LinkedIn is a huge network with over 1 billion members using it to connect professionally across the globe.
I have learned a lot in terms of finding the right people and opportunities with search tools.
It’s not just making a connection: it’s knowing where to find them with the advanced search options LinkedIn gives you.
In this article, I will share some of the best ways I used LinkedIn search, stories, and tips from my experience.
If you are looking to expand your network, maybe look for some new job opportunities, or maybe even woo some clients, being able to search on LinkedIn properly might just help you out with that.
LinkedIn Search Fundamentals
When I first started using LinkedIn, I mainly used it to look up people’s names or find out more about different companies.
But after a while, I realized there was a lot more I could do with it, especially with searching.
Getting the hang of searching on LinkedIn really opened up a new world for me.
It made finding exactly who or what I needed way faster and more precise, whether it was job opportunities, potential clients, or experts in my field.
It was like I’d been walking everywhere, and suddenly, I got handed a super-fast bike.
And suddenly, searching wasn’t just a way to find stuff; it turned into a powerful tool to explore and connect in ways I never imagined before.
Basic Search
Basic Search is the front door to a vast library of professional information on LinkedIn.
It is very intuitive: simply type into the search box whatever is the object of your search, be it the name of a person, a company, or a job title.
Basic searches will lead you to a ton of useful stuff: people’s profiles, job ads, articles, and information on companies.
As simple as it might seem, Basic Search can actually do a lot to assist you in finding the information you need on LinkedIn quickly.
But if you really want to get specific and find exactly what you’re after—that’s where Advanced Search comes in.
Advanced Search
Advanced search allows you to be very specific with your search, combining different search terms with special words, kind of like mixing “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT.
In other words, you can optimize your search, for example, to look for a marketing expert who has experience at a tech startup but not at large corporations — a very important factor for your organization.
Advanced Search is kinda like a fine-tuned tool that slices through all the general info to find those nuggets buried 2,000 leagues under LinkedIn’s database surface.
Not bad for launching your hiring search with a particular and exclusive skill set, searching for grand opportunities in business, or looking for professionals to help thoughtfully develop the network.
Note: Search Limitations
Now, LinkedIn is pretty cool, but of course, it has its limitations.
This is especially true if you use it a lot without a paid account; it might be that you can’t search further or deep enough in its use to satisfy your needs.
But here’s a little trick: you use Google.
It sounds hilarious, but through the use of a keyword structure, say, ‘site:linkedin.com/in’ together with that for which one looks, a search can be taken further without hitting up these limiting irritations.
This way, you keep finding profiles, skills, or companies without LinkedIn stopping you.
This approach doesn’t just give you a workaround; it opens up a whole new way to search.
So, looking for someone with an uncommon skill to probably be trying to find professionals based out of some hard place to find a location, searching via Google and LinkedIn makes the site accessible from more angles, making sure no opportunity of finding or connecting with people is missed.
Refining Search Results
It’s basically like learning all the shortcuts for finding exactly what or whom you need within a giant professional network.
Let me show you exactly how I found that out, step by step:
Initiating the Search with Categories
Starting a search on LinkedIn is like picking the right path in a forest.
If at all I am interested in networking, in pursuit of a job, or willing to get industry news, I choose the respective category from the word go.
It does, in fact, act as a filter to keep me away from any unnecessary information and zoom me in on what is really of interest.
Applying Filters for Finer Precision
After picking a category, I dive deeper with LinkedIn’s filters:
Connections
Super useful, but for networking.
Here you can find many people you already know or just one friend away, and it’s amazing how this opens new doors.
Keywords
Adding specific words that relate to my search helps me find profiles or jobs that mention exactly those skills or experiences I’m interested in.
For example, by dropping in words like “copywriting” or “social media marketing” in search, I will get profiles or jobs mentioning those skills or experiences I want to see.
Location & Companies
When I’m job hunting or scouting for talent, specifying a place or a company narrows my search to the right spot or business.
Past Companies & Industries
This becomes very helpful when I look for someone with experience in a given field or the background of the company.
This tool is a great help for targeted hiring or seeking peers who have similar experiences.
Profile Language & Nonprofit Interests
When I need people speaking another language or interested in enthusiastic lovers of volunteer work, then these are filters I can’t do without.
Advanced Techniques for People Searches
Tailoring your people’s search with advanced filters is like doing detective work.
You really have to dig deep into LinkedIn to find the right guys for some specific roles.
Say you need somebody who will be familiar with some big companies related to tech, say Google or Amazon, at the same time with decent skills in social media.
If one wants to look further and see only the person that would work, one can filter it to “Current” and “Past Companies,” adding the job titles that are needed.
This way, you’re not just finding anyone; you’re finding the person who fits your criteria perfectly.
Exploring Job Opportunities
When it comes to job hunting on LinkedIn, it’s all about using those filters to your advantage.
You may look for newly posted jobs, set your eyes on the companies you have always wanted to work for, or even decide on the place of work.
It throws in some neat tricks too, like showing you jobs at companies where you’ve got connections, thanks to the “Company Alumni” feature, or letting you apply easily right through the platform with “Easy Apply.”
