LinkedIn for

Job
Seekers
How to build your network &
advance your career on LinkedIn
 1 Introduction: What is LinkedIn?

2 Build your LinkedIn profile

What we will cover 3 Build your professional network

in this workshop 4 Use your network on LinkedIn

to connect to opportunity

5 Search and apply for jobs

on LinkedIn

6 Extra credit
What you do on
other social media

I like donuts

Watch me eat a donut

Here’s a cool photo of my donut

Here’s a donut recipe

I’m listening to “Donuts”

Anyone want a donut?

On LinkedIn:
A professional mindset

I hope to operate a donut

franchise one day.

I’m looking for a job at a donut

company.

I have three years experience

making donuts.

My top skills are donut production

and sales.

Here are 3 recommendations from

former donut colleagues.
 30 million+ employers are
on LinkedIn, with 20 million+
open job opportunities

Build your
professional network
and connect to jobs Millions of mentors and mentees
have signed up to give and get
career advice on LinkedIn

2.8 million recruiters use

LinkedIn to fill open jobs
every day
Did you know?

9 out of 10 employers use LinkedIn

during the hiring process.
Defining key terms we’ll use today

1. Workforce 2. Connections 3. Network 4. Referral

The people who are Contacts on A connected When a job seeker is

currently working or LinkedIn. You can community of recommended for a
available for work in add connections by people. Networking career opportunity
a specific region. The sending invitations is an activity to by someone in his or
vision of LinkedIn is to to other people on strengthen her network.
create economic the platform, or by relationships with
opportunity for every accepting others and can lead
member of the invitations from to professional
global workforce. other people. opportunities
including job offers.
Build your
LinkedIn profile
1. Set up your account

2. Profile vs. resume

3. Take a great photo

4. Edit your profile

 Build your LinkedIn profile

Set up your
account
Visit LinkedIn.com on a
desktop computer, or
download the mobile app.
 Build your LinkedIn profile

Profile vs. resume

There are big differences between
your LinkedIn profile and your resume.
For example, your LinkedIn profile:

Speaks to all potential employers,

not just a single one
Goes into more detail with skills,
projects, interests, certifications,
and more
Allows other professionals and
employers to interact, learn, and
contact you
Contains recommendations and
endorsements
 Build your LinkedIn profile

Take a great photo

Members with profile photos receive up to 21x
more views and 9x more connection requests

Use a background that isn’t distracting

Dress for the job you want
Smile and have friendly expression
Make sure your face takes up a majority of
the frame
 Build your LinkedIn profile

Edit your profile:

Your story in your words

Click the “Me” icon at the top of your

LinkedIn homepage.

On the right side of the page, click

“Add new profile section” to begin
editing and adding to your profile.

Add your:
Location & Education* &
industry certifications
Work & internship Skills
experience
Volunteer Program or
experience organization

* You can choose whether you want to

display your education in your intro.
 Build your LinkedIn profile

Edit your profile:

Headline

Your headline is an opportunity to show

what you are – not just what you do.

When writing your headline, ask yourself:

If this is the only thing someone sees,

what does it say about me?

Does this represent my professional

brand and show why I am unique?

Does it capture what a recruiter

would care about?
 Build your LinkedIn profile

Edit your profile:

Summary

Your summary is the best place for you to

communicate your professional brand and
put your own spin on your experience.
Here’s an easy formula we recommend:

1-2 sentences about who you are

3-5 sentences about your experience,

top skills and key passions

1-2 sentences about your future goals

and how other members can engage
with you

Make sure to include a summary of at

least 40 words to show up in the search
results of other members.
Build your
professional
network
v
1. Build your professional network

2. Discover existing connections

3. Search for new connections

4. Expand your network strategically

Did you know?

50%+ of hires
result from
a personal
connection
 Build your professional network

1st
degree

The power of networking

 Build your professional network

2nd
degree

1st
degree

The power of networking

 Build your professional network

3rd
degree

2nd
degree

1st
degree

The power of networking

 Build your professional network

2nd
degree

The power of networking

 Build your professional network

Discover existing
connections
Click “My Network” in the top navigation to
find people you already know, including:

Friends and family

Current and former colleagues
Current and former managers

Our “People you may know” feature improves

over time as you build your network.
 Build your professional network

Search for new

connections
Use the search bar in the top
navigation to find new
connections by:

Name
Company
Location
Keyword
 Build your professional network

Search for new

connections
After clicking “Connect,” you can
send your invitation immediately or
personalize your invitation request
by selecting “Add a note.”

We recommend that you always add a

personalized message to make it clear to
the other person why you are reaching out.
Expand your network
strategically
Who should I reach out to on LinkedIn?

• People you have something in common with

• People who have a job or work at a
company that interests you
• People who may be able to connect you
to someone who can help you achieve
your goals

What should I say?

• Who you are

• How you came across their profile
• How they can help you
Use your network on
LinkedIn to connect
to opportunity
1. Message connections

2. Ask for informational interviews

3. Request referrals

4. Request recommendations

5. Find a mentor with career advice

6. Add value and engage

Did you know?

LinkedIn members
are 9X more likely
to get hired
when referred
 Use your network

Message connections
Lauren’s story: Send messages to your
Your network can help you get the job connections directly from:
The LinkedIn messaging page
Your connections page
Their profile page

If you don’t know the person you’re

messaging in real life, clearly explain
why you are reaching out.
 Use your network

Ask for informational

interviews
The purpose of an informational
interview is for you to:
Gain advice on your career path
Learn about an industry you are
interested in
Learn about a specific company
you’d like to work for
Establish a professional bond

After an informational interview,

professionals may also consider you for
future job openings they learn of.
 Use your network

Request referrals
Ask for a job referral by reaching out
to your connections at companies you
intend to apply to.
Make sure to include:
Why you are interested in the
specific role
Your appreciation for your
connection’s consideration

DID YOU KNOW? More than 60% of the

workforce has referred someone to
work at their company.
 Use your network

Request
recommendations
Recommendations on LinkedIn are like
references from people in your network.
On a connection’s profile, click More… and
then Request a Recommendation.
You can select your relationship to this person,
indicate whether you worked with them in a
particular role, and customize your message.
Who should I ask to recommend me?
Current or former managers
Current or former colleagues, even those
that were not directly on your team but
who you worked closely with
People who have mentored or advised
you professionally, including through
nonprofit training programs
 Use your network

Find a mentor for

career advice
From your profile page, select the
Career Advice hub located in
Your Dashboard.

Set your preferences by sharing

who you would like to receive
advice from and LinkedIn will
suggest members who have
relevant experience.

At this time, only members with less than 10

years of professional experience are eligible
as mentees in the Career Advice tool.
 Use your network

Add value and engage with your network

Invest time in your Like and share things that Join groups and Give testimonials
Connections and request people in your network exchange insights with and recommendations
informational interviews will care about and post school or program alumni to others
Search and apply
for jobs on LinkedIn
1. Set career interests

2. Search for jobs

3. Create search alerts

4. Review “Jobs You May Be Interested In”

5. Follow companies

6. Apply actively
Did you know?

25M+
job seekers visit LinkedIn
jobs every week
 Search and apply for jobs

Set Career interests

Include potential job titles and
locations in your career interests to
receive more relevant job suggestions.

Turn on the Open Candidates setting to

let employers know you are actively
searching and available for a new job.
 Search and apply for jobs

Search for jobs

Use LinkedIn’s search filters to
find jobs by:

Keyword Function
Job title Experience level
Company Date posted
Location
 Search and apply for jobs

Create search alerts

Create search alerts to be notified
when jobs you are interested in are
posted by turning on “Job Alerts.”

Use filters in the search bar to create

alerts by:

Keyword Function
Job title Industry
Company Experience level
Location Date posted
 Search and apply for jobs

Review jobs you

may be interested in
For the best job recommendations,
make sure your profile is filled out
with accurate:

Work experience
Skills
Location information
 Search and apply for jobs

Follow companies
Explore employers you are
interested in working for by
following their company page.

Check out the “Life” section to

learn more about the company’s
culture, values, and professional
development opportunities.

Recruiters on LinkedIn can filter specifically

for candidates who have engaged with
their company page. Make sure to show
your interest by taking this easy step.
 Search and apply for jobs

Apply actively
Use the “Easy Apply” or “Apply on
company website” button to quickly
apply for a job you want.

Stay on top of your job search by

using the LinkedIn mobile app to find
and apply for new jobs, anywhere,
any time.

Applicants who apply to jobs within the first three

days of posting are 13% more likely to get the job.
Extra credit
Additional features and guidance
to help you advance your career

1. Explore schools

2. Explore alumni

3. Join groups

4. Privacy settings
 Extra credit

Explore schools
Find and view the latest news from
schools you have attended or are
interested in attending by filtering
for “Schools” using the search bar.
 Extra credit

Explore alumni
Explore the career paths taken by
school or program alumni.
By clicking “Alumni,” you can view:

Where alumni live

Where alumni work
What alumni do
What alumni studied

Consider reaching out to anyone

whose career interests you for an
informational interview.
 Extra credit

Join groups
Find and join groups of professionals
to give and get career help and
resources by filtering for ”Groups”
using the search bar.

Consider joining groups for:

Professionals in your industry

Alumni of your school or
training program
 Extra credit

Privacy settings
Click the “Me” icon at the top of
your LinkedIn homepage.

In the dropdown menu, select

“Settings & Privacy” to begin
managing your preferences.

For example, you can:

Change the language you

use on LinkedIn
Change your password
Control your notification
preferences