The following walks you through new LinkedIn features that were designed to help all professionals, employed and unemployed, engage more on the platform and build better personal brand awareness. If you haven’t already downloaded the LinkedIn app, you’re going to want to. Many of the advancements are accessible only from your mobile device.
This week I will walk you through four new features that will help in your job search. And check out last week’s Originals post that looked at four other features, including how to connect using your QR code at an event.
1. Let recruiters know you’re looking
LinkedIn offers a way to let recruiters know you are open to new opportunities without having to put this information in your headline. The good news is that recruiters who work for your current company cannot see this information, which means you won’t jeopardize your job. If you are currently employed or a college student looking for an internship or job after graduation, you can select the type of job you are looking for and when you will be available.
To turn on Open to New Opportunities, go to the Jobs tab to find the Career Interests setting with a blue pen next to it. If using the mobile app, Career Interests is on your profile’s dashboard. Here you can select job titles you are interested in, cities you are open to, type of work such as internship or full-time job, and dates available to start a new job. This is a great way to let recruiters know you are in the market for a job.
2. See your commute
If you find a job you are interested in on LinkedIn’s mobile app, select See Your Commute and enter your home address and method of transportation to calculate your approximate commute time. Without leaving the job posting, you can eliminate jobs that don’t meet your commuting criteria.
3. Ask for a referral
Referred candidates are highly sought after. In fact, LinkedIn says referred candidates are four times more likely to hear back from a recruiter. This feature makes it easy to find someone who knows you.
To show jobs where you have a connection, filter LinkedIn Jobs using LinkedIn Features and select In Your Network. Click on Ask For Referral, and LinkedIn will help craft a message that asks your connection to refer your profile to the hiring manager or recruiter along with a link to the job. Personalize this message to help your connection remember you and consider including a few brief statements about your qualifications and why you are interested in working for the company.
4. Get real-time job postings
Following companies on LinkedIn allows you to see any posts the company adds to its newsfeed in your LinkedIn home feed. But now you can also receive notifications when the company posts jobs.
First, Follow a company and click on the arrow next to the Follow button. There are two options: Company Posts in News Feed and Relevant Job Alerts. Select both options to get notified when the company posts new jobs so you can be one of the first to apply.
Hannah Morgan‘s mission is to educate job seekers on how to use social media and new tools to build the right online presence to attract job opportunities. She has been dishing out tips and advice for over a decade through her business, as well as numerous media outlets. Morgan is recognized in the careers industry and is listed by The Muse, Jobscan.co, FlexJobs and others as a top resource to follow. She is the author of The Infographic Resume and regularly delivers lively presentations to help educate and encourage people actively managing their careers.