This is not only expanding but also smartening up the job search to increase your chances of landing something great.
Leveraging Search Through Posts
Whether it’s the latest on industry news, hints from business leaders, or motivational stories indeed, peeking into posts on LinkedIn is like tapping into a river of knowledge.
It helps find content tailor-made for your interests by use of correct keywords, keeping you on point, inspired, and looped.
Investigating Companies and Groups
Exploring companies and groups on LinkedIn opens doors to new worlds.
Company pages give an insight into potential employers, their culture, and types of jobs on offer.
On the other side, groups are a cozy place for chatting with other professionals, exchanging advice, or even scoping available gigs.
This is really a gold mine for anyone looking to grow professionally.
Connecting via Schools
And lest we forget the ‘Schools’ filter.
This one is a gem to connect with the alumni of your schools who may share insights in their fields or may possibly introduce you to new opportunities.
A great help for recent grads who would like to get hands-on in establishing themselves or for anyone else who would like to bond with someone from a similar educational experience.
In summary, strategies of searching through LinkedIn are wide-net approaches whereby one can look for his or her targeted mission, which is getting closer to professional dreams: land a new job, build a network, or gather industry intel.
The meaning of using LinkedIn is to use it as much as you can in a smart way.
Practical Applications of LinkedIn Search
Throughout my journey in the professional world, I realized that LinkedIn search is way more than a tool; it is somewhat like a portal to countless opportunities.
Some of the personal strategies and illustrative examples of my experience are listed below:
- Finding New Sales Leads
I have never infrequently watched closely for the lists of jobs in my industry — ahead of not only the list of job opportunities but also for me to know which companies are expanding, indicative of new clients.
For example, spotting a company opening new roles in their marketing department, I reached out with a tailored proposal on how my services could support their growth, mentioning a great fit to the required skills and experience listed in those job offers.
Leveraging my network for introductions has also been a game-changer, transforming cold outreach into warm leads.
- Recruitment and Hiring
Now that I have literally been on the other side of the hiring process, I have learned the hard way about the importance of using very specific keywords in LinkedIn search to come up with the perfect candidates.
Doing a search for “Marketing Manager with SaaS experience” turned up candidates not only qualified for the position but actually the perfect fit for the role as it stands.
Thoroughly reading profiles and recommendations sometimes shed more light on what kind of impact a candidate would be bringing.
- Job Seeking
When I was looking for new opportunities, the LinkedIn search was a must have.
Advanced filters helped me to narrow down to roles I was truly excited about, and this saved me time for more important tasks (like writing personalized messages to hiring managers).
I always tried to express how exactly my skills could be part of bringing a solution to the existing challenges of their company and always tried to make this point the difference in my application.
- Networking and Relationship Building
I have been able to connect with thought leaders and make connections within industry-specific groups through LinkedIn.
Each new conversation was a chance to exchange experiences and learn.
I was used to being interactive with their content, giving genuine insight, which actually translated into very good collaboration and opportunities for mentoring.
- Bypassing Search Limits
Bumping into the search limit was frustrating, but in a way, I was able to get around it with the use of Google to be able to search the sites.
It was like I had an all-access pass into the database of LinkedIn without directly breaking one rule.
That helped me in doing further research and outreach without reaching a dead-end with the LinkedIn terms, respecting them, and also upholding the achievement of my objectives.
Insider tip: One of my favorite advanced strategies involves combining the power of Boolean search with saved searches.
On the other hand, by using a Boolean search string that precisely targets my audience or the opportunity of interest, and having that search saved, I shall have taken on the task of identifying automatically the most precise profiles and opportunities.
For example, combining keywords with NOT or AND operators works to my advantage, since the screening of unwanted profile alerts will ensure that the alerts reaching me are actually those that I need.
Many of these strategies take a bit of doing upfront, and LinkedIn Premium costs money.
However, the return in terms of relevant connections, opportunities, and insights is well worth it.
Whether you are job searching, recruiting, or developing your brand professionally, you will learn advanced strategies that help your LinkedIn experience rock and turn the platform into a powerful ally in attaining your professional goals.
In other words, you can do some very powerful searching if you know how to use the LinkedIn search feature strategically.
That always had been my approach: using the strength that the platform gives and yet adding a touch of personal ingenuity to make every search a source of growth and connection.
Conclusion
One of the biggest differences in professional development and business growth for me was mastering the ins and outs of search features on LinkedIn.
More than reaching out to people or opportunities, it connected me, found treasure among the hidden gems, and kept me ahead in my industry.
Actually, experimenting with all kinds of search strategies brings out the best results on this platform.
These might be mixing filters, playing with Boolean searches, or even venturing out of LinkedIn with Google searches.
Every strategy has opened up new insights or has been opened to me in some way that I otherwise could not make.
So I would encourage anybody who would like to grow professionally or grow his business, you need to tap into the fullest strength that the search offered by LinkedIn may provide; don’t be afraid of changing your strategy, testing other filters, or new categories you never thought about.
