How To Use LinkedIn in a Job Search – The CV Guru Australia

LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for jobseekers.

Genroe found in a recent survey that 63.3% of Australian adults have a LinkedIn profile, and the number of people using LinkedIn to apply for jobs is climbing all the time.

And it’s not just jobseekers that are making the most of the platform. LinkedIn found that 96% of employers who use social media for recruitment purposes, specifically use LinkedIn to find new talent.

With that in mind, here are our expert tips for how to use LinkedIn in a job search.

Optimising your profile

One LinkedIn survey found that 41% of employers say they may not hire a candidate if they have no presence online. Therefore, your first step is to set up your LinkedIn profile or ensure your existing profile is up to standard.

Your profile picture is your first impression. Choosing a professional photo of yourself in proper business attire with no distractions in the background can make a huge difference in how recruiters perceive you.

Your profile banner can showcase your current role or a recent accomplishment. For example, if you have a photo of yourself winning an award, this would make a great addition to your profile banner.

Ensure any contact details you have listed on your account are up-to-date, and set your profile to public so prospective employers can easily find and reach out to you.

Your headline should include keywords that will attract recruiters. Look at job descriptions for positions you’re interested in and pick out key terms to advertise your skills.

Your About Section and Experience will feature the same information as your resume, but on LinkedIn, you can use first-person pronouns.

Avoid overused buzzwords and cliches such as “teamwork” and “dedication”. Instead, go back to the keywords you researched for your headline. Highlight your accomplishments with clear data to back up your claims.

You can select the Open To Work feature on your profile to let people know you’re looking for new opportunities. You can also select the kind of opportunities you’re open to and even control who can see that you’re open to new work. You can set this to recruiters only, or your whole network. We recommend thinking carefully before you do the latter, in case it causes conflict with your existing employer.

Setting up job alerts

Instead of spending your time scrolling through jobs that aren’t relevant to your skills, you can save time by setting up relevant job alerts on LinkedIn.

On the Jobs tab, you can customise your preferences to narrow down the job listings that LinkedIn shows you.

When you search for a specific role, industry, or company, you can filter results by:

Experience level
Salary
Location

And many more preferences.

Once you’re happy with your selection, you can set up a job alert so LinkedIn can send relevant job opportunities straight to your inbox. You can specify how often you want to receive these alerts in your profile settings.

You can upload a resume to your profile to speed up the job application process. However, tailoring your resume to the individual roles you apply for is more effective. Focus on crafting a LinkedIn profile that will attract recruiters instead of sharing a generic resume.

Engaging with recruiters

You may decide to reach out to recruiters directly on LinkedIn.

When you connect with a recruiter, add a personalised note to your request to introduce yourself. When they accept your request, you can dive further into why you want to build a connection and mention your interest in the opportunities they have available. Even if there are no vacancies right now, a polite and enthusiastic message will help you stay front of mind for future openings.

Don’t go overboard with following up if they don’t respond. This comes across as spamming and will not encourage the recruiter to build a professional relationship with you.

If a recruiter reaches out to you first and you’re intrigued by the opportunity they’re presenting, show your interest promptly and ask them for more information. If it’s not a position that is relevant to you, express an interest in their field or company so they will keep you in mind for future opportunities.

We hope this guide has given you new ideas for how to optimise your online presence and use LinkedIn for your next job hunt.

As LinkedIn becomes a more popular tool for jobseekers, understanding the platform can help you use it most effectively to stand out from the crowd.

If you would like some professional help to update your LinkedIn profile, we would love to assist. Our expert writers can create an optimised LinkedIn profile that will help you attract the attention of recruiters.