Published: July 31, 2018 by Evelyn Hudson

LinkedIn is a fantastic tool for job searching and networking. With a little work, it could become the key to your dream job. Here are a few tips to maximize your job search on LinkedIn.

1. Make use of the Jobs page. In the top navigation bar on LinkedIn, you’ll see a tab labeled “Jobs.” This is your home base when it comes to job searching. From here, you can set up alerts (more on that next), see recommended jobs, follow companies, and more.
2. Set up job alerts. You can set up job alerts by title and location. This is a great way to find out about a new job as soon as the opening is posted. Remember to use multiple titles in your alerts. For example, don’t just use “librarian”—also try “collection developer” and other more specific titles. This will ensure you’ll see all of the relevant openings.
3. Follow companies you are interested in. When a company you follow posts a new job, you’ll know right away because since you followed them, LinkedIn will send you a “new job” alert. This is a great way to stay up to date on where you hope to work someday.
4. Fill out the Career Interests page. Accessed from the Jobs tab, this page asks you to give some specifics about your ideal career. For example, company size, industry, type, and more. This way, when LinkedIn suggests a job for you, it is more likely to be something you are actually interested in.
5. Show recruiters you are actively searching for a job. On the Career Interests page, you can turn on the feature that shows recruiters you are open to offers. With this feature, you might get lucky and the ideal job will come looking for you!
6. Search by multiple job titles. Remember my advice about using multiple job titles back in tip 2? It also applies when just searching in general! You will get different results by using different terms, so keep trying if you aren’t finding what you are looking for.
7. Use filters. On the search results page, make use of the filters to get rid of irrelevant jobs. For example, weed out internships if you don’t want those or search just by company if you know exactly where you want to land.
8. Use the Save feature. Not sure you want to apply or need time to write a great cover letter? You can save jobs to your LinkedIn account and come back to them later. This is a great feature that makes it easy to keep track of your job search progress.
9. Fill out your LinkedIn profile completely. Some applications will take your profile instead of a resume, so make sure your profile is filled out completely and professionally.
10. Apply to jobs through LinkedIn. You can directly apply for many jobs you find using LinkedIn. LinkedIn will keep track of the jobs you applied for so you can measure your progress.

How do you use LinkedIn to find jobs? Share in the comments!

New LIS Jobs in Handshake

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Don’t forget to explore job openings outside of the public and/or academic libraries in Handshake. Consider searching on topics such as taxonomy, research, data management, digital asset management, and similar terms that may reflect your particular LIS skills or area of emphasis.