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LinkedIn wants you to know who's (job) searching for you

The professional network's new search features lets members increase their chances of finding job opportunities.

Terry Collins Staff Reporter, CNET News
Terry writes about social networking giants and legal issues in Silicon Valley for CNET News. He joined CNET News from the Associated Press, where he spent the six years covering major breaking news in the San Francisco Bay Area. Before the AP, Terry worked at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and the Kansas City Star. Terry's a native of Chicago.
Terry Collins
2 min read

For some people, searching for a job can be a job in itself. 

LinkedIn thinks its new search features could help its half-billion members simplify that arduous process. The professional network on Wednesday launched a Search Appearances feature on members' profile page, for both mobile and desktop versions, to find out how many times they've been discovered. 

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LinkedIn's new Search Appearances feature lets members see who's looking for them for possible jobs.

LinkedIn

Members can also see specifically which companies are interested in them as a way to gauge job opportunities on the market. They can click on the job openings at each company, as well as track down hiring managers to follow up for more information. 

"The goal is really helping people understand who is their profile really resonating with and what valuable skills they might have in their profile," said Charu Jangid, a product manager. "We want to give them a sense of how frequently they're appearing in queries and how they can strengthen their profile."

The new search feature is the latest in a slew released by LinkedIn in recent months, including messaging; Open Candidates, which lets members discreetly notify recruiters they're job-hunting; and Salary, which assists those who want to make more money.

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has more than 10 million jobs listed and more than 9 million company profiles. The company says more than 20 million members, including recruiters, hiring managers and other decision makers, use the search features each week.

LinkedIn profiles also continue to draws high on internet search engines, Jangid said. 

She also offered tips for members wanting to boost their profile to attract companies and job recruiters. This includes: 

  • Those members with a profile photo get up to 21 times more views and 9 times more invites to connect.
  • Members with current job positions are noticed up to 16 times more in recruiter searches; Members with more than 5 skills listed in their profile are 27 times more likely to be discovered in those searches.
  • Members who include the city where they currently work stand out up to 23 times in searches.

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