LinkedIn Job Search Tips
2022-10-04T09:22:00Z
The Workplace
Introduction
These days, most people who are looking for a job mainly – if not exclusively – use the Internet to do so. Alongside the online job boards like Indeed, Monster, and ZipRecruiter, the social media platform LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly popular platform for people to find jobs. Most professionals know by now that it's important to try and stand out on LinkedIn, but not everyone is sure how to do it. Here are a few things everyone should know about setting up a LinkedIn profile and how to leverage it for your job search.
Why job search on LinkedIn?
More and more companies are using LinkedIn to attract recruits and get candidates to accept job offers. On the employee side, LinkedIn gives candidates an easy way to find out about job openings and reach out to potential employers. Over the past five years, the number of LinkedIn users has more than doubled. LinkedIn is the ideal place to look for jobs, as their clientele consists almost exclusively of professional people focused on their career trajectory. By contrast, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have a strong focus on people’s private life that isn't conducive to the job search. Similar to Indeed and other job boards, LinkedIn features job listings directly as part of the platform. Candidates can apply directly for vacancies at various companies quickly and simply, often with one click.
Pros and Cons of job hunting on LinkedIn
Pros
LinkedIn is largely considered the future of recruitment. It's the largest, most centralized platform for professional networking. One major advantage of applying for jobs on LinkedIn is that it lets you quickly communicate details of your skills, personal information and updates with an extensive reach. It is much easier and more effective to position yourself as an expert on social media than via a resume or cover letter. Another benefit is that merely having an up-to-date and well-looked-after profile makes others perceive you as a media-savvy person with good digital skills. Both attributes are in demand in virtually every line of work these days. It is also much easier to build up a network of interesting, useful professional contacts and discover opportunities you may not have heard about. Better still, headhunters and recruiters who would not have found you offline are more likely to come across a good LinkedIn profile.
Cons
Maintaining a strong LinkedIn profile can be a large amount of work and that is this method's primary disadvantage. Moreover, it is almost impossible to completely avoid spam messages and InMail. Similarly, it can be frustrating to receive frequent contacts that never lead to a lasting opportunities. It is also important to note that your current employer (if you have one) could easily learn of your efforts to leave the company if you're actively looking on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a great tool to help accelerate your job search
