Office of Career Services

LinkedIn – How to Guide

How to Search for a Job

Using the job tab on the top toolbar you can search for jobs in your industry or post opportunities at your office. As soon as you click on the tab you will notice job posting that you might be interested in based on your LinkedIn profile.Using the advanced search you can narrow your search by:

• Location
• Experience level
• Date posted
• Title
• Company
• Job Function (ex: Writing / Editing)
• Industry (ex: Entertainment)

A LinkedIn job search will pull jobs that are posted directly on LinkedIn and those that are listed on other partner websites. Once you have found a job, you can apply directly through LinkedIn. In addition, LinkedIn will allow people to refer you for the position. If you find a position that isn’t for you but might interest a friend you can forward the posting from your LinkedIn Account.

How to Search for Groups

LinkedIn has an array of group pages. Groups range from alumni associations, current/past employers, volunteer organizations and professional development organizations.

• To add groups go to the “groups” tab on the main toll bar.
• Use the keyword search to locate the groups you are interested in joining
• Once you have located the group click on the yellow box titled “join group”
• The group administrator will e-mail you to let you know you have been added to the group

Adding group pages to your LinkedIn profile allows you to stay up to date about the happenings of the organization as well as pose questions. By posting questions or responding to comments on a group page potential employers can see how you think and learn about your job related interest. There isn’t a group that fits your needs? Don’t worry you can create one and invite your contacts to join.

How to Network Successfully.  For tips on how to network professionally, click here

• Make sure your profile is 100% Complete
  • LinkedIn is a resume, letter of recommendation and business card all in one. The more complete your profile the more likely you are to receive opportunities.
• Your more experienced than you think
  • Include broad experience on your profile. You never know what will attract someone’s attention. Include volunteer experience, summer jobs, internships, professional organizations, etc.
• Use your inbox
  • Use your e-mail inbox to load your e-mail contacts. Loading your contacts will help you connect with people on LinkedIn that you might not have thought of or are having trouble locating.
• Get personal
  • Customize your connection request by writing a personal note in the request. A personal touch never hurts, it allows you to catch up with someone you might have not spoken to in a while and shows you are more than just another connection. Join the “in” crowd
  • Join LinkedIn Groups. Groups are a great place to learn about job opportunities, connect with people with similar interest and post comments.
• Lend a “virtual” hand
  • Support others on LinkedIn by forwarding job postings, commenting on their status and writing recommendations. People will appreciate the nice touch and will likely help you in a time of need.
• Update your status early and often
  • Change your status weekly as a way to stay on people’s minds. The more you utilize the status bar the more likely people are to reach out to you for help or a potential job.
• Question everything
  • Got questions, get answers. Post questions on your profile or in groups as a way to help you trouble shoot problems or get advice on professionally related items. It’s a great way for people to learn what you are working on, get help and make new connections.
• Do your homework
  • Use LinkedIn company pages as a way to learn more about a company. These pages can help you prepare for interviews or networking events.
• Step away from the computer
  • There is more to networking than communicating online. Don’t forget e-mail, phone or letters as a way to personalize your communications.

How to Add Someone to Your Network or Make Introductions

Adding contacts to your profile is the heart of LinkedIn. The more contacts you add the bigger your network becomes. However, you should choose your contacts carefully. Only add people that you know well (family, close friends, current/past colleagues, mentors and classmates). LinkedIn is not the place to add all of your new acquaintances as your contacts.

• To add contacts go to the “contacts” tab on the main toolbar, scroll down to “add contacts”
• Enter the name of the person you are looking for in the search field
• Once you have found the individual click on “add to contacts”

LinkedIn filters current/former colleagues and classmates so you can easily locate those individuals. In addition it filters out people you might know based on your current contacts, work and educational history, making it easy for you to locate connections.

Interested in connecting with someone one of your contacts knows? Simply ask your contact to connect you.

• To make an introduction:
  • Send an e-mail to your contact.
  • Tell them you are applying for a job or interested in learning more about a particular company and you noticed they knew someone at the company.
  • Ask them if they would be willing to connect you with that individual.
• Once your contact has made the introduction:
  • Follow up with the person you are interested in talking with.
  • Telling the individual you have a mutual friend (identify the individual by name and tell them how you know them) and they gave you their information.
  • Tell them why you are writing (i.e. applying for a job in the company or interested in learning about the company).
  • Finally, ask if they would be willing to talk to you further about your interests (either by phone or if possible in person).
• Follow up:
  • Write a thank you letter or e-mail to your contact, tell them you appreciate them helping them connect you with the individual,
  • Write a thank you letter or to the individual you connect with (assuming you were able to connect) tell them you appreciate them taking the time to talk with you.

• Be open to new opportunities
  • While you may have some idea of the company you want to work for, there are lots of opportunities at organizations you’ve never even heard of. Keep an open mind as you conduct your research and remember that the wider you expand your search, the more likely you are to find a great job.
• Just start searching
  • Utilize the Advanced Search. Simply type in any keyword --“teaching,” “counseling,” “curriculum design,” “consulting,” “NGO,” “Not-for-Profit,” anything -- and you’ll see the LinkedIn profiles of people whose careers include that keyword. To search specific words, use quotes around the word or phrases.  This is a great way to explore potential career paths and to learn about companies or job titles that might be a perfect fit for you. Save your searches to keep a record of careers and people that interest you.
• Put yourself in good Company (Pages)
  • As you find employers you might want to work for, check out their LinkedIn Company Pages. Each page will tell you about an organization’s operations, employees, locations, available jobs, and more. Plus, when you visit any of the 150,000 Company Pages on LinkedIn, you’ll see how you are personally connected to people at that organization. Then you can reach out for advice or to request informational interviews and referrals to open positions. Not connected to anyone at your target company? Join a university alumni, industry, or interest group.
• Know before you go
  • Use LinkedIn to research the person or people you’ll be meeting at a career fair, informational interview or job interview. You can discover facts about someone’s education, work experience, interests, group memberships and connections you might have in common. This will make you feel more prepared and confident and provide you with some good conversation starters.
• Follow the buzz
  • Want to keep up to the nanosecond with a particular company’s news and image? Add the LinkedIn Company Buzz application and you’ll be able to view a constant feed of everything people are saying about that organization on Twitter. This is an absolute must the night before a big job interview!

How Recruiters Search for Candidates

With a LinkedIn Premium account recruiters can search for job candidates using a reference search. Hiring managers locate the reference search by going to the “contacts” tab on the main tool bar and click on the “reference search” tab. Hiring managers can enter the company name and years that the candidate worked at each company, the search results will return former colleagues who can potentially provide unbiased references.