Best Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Remote Job

The competition for remote jobs is fierce right now. You can use LinkedIn to find that remote job faster. The following tips cover the best ways to use LinkedIn to stand out in your remote job search.

Finding a remote job in the current market can seem overwhelming with so many people looking to avoid the return to office mandates. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool in your remote job search. If you use it right, LinkedIn can help you to land that remote job. Here are the best ways to use LinkedIn to land your next remote job.

Why LinkedIn Matters for Your Job Search

To really understand how to use LinkedIn in your job search, it is important to first understand why it matters. 97% of recruiters report using LinkedIn every single day in their jobs to find candidates for their open positions. However, only about 37% of job seekers report using LinkedIn in their job search. So, there is a huge opportunity when you use LinkedIn properly.

Most recruiters use LinkedIn as a resume database to find candidates that can't be open about their search. This means that they sort and filter people based on the information in their profiles. The software that recruiters use to manage those open jobs does the same thing.

The other big way that LinkedIn matters in your job search is that people will use it to look you up at some point during the hiring process. That means that people will be looking at your profile, your activity, and your connections - even if you don't apply to the job through LinkedIn. So, you need to put your best foot forward at all times online. LinkedIn is not just another social media platform.

Build a Strong Profile

The most important step in using LinkedIn to land a remote job is to have a strong profile. As discussed above, this is so you can be found by recruiters who are actively searching the system. But, also because you will be evaluated by people through the hiring process. So, if you want to show up as the best candidate, then you need to start with a strong, professional LinkedIn profile.

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Grow Your Network

The next step is to grow your network. It is important to keep in mind that LinkedIn is a two-way street. You need to be active and engage with other people on the platform if you want them to do the same for you.

That means connecting with people, sharing articles, commenting on posts, and sending messages. The bigger your network, the more opportunities you will have to find a remote job.

The best way to grow your network is by connecting with people that you know. Start with family and friends, then move on to acquaintances, classmates, and old colleagues. You can also join LinkedIn groups to meet new people who have similar interests or who work in the same industry as you.

You should grow your network with purpose. Do not just send out random invites to people you already know or think that could be helpful. Instead, think about who could help you and who you could help as your career progresses. Identify the right types of people and reach out. And, don't forget to follow up when the person accepts your connection invite to build a meaningful professional connection.

Engage Your Professional Network

Engaging the people in your professional network on LinkedIn is just as important as growing the network. What does this mean? It means that you need to build a strategy about how you will keep the conversation going with the people in your network. Think about how the person may be able to assist and what you can do to assist that person.

You can also download an excel file with your entire connections list on LinkedIn. This is really helpful to make sure that you aren't missing people in your network and to track your progress in engaging people in your network directly.

To download the list of your LinkedIn connections:

1. Go to "Settings & Privacy"

2. Click on "Data Privacy"

3. Click on "Get a copy of your data"

4. Select "Want something in particular?"

5. Pick "Connections"

6. Click "Request archive"

7. Enter your LinkedIn password

8. Check your email for the csv file

Sort through that CSV file to organize your contacts. Identify who can help with your search and who can't right now. If you aren't sure about whether the person can help, then plan to find out.

Then, reach out to the person in whatever way it makes the most sense for your relationship with that person to continue the conversation in a meaningful way. Follow-up as needed and make sure to return the favor whenever anyone asks for your assistance.

Use the Filters on LinkedIn Jobs

Now that you have a strong profile and a large network, it is time to start using LinkedIn to find remote jobs. The first step is to use the search function on LinkedIn. You can search for remote jobs in the same way that you would search for any other job.

But, LinkedIn also has a few filters that you can use to make your job search easier.

The first filter is the location. You can choose to only see remote jobs in certain locations. This is helpful if you are willing to relocate for the right job.

The next filter is the company type. You can choose to only see remote jobs at companies that are fully remote, partially remote, or have the option to work remotely.

Consider using the job type filter to further refine your list. You can use this filter to select remote full-time jobs, remote part-time jobs, or freelance gigs.

Finally, use the compensation filter to remove the jobs that are completely out of range. You don't want to waste time looking through jobs that are too low-paying to even consider. Set a minimum range using the compensation filter.

Then, in the list of jobs, sort them by date and by relevancy. The date sort will help you to see the most recent jobs first. You can also do a sort by relevance. This relevance sort is done by LinkedIn based on the information on your profile, the jobs you have previously viewed, and the jobs that you have applied to through the system. So, using both views can make sure that you don't miss anything.

Apply Directly to the Company

Now that you have found jobs of interest on LinkedIn, try to use that information to find the job on the company's website. Why not click the "Easy Apply" button?

This is because the company may or may not have connected its applicant tracking system to LinkedIn. And, if they did, the "Easy Apply" will send a redacted version of your profile to the company instead of your resume.

This means that the company probably won't get all of the right information for you to be viewed as qualified for the job. So, the applicant tracking system (ATS) will likely not see you as qualified for the job because it cannot see the information that matches the requirements. Thus, going direct to the company's website will ensure that all of your information gets in the right place for the remote job when you apply.

Ask for Help

Finally, make sure that you are asking for help when applying to remote jobs. This can mean a couple of things. First, if you are using LinkedIn jobs to find positions, you can also see connections that work at the organization. You can reach out to those connections and request help. This could be in the form of an employee referral or additional information to best tailor your resume.

Second, when networking, always make sure to ask people for something in the conversation. Be ready to offer help, but also ask for introductions or guidance. This is helpful to advance your efforts and to grow your network.

Have Your Resume Ready

At some point in your networking efforts, you will be asked to send over your resume so that your connection can help internally. This means that you need to have a strong resume ready to go.

No matter who your connection is, you will still have to get through those HR processes. So, your resume will need to have all of the right keywords and be in a format that is readable by the ATS. Not sure if your resume is ATS compliant? Have one of our experts analyze it for free.

By following these steps, you can use LinkedIn as an effective remote job search tool. With a great profile, a large and engaged network, and the ability to find and apply to remote jobs, you are on your way to landing your dream remote job.