6 Ways To Use LinkedIn To Find A Job

Most of the women who come to me for job search advice have a basic LinkedIn profile so they have some kind of online professional presence, but what many women don't realise is that LinkedIn is an absolute essential in their career toolkit, especially when it comes to finding a new job.

LinkedIn has revolutionised the recruiting world and made it easier than ever for recruiters to reach out to job candidates directly, whether they’re actively or passively job hunting. With 24/7 access to over 500 million users, LinkedIn is undeniably a fantastic resource for recruiters, but it's also a fantastic resource for you too, giving you access to thousands of recruiters. 

So how do you go about reaching recruiters?

There are two ways to do this:

1. Directly

To find the right recruiter at your chosen company, type in the company’s name and “Recruiter” into the LinkedIn search bar at the top of every page. If there are too many results, you can modify the search with keywords relevant to the team you want to join (e.g. Marketing, Sales).  And then, when you want to contact them, you can either pay for a LinkedIn Premium membership (to send InMails) or you can do a little legwork on your own: 1) Go to Email Hunter 2) Enter the company’s domain (e.g. linkedin.com) 3) Find their preferred email format (e.g. {firstinitial}{lastname}@linkedin.com) 4) Apply it to the recruiter’s name (e.g. jdoe@linkedin.com).

2. Via referral

But what if you don’t get any response to your email? After all, recruiters are busy people. But no matter how busy they are, they’ll always have time for their colleagues. It’s not just a matter of professional courtesy; it’s good business. That’s because referrals from colleagues are often the best source of new talent - even superior to LinkedIn in some cases.  So, to get a referral, do the same search as above. But this time, filter by 2nd-degree connections. Now, you can see just the recruiters who know someone in common with you. And when you click on “X shared connections” underneath their profiles, you can find the exact right person to introduce you.  

The bottom line: Don't just wait around for recruiters to find you - pro-actively reach out to them, or better still, have a friend do it.

There are lots of other ways to use LinkedIn for your job search. Here are 5 of them:

1. Search for jobs using LinkedIn’s Job board 

Using the Advanced search feature on LinkedIn’s Job Board, allows you to search for job amongst the 3 million plus active job listings by keywords, industry, location, company, experience level, and more. It even suggests jobs you might be interested in based on the information in your LinkedIn profile. Save some job searches to get alerted when new jobs pop up.    

2. Ask your network for help  

70% of jobs are found through networking. Once you connect, send personalised messages to say you’re job-hunting. Ask for advice, an informational interview (essentially a coffee date to learn more about a job or field of interest), or if they know anyone they can connect you to in your desired field. Connect one-on-one and others will be willing to make the effort for you.

3. Raise your profile

Showcase your knowledge and experience in your field by joining and initiating/ contributing to relevant groups. Use the search bar at the top of LinkedIn to search for groups in your local area, as well as in your niche industry.

4. Do your research

Learn about industries you want to get into by taking a look at LinkedIn Today’s news dashboard and Influencer posts for the top daily headlines, joining groups, and following new industry-specific “Channels”.

5. Find “ins” where you want to work 

Visit LinkedIn Company Pages for organisations you would like to work for, and see if you’re connected to anyone who works or has worked there. And check out LinkedIn’s Alumni Tool to see what grads of your school are up to.

So as you can see, LinkedIn truly can be a job-seeker’s best friend. It might take a little while for you to get your head around how things work, but it’ll be worth it. Like everything, if you put in the time and effort, you will see the results. Good luck!


If you'd like some additional support finding a job that ticks all your career and family boxes, take a look at Get Hired!, my step-by-step guide to the modern job search.

The course includes:
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• 5 jam-packed modules with hands-on, how-to information, tips and exercises.
• Easy to customise templates including CV, cover letter, 'elevator pitch' and email networking.
• Membership in my private Facebook Group - WHM Job Hackers - where you can network and troubleshoot with other mums, and get direct access to me to answer your questions and help you get the most out of the course. 

You can find the full course details including the curriculum and FAQ's here.





Melanie Fieseler is a Career Consultant and Director at Work Happy Mums, the go-to resource for return-to-work professional women and career advancers. We're building a better future for working mothers and the organisations they work for. Join our community and help both our families and businesses thrive.