How to Use LinkedIn's Top Companies Lists in Your Job Search

The LinkedIn editorial team launched lists last week in 36 countries, highlighting the best places to grow your career based on our data. You can find a link to all of those #LinkedInTopCompanies lists by clicking here.

As always, we don't just publish the lists. We also publish several pieces diving deeper into the data and the companies that made the cut. Today, I want to highlight three of those pieces, including a video presentation.

Didn't Some of These Companies Have Layoffs?

The first piece I want to highlight is my own (after all, it is my newsletter). The piece I wrote for Top Companies tackles the elephant in the room: Some of the employers on these lists recently laid off employees.?How can you grow your career at a company that just laid off employees? It's a good question.?

First, you should know that companies are excluded from our lists if the number of laid-off employees equates to more than 10% of their workforce.?

Second, larger companies are able to be more strategic with staff reductions, as we discuss in my piece. A company with waning business in one area can make cuts to that department while growing headcount in an area that's booming.

Additionally, layoffs are an unfortunate reality of business. Companies that let go of employees are often reconfiguring their workforces for the future, meaning they will hopefully be stronger over the coming months and years.

Amazon, which took the top spot on our U.S. Top Companies list this year, recently announced layoffs. While the number of affected employees is large, it represents less than 2% of the 1.5 million workers the company employed at the end of 2022. Plus, the tech giant is still hiring for thousands of positions, though.

Brittney Swan, who is a recruiter and resume writer, told me job seekers shouldn't count out companies just because of recent layoffs. Instead, focus on the specific area of the business you'd work in at the company, "It is more divisional than it is the company," she said.

How Can You Grab the Attention of These Top Companies?

The second piece I want to highlight comes from my colleague Brandi Fowler . She talked with experts about what job seekers need to do to get hired at these Top Companies.

As with most employers, it's important to show that you can not only do the job but excel in the role, said Avenir Careers founder and head coach Nii Ato Bentsi-Enchill.?

Bentsi-Enchill told Fowler that employers need to see how you can solve their problems by joining the company. "Every single bullet point [on your resume should read] like a headline that is yelling or screaming out the impact you had on the company, your clients, colleagues, and/or senior management," he said.

Additionally, don't forget to network with people at the companies where you want to work. Even if you don't have some sort of connection with current employees, you can use social media like LinkedIn to become a familiar face among the workers.

“Find the people at these companies that are creating content and start following them, start commenting, start engaging,” said career coach and personal branding strategist Katelyn Richards. “That way when you do send a connection request, it's not a cold connection request.?

Top Companies Brought to Life

The third piece I want to highlight from Top Companies is a show produced by the incredible audio and video arm of the editorial team. My colleague Nina Melendez Ibarra sat down with my other colleague Juliette Faraut to discuss how these lists comes together. I then talked with her about the current state of the labor market. Finally, she was joined by Steve West , who is the VP of talent acquisition at Verizon , which placed 12th on this year's U.S. Top Companies list.

The job search process is usually a marathon — not a sprint. First, you have to think about what you want to do and where you want to do it. Then, you need to touch up your resume and LinkedIn profile. Networking fits in there somewhere. Applications usually come next. Eventually, you'll get a job interview, which are make-or-break moments that determine what happens next. While there are always unknowns when it comes to job interviews, there is still a lot you can do to prepare for these conversations. For example, it's important to know what you'll say when common questions pop up. Tiffany Uman, who is a career strategy coach and LinkedIn Learning instructor, sat down with me for the most recent episode of my #GetHired podcast to offