be found by employers

It’s no secret that LinkedIn HR specialists are actively looking for employees themselves. That’s why the findability of a candidate’s profile is extremely important. After all, it’s always more fun to receive an offer from an employer than to send your CV yourself.

Of course, simply having a profile is not enough to be accessible and findable. You need a good summary of your experience, you need to choose the field in which you are looking for career prospects, you need to use the right keywords in your profile, and you need to try to have as many first-degree (1st) contacts as possible who could potentially be looking for employees. This last aspect of expanding your network of contacts is very important. Most often, LinkedIn users build a network of contacts from among their acquaintances or colleagues, which is of little value when looking for a job. After all, these contacts already know the candidate well and will not search for them on LinkedIn when looking to offer a job. A completely different category is HR (human resources) specialists who do not know the candidate. By building a network of contacts from such specialists, you can expect both a greater number of job offers and overall visibility. Your LinkedIn network is one of the most important factors in finding a job, and all your efforts to expand your network with targeted employer contacts will definitely pay off.

To increase your visibility, it is worth remembering that companies often turn to professionals who are involved in executive search and selection, headhunting, personnel selection, or specialize in IT specialist search.

The extra mile effect

Even if your LinkedIn profile is comprehensive and accurately matches the job description sought by the employer, there are always opportunities to stand out from other equally suitable candidates. A good example of this is the LinkedIn recommendations section. Once you have collected several recommendations from respected managers, this section becomes a good incentive to contact the recommended candidate before all other candidates. Of course, the priority should always be the content of the LinkedIn profile itself, not the recommendations. The latter only become relevant if the content of the LinkedIn profile is already properly prepared.

Another example is certificates, awards, and other forms of recognition of knowledge. Especially if you work in a field that is heavily certified, don’t miss the opportunity to share your certificates in the dedicated section of your LinkedIn profile. All employers value employees who invest in their knowledge, so such a profile will always be at the top of the list of priority candidates.

Useful efforts and excessive efforts

When searching for a job on LinkedIn, as with any other type of job search, you can either make a rational effort or waste your time and even harm your chances of getting hired.

Useful efforts may include appropriate participation in public discussions in your professional field. If you are a marketing manager, you can participate in professional marketing discussions in a moderate and responsible manner, thereby demonstrating your competence to potential employers. Another example of a useful effort is a short message to the hiring manager. If you see that a job offer is a perfect fit and the hiring manager’s LinkedIn profile is listed, a short direct message to them will definitely be appreciated.

Can I harm myself?

es, unfortunately, sometimes efforts do more harm than good. One example is constant weekly communication with an HR specialist about job offers. Usually, a LinkedIn message to an HR specialist about possible job positions is considered a useful effort in finding a job, but pressure and constant inquiries create an uncomfortable environment and, at the same time, show the candidate as desperately looking for a job. Such actions do not add value and further discourage employers from continuing to communicate with candidates. Another way to harm yourself when looking for a job on LinkedIn is to publicly comment on job postings, indicating that you are interested in a specific job. This also shows desperation, because even if you send a link to your LinkedIn profile in response to the ad, you are still publicly announcing yourself.