3 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Network for a Job

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A recent study involving 3,000 people revealed that 85% of all jobs are filled through networking. Clearly, those who aren’t networking to find work may be missing some great opportunities. LinkedIn helps people who don’t know how to network, network with little effort.

Most Jobs are Filled Internally  

The majority of jobs are filled internally. Individuals who are already connected in some way to company leaders (i.e., have networked and built rapport with them) have “backdoor” access to these jobs. Getting this type of access is as simple as building your professional network through LinkedIn.

“Job seekers need to use the backdoor to gain access to the hidden job market.” — Lou Adler, CEO, Performance-based Hiring Learning Systems.

Using LinkedIn to Network to Find a Job: 3 Tips  

LinkedIn is the largest professional network in the world. It has hundreds of millions of members. According to LinkedIn, the mission of the network is “to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”

Learn more about what LinkedIn is and how to create a basic profile in our blog article How to Create an Awesome LinkedIn Profile Summary.

LinkedIn is the ideal networking tool for job seekers. Here are three ways to use LinkedIn to network to find your next job:

1) Complete your profile — Too many people leave their LinkedIn profile incomplete. This does them a huge disservice when it comes to networking. Individuals with complete LinkedIn profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through the platform. Taking an extra 10 minutes to complete your profile will greatly increase your connections and career opportunities.  

2) Request connections — After you’ve completed your LinkedIn profile, get social by requesting connections. Start with people you know. A contributor to LinkedIn stated, “Networking doesn’t mean reaching out cold to strangers. Start building your LinkedIn network by uploading your online address book (from your email account) and connecting to people you know and trust.”

3) Personalize your requests — Networking can become impersonal and self-focused if you don’t intentionally work to ensure those you are reaching out to feel like they are more than just another name on your contact list. Personalizing your LinkedIn connection requests is one way to make the networking process a little more personal. When requesting a connection, you may want to remind the individual of where you met, what you have in common, etc. This will highlight your request and help the person remember you.

“Members with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.” — How to Network on LinkedIn  

LinkedIn is the perfect online place to network, meeting new professional connections and reconnecting with old classmates and colleagues. Remember, 85% of all jobs are filled through networking. If you’ve had a hard time finding the right job, networking could be your solution.

You’ll find effective tips for growing your LinkedIn network in our blog article How to Rapidly Grow Your LinkedIn Network.

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