LinkedIn has more than a billion members worldwide, but knowing how to use it effectively for your job search is a skill most people never fully develop. For Canadian job seekers in administrative, office support, and professional roles, a few targeted strategies can mean the difference between months of searching and landing interviews within weeks. This guide covers the best way to job search on LinkedIn, from profile setup to networking and beyond.
Quick takeaways
- Complete your LinkedIn profile before you start applying to anything
- Set up targeted job alerts so relevant postings come directly to you
- Use the "Open to Work" feature to signal availability to recruiters
- Network with purpose: reach out to real people, not just company pages
- Supplement LinkedIn with niche boards like AdminCareers.ca for Canada-focused listings
- Track every application and follow up within one to two weeks
Build a LinkedIn Profile That Gets Found
Before you apply to a single job, your profile needs to work for you. Recruiters search LinkedIn every day using keywords, location filters, and experience criteria. If your profile is incomplete or generic, you will not appear in those results.
Make Your Headline Count
Your LinkedIn headline is the first thing recruiters and hiring managers see after your name. Do not waste it on your current job title alone. Combine your role with a key skill or your target position. For example, "Administrative Coordinator | Scheduling, Office Management, and Client Relations" tells a recruiter exactly what you offer. Include terms that match the job descriptions you are targeting, because LinkedIn uses your headline as part of how it surfaces your profile in recruiter searches.
Write a Summary That Speaks to Employers
The "About" section is your opportunity to address employers directly. Write in the first person and keep it focused. Explain who you are, what types of roles you are looking for, and what you bring to the table. Avoid generic phrases and instead describe a specific achievement or the type of environment where you do your best work. A strong, keyword-rich summary improves your relevance in LinkedIn's search algorithm and gives a recruiter a reason to keep reading.
List Skills Recruiters Are Searching For
LinkedIn allows you to add up to 50 skills. Use them strategically. Look at job postings for roles you want and note the skills listed in the requirements. Add those that genuinely apply to your background. Terms like "Microsoft Office Suite," "Calendar Management," "Meeting Coordination," and "Data Entry" are commonly searched in the Canadian administrative job market. Endorsements from colleagues add credibility and signal that your listed skills are verified by people who have worked with you.
Use LinkedIn's Job Search Tools Strategically
Once your profile is solid, LinkedIn's built-in job search features become far more useful. Most people use only a fraction of what is available, and the difference between a casual user and a strategic one is significant.
Set Up Job Alerts the Right Way
LinkedIn job alerts are one of the most practical features on the platform. After running a search using your preferred keywords and location, click "Set alert" to receive notifications when new postings match your criteria. Set alerts for a few different keyword combinations: "administrative assistant Toronto," "executive assistant Ontario," or "office coordinator remote Canada." This way you see relevant postings as soon as they go live rather than discovering them days later when competition has already increased.
Filter by Location, Experience Level, and Date Posted
Use LinkedIn's filters to narrow results before you begin applying. Filtering by "Date Posted" is especially valuable. Jobs posted in the last 24 hours receive fewer applications than those that have been live for a week, so applying early improves your odds. Also filter by location, seniority level, and job type (full-time, contract, hybrid) to avoid spending time reviewing postings that do not fit your situation or availability.
Easy Apply vs. Applying Through the Employer's Website
LinkedIn's Easy Apply button lets you submit an application using your profile and a resume upload, often in under two minutes. While convenient, these applications go into the same pool as many others. When a specific role is a strong match and a priority for you, consider visiting the employer's website directly to apply through their official portal. This demonstrates extra initiative and sometimes allows for a more complete application with a cover letter or additional context about your qualifications.
Signal That You Are Open to Work
LinkedIn gives you a direct way to tell recruiters you are available. Using this feature thoughtfully can bring opportunities to you without additional searching on your end.
The Open to Work Feature and Who Sees It
From your profile, you can enable the "Open to Work" setting and specify your preferred job titles, locations, and work types. You have two choices: share this information with recruiters only (not visible to the general public or your current employer), or display a green "Open to Work" banner on your profile photo for everyone to see. The recruiter-only option is available on a free account and is a good starting point for most active job seekers.
When to Make It Public vs. Private
If you are currently employed and prefer that your employer does not know you are searching, choose the recruiter-only setting. LinkedIn applies filtering so that recruiters at your current company generally will not see the signal, though this is not a complete guarantee. If you are between jobs or are fully open about your search, the public banner increases your overall visibility and often leads to direct recruiter outreach without requiring you to initiate anything.
Network With Intention
Networking on LinkedIn does not mean sending mass connection requests to strangers. Intentional, specific outreach produces far better results and builds a more useful long-term professional network.
Connect With People, Not Just Company Pages
Following a company page is useful for tracking job postings and company news. Actual conversations happen with people. Identify hiring managers, team leads, or current employees at companies you are interested in. When sending a connection request, always include a short personalized note. A message like "I noticed your team manages multi-site office operations across Ontario. I have a background in administrative coordination and would welcome the chance to connect" is specific, professional, and far more likely to be accepted than a blank request.
How to Message Recruiters Without Overdoing It
Recruiters on LinkedIn receive a lot of outreach. Keep your message brief and direct. Mention the specific role you saw posted, explain in one or two sentences why your background is relevant, and close with a clear and simple request. Avoid lengthy messages that summarize your entire career history. If a recruiter posted a job opening and you meet the requirements, reaching out within the first 48 hours gives you the best chance of a timely response.
Engage With Content in Your Industry
Commenting thoughtfully on posts by industry professionals, recruiters, or companies puts your name in front of the right people without requiring cold outreach. You do not need to publish original content regularly, though doing so can increase your visibility further. Consistent, relevant comments on posts about administrative careers, workplace productivity trends, or Canadian business topics keep you visible in your network without a significant time investment each day.
Research Companies Before Applying
Applying broadly to every posting you encounter is rarely the most efficient approach. Focused, informed applications tend to produce better response rates and prepare you more thoroughly for interviews.
Follow Companies You Want to Work For
Follow the LinkedIn pages of companies that align with your career goals. You will see job postings as they go live, along with updates about company culture, team expansions, leadership changes, and new initiatives. This information is valuable when you reach the interview stage and want to demonstrate genuine interest and preparation rather than a surface-level familiarity with the organization.
Use Employee Profiles for Insight
Before applying to a company, look at the profiles of people who currently hold the role or similar ones there. Note their backgrounds, key skills, and career paths. This helps you tailor your resume and cover letter to reflect what the company typically values in that function, and gives you a clearer sense of whether the role is a realistic fit for your current experience level.
Supplement LinkedIn With Niche Job Boards
LinkedIn is a powerful platform, but it works best as part of a broader job search strategy. Pairing it with specialized boards improves the range and relevance of opportunities you see each week.
Why LinkedIn Alone Is Not Enough
Many employers, especially smaller Canadian businesses, post exclusively on niche job boards or their own websites and never pay to advertise on LinkedIn. LinkedIn listings can also appear duplicated across multiple platforms, creating a misleading sense of how many unique opportunities actually exist in your target market. Diversifying your search ensures you catch postings that never appear on LinkedIn at all.
AdminCareers.ca for Canadian Administrative Roles
AdminCareers.ca is a Canada-focused job board built specifically for administrative and office support professionals. If you work in reception, executive assistance, office coordination, records management, or related fields, it surfaces postings that are directly relevant to your background without requiring you to filter through unrelated listings. Checking AdminCareers.ca alongside LinkedIn gives you broader coverage, including employers who actively target this niche. Browse current opportunities at AdminCareers.ca.
Other Platforms Worth Checking Regularly
Indeed Canada, the Government of Canada's Public Service Commission site for federal public service roles, and individual company career pages are all worth reviewing on a regular basis. For contract or project-based work, platforms focused on short-term engagements may also be relevant depending on your goals and availability. A diversified approach ensures no major source of Canadian job postings is left unchecked.
Track Your Applications and Follow Up
Without a tracking system, it is easy to lose track of where you applied, which version of your resume you submitted, and whether you have followed up with anyone from the hiring team.
Build a Simple Tracking System
A basic spreadsheet is enough for most job seekers. Record the company name, job title, date applied, application method, and the name of any recruiter or hiring manager you identified. Add columns for follow-up dates and notes from any correspondence or phone screens. This keeps your search organized, prevents you from applying to the same role twice, and ensures you do not miss windows to follow up at the right time.
When and How to Follow Up on LinkedIn
If you applied through LinkedIn and can identify the hiring manager or recruiter responsible for the role, a brief follow-up message one to two weeks after applying is appropriate. Reference the role by its exact title, confirm your continued interest, and offer to answer any questions they may have. Keep the message to two or three sentences. Most applicants do not follow up at all, so a professional, timely message often stands out and can prompt a response.
FAQ
Is LinkedIn the best way to find jobs in Canada?
LinkedIn is one of the most widely used job search platforms in Canada and a strong starting point for most professionals. It works best as part of a broader strategy. Pairing LinkedIn with Canadian-focused boards like AdminCareers.ca and direct employer outreach gives you the widest reach, especially if you are targeting administrative or office support roles where niche boards often carry listings not found on LinkedIn.
Should I pay for LinkedIn Premium during my job search?
LinkedIn Premium offers InMail credits, profile view insights, and applicant comparison data. These features can be useful, but they are not essential for a successful search. Most of the strategies in this guide work with a free account. Consider a short trial period if you want to test the additional features before committing to the monthly cost, and evaluate whether the insights are genuinely changing how you search.
How often should I update my LinkedIn profile while searching?
Review and update your profile every few weeks, or immediately after completing a course, certification, or role change. Keeping your profile current signals active engagement on the platform, which can improve your visibility in recruiter searches. At minimum, confirm that your headline, current position, skills, and contact information are accurate and reflect what you are currently targeting.
What is the best way to job search if I have no LinkedIn connections?
Start by connecting with former colleagues, classmates, and past managers. Even a small, genuine network is more valuable than hundreds of cold connections with no shared context. Join LinkedIn groups related to your industry or region, participate in discussions, and engage with relevant posts from professionals in your field. Connections grow steadily through consistent, thoughtful participation over time.
How do I use LinkedIn job alerts effectively?
Create several alerts using different keyword variations for your target role. If you are looking for administrative work, set separate alerts for "administrative assistant," "office administrator," and "admin coordinator." Apply location filters that match your situation, whether that is a specific city, province, or remote work across Canada. Check your alerts daily and prioritize applying to postings from the last 24 to 48 hours for the best results.
Can I job search on LinkedIn without my employer knowing?
You can reduce your visibility significantly with a few settings. Use the recruiter-only setting for "Open to Work" rather than the public banner. Turn off activity broadcasts in your privacy settings so your network is not notified each time you update your profile. Be selective about which connections you engage with during your search. While no approach is entirely invisible, these steps make your activity much less apparent to current colleagues and managers.
Your LinkedIn profile and your active job search strategy need to work together. A strong profile without consistent outreach produces few results, and applying broadly without an optimized profile means fewer callbacks. Combine both approaches, use your time on LinkedIn deliberately, and supplement your search with platforms focused on your specific field and location. Ready to take the next step? Visit admincareers.ca to explore job opportunities tailored for Canadian administrative and office support professionals.