LinkedIn Job Search: 3 Strategies That Actually Work

Finding a job on LinkedIn can feel overwhelming, with some roles attracting hundreds or thousands of applicants within hours. Three successful job seekers shared specific strategies that helped them stand out and secure new positions.

Lauren Young used the 'under 10 applicants' filter to find roles at smaller businesses, landing a remote position as a continuing education specialist. Sophie Rose crafted a targeted cold outreach message to a leader at OpenAI, receiving a job offer within five weeks. Dhyey Mavani strategically posted about his research and work, which led to recruiters contacting him directly and eventually securing a software engineer position at LinkedIn.

These approaches demonstrate that with the right tactics, job seekers can effectively navigate the platform's crowded marketplace and find meaningful employment.

LinkedIn offers numerous job postings, but many users find it difficult to stand out and land roles. Finding a job on the platform can feel overwhelming as some roles draw hundreds or even thousands of applicants within hours or days.

The primary challenge for job seekers is standing out among the crowd. However, some LinkedIn users have successfully navigated this challenge by using specific strategies.

Three professionals who strategically landed their roles through the platform shared their methods. Whether by using overlooked job filters, crafting targeted cold outreach, or intentionally sharing their work, these individuals found ways to secure new jobs.

Lauren Young, a 28-year-old continuing education specialist in Indiana, used a specific filter to enhance her chances of securing a new job. Last spring, she became increasingly unhappy and stressed at work and began applying to multiple jobs daily.

Despite living outside Chicago and applying to positions at huge Fortune 500 corporations, she had no luck landing a new role. Even jobs posted within the last hour had hundreds of immediate applicants.

Young started experimenting with LinkedIn filters to be more strategic about her job search. She discovered the 'under 10 applicants' filter, which is one of the last options under the 'all filters' function.

Once she began using it, she saw roles at small businesses without huge LinkedIn followings. Her current role helps medical professionals seeking different educational opportunities or further licensing.

She didn't think she would be a top applicant since she'd never worked in the medical industry, but the posting had just been created with very few applicants. She landed her first interview at the end of May and received her offer letter in mid-June.

Her new role has been completely life-changing. She works primarily remotely and visits the office about once a month, with excellent benefits, a generous PTO policy, and a great work-life balance.

Sophie Rose, an OpenAI employee in her late 20s based in San Francisco, landed her job through well-crafted cold outreach. In 2023, she noticed a leader on the go-to-market team posting about hiring a founding account associate.

She directly messaged the leader about the opportunity and received an offer within five weeks. Her note congratulated the lead on her role and mentioned she saw the hiring post for the founding account associate position.

She added that she would love to learn more, planned to apply, and was willing to relocate. She also asked if the leader could hop on a call. The leader responded that she couldn't jump on a call but would push Young's résumé through initial screening.

Young applied the next day and immediately followed up, thanking the leader and expressing interest in exploring the opportunity with OpenAI.

She warns against two common mistakes: asking for time right away and rushing the follow-up. She asked for time in her original note, which she wouldn't do in hindsight. If asking for time, be very clear about why.

She also advises against generic follow-ups. Instead, wait three weeks or look for something new the person is posting or talking about. Many of her peers at OpenAI started with cold outreach to someone they heard of or had a mutual connection with.

Dhyey Mavani, a 21-year-old software engineer at LinkedIn based in Sunnyvale, CA, attracted recruiters through strategic posting. He moved to the US from India in 2021 to attend Amherst College, where he triple-majored in computer science, mathematics, and statistics.

He started posting because people on campus were reaching out for career advice. He decided to document his learnings and progress online for everyone. Since starting, he expanded his network to over 500 connections and more than 6,000 followers.

He posted about a research paper he wrote, walking through a short summary, key accomplishments, and future work. This gained traction with over 45,000 post impressions on LinkedIn, leading to outreach from people at research labs at Princeton and other universities.

He advises phrasing posts in a value-first manner, providing perspective and explaining why you stand by it. He also engages with content to increase visibility and expand his network.

His comment on a post about Google, sharing thoughts on the company's strategy, had over 100,000 impressions. After seeing his work online in 2023, a recruiter at LinkedIn contacted him directly about an internship, which led to his current full-time position.

He realized opportunities arise from organic posting and genuinely engaging with other people's content. Without sharing his journey online strategically, he wouldn't have the job options, reach, network for mentorship, and other opportunities.