LinkedIn is a professional social network that can be especially useful when searching for a new job. Companies can actively recruit candidates by posting on the job market. Candidates then search for jobs with keywords that recruiters have defined. Another possibility is recruitment with ads. But what are some of the advantages that LinkedIn has over traditional Cvs?

What are the advantages of using LinkedIn over CV

• information on your business connections and endorsements: this shows your networking abilities and at what skills you excel (endorsements)
• recommendations: this information shows the great importance of your work, although some write their own recommendations and have them posted by other people

How to use LinkedIn to find a job

As a professional social network, LinkedIn can be used for job searching as the majority of companies and its employees are present on it. Here are some of the most important steps you need to know to find your next job:

• complete and/or update your profile: include only relevant work experience, choose a professional photo, add a brief description and any other information
• use job search feature: research which keywords are used in your industry to ensure best search results
  
  • use advanced filters, such as by date posted, companies, experience level or other LinkedIn features (under 10 applicants via LinkedIn, easy apply and jobs in your network)
  • create job alerts: great function if you want to be alerted when new jobs that fit your criteria are posted
  • apply or save jobs: job ads that you want to review later can be saved and accessed via the job search tab
• choose premium account: this function enables competitive intelligence
  
  • how many people applied in general and in the last 24h,
  • your skills levels in comparison to other applicants,
  • the seniority of other applicants,
  • education levels of other applicants,
  • location of other applicants.
• see who viewed your profile: check if any recruiters or managers were looking at your profile. This could mean the company is actively recruiting and your profile caught their attention.
• send InMails to recruiters or managers at the company you are applying to (unless another way of applying is preferred by the company, such as e-mail). InMails are mainly used to message people who are not connected to you.
• utilize the learning centre: after an analysis which skills are requested by companies, learn them in the LinkedIn’s learning centre. The content is only available for premium accounts. Course participants receive certificates that can be embedded in your profile.

To learn some additional ways of using LinkedIn for job search, we also recommend the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox_ohqsIMAM

Nevertheless, many employers still prefer traditional applying via e-mail, so be sure to follow instructions given in the job ad.

P.S. If you would like to learn more about writing CVs and using LinkedIn for job search, this book will be a valuable resource:

Wallwork, A. (2014). CVs, Resumes, and LinkedIn: A Guide to Professional English. Springer.