Back in December, I started reading about all of these new features that LinkedIn has made available to its members that are actively seeking new job opportunities. I decided to check it out for myself, so I signed up for a free 30-day trial of the Job Seeker subscription.
Boy, oh boy, was I in for a treat!
Job Seeker Insights
Let’s first take a look at the information that LinkedIn compiles and sends you, without you even having to lift a finger:
About 2-3 times per week, I’ve been receiving an email from LinkedIn, matching the information on my profile with LinkedIn job postings and opportunities in my area. I started receiving these messages before I even had a chance to go in and customize things. How great is that?
And speaking of customization, the Preferences feature on the Jobs tab is a great way to tell LinkedIn specifically what you’re looking for:
You can set your preferences for Industry, Location and even Company Size and then LinkedIn can even more accurately monitor which opportunities are right for you.
Applying for a Job on LinkedIn
And when you do find a job that is the right fit, there is so much information to help you in your application process! The first feature that I’d like to highlight is one where LinkedIn tells you who works there. No research needed. They do this in two ways; first, they highlight for you who, of your Connections, works at that company.
This allows you to reach out directly; maybe you’d like to ask questions or find out if your Connection has suggestions for your for applying. What a great resource!
LinkedIn also tells you who else works at the company that you may not know yet. You can visit Profiles, get a feel for their backgrounds or send an InMail to say “hi” or ask questions if you are so inclined. It’s also just a great feature for understanding the company’s culture and how you would fit in!
Hiring Trends
And speaking of understanding a company’s culture, LinkedIn also provides you with insight on a company’s hiring trends:
You can view information about whether their hiring activity is up or down, how many employees they have, the average tenure of their employees, as well as the companies and schools that they’ve hired from in the past. All great things to know about a company before you dive in!
Competitive Intelligence
And perhaps the most amazing new feature of all – Competitive Intelligence:
This feature shows you information like how many people have applied for the job, what the most common top skills are among the applicants, as well as the seniority level and education level of the applicants. That’s such great information in understanding how you stack up against your competition; and furthermore, what skills and experience you’ll want to consider highlighting in your resume, cover letter and conversations with this company.
For job seekers, these new insights are a window into the world of recruiting and hiring; it’s like when Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal the Wizard of Oz. So pause, take a deep breath, and get to it! You are armed with more information than ever. And 2016 is your year!
