LinkedIn as a Job Search Tool

By: Mauri Schwartz

LinkedIn should be the research tool of choice for most job seekers. As a professional networking site, it includes professional profiles of its members. Build your network by asking those you already know to connect on LinkedIn. The more “connected” your connections are, the more fruitful your searches will be. I recommend building to at least 75-100 connections with most of them being people in your industry. But please… when you ask someone to connect, personalize your request. Never use LinkedIn’s default message.

I also recommend that you join several groups as you will be able to communicate directly to nearly everyone in each group. There are groups for industries, alumni associations, professional associations, etc. There are nearly 50,000 groups for nonprofit associations (in English), including one for Opportunity Knocks! I suggest you choose only the ones which are most relevant to you. Managing emails from groups can be a challenge if you belong to too many of them.

On LinkedIn, click on Groups at the top of your home page and then Groups Directory. On the left side, there is a search box. The first field allows you to enter keywords. Use this to narrow your search to groups which are pertinent to you. For example, if your specialty is education, then you should type in education. You may further refine your search by entering “education San Francisco” to identify local groups.

If you already know the name of the group you want to join, you can enter it into this field, such as “Opportunity Knocks”. The second field has a list of categories and there is one for Nonprofits. Finally, the third box allows you to select a language - since LinkedIn is used around the world. LinkedIn’s advanced search capability allows you to search by title, company, location, groups, and 10-12 other criteria. The results will tell you how you may be connected to your target, identifying those you already know who are connected to her/him. This allows you to ask for a personal introduction which is the best way to contact a target, allowing you to make a warm call rather than a cold call. Or you may have something else in common, such as a previous employer or university that you can point out in your communication.

Once you have identified your target, contact them directly by email or phone (yes!). If you want one of your connections to introduce you, you can send a message directly from LinkedIn. However, I strongly urge you to contact your connection via phone first and then by email. Not everyone elects to receive requests from LinkedIn on a daily basis. Some only elect to see them when they log into LinkedIn.

If you don’t have any connections to your target, go ahead and contact the person directly. If s/he belongs to one of your groups, you can try to send a message directly via LinkedIn. However, this is another feature that LinkedIn members can opt out of when joining the group. Fortunately, the default is to allow messages. But you won’t know for sure if you can reach this person directly.

Instead of paying LinkedIn for the capability of sending messages directly, use the method described below to ascertain the email address of your targeted hiring manager. This way you will be able to craft a more personal cover letter (but keep it short and to the point), attach your resume, and send as a regular email.

Find an email address

It is fairly easy to ascertain someone’s email address since most companies have a standard format. Google the domain name (“@domainname.com”) for the company you have targeted and scroll through the results until you find someone’s email address. You may have to look through a few pages of results before you find someone.


About the Author
Mauri Schwartz, President of Career Insiders, is a leading figure in the San Francisco Bay Area career management community. Career Insiders consults with companies and nonprofit organizations in the form of outplacement and hiring assistance, as well as with individual job seekers. In addition to her outstanding success rate in helping clients achieve their career goals, Mauri is a frequent speaker at conferences, job fairs, and career panels. She serves as Adjunct Advisor of Career Services at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. Mauri’s motivational style uses techniques that combine old fashioned interpersonal relationship building skills with the latest technological tools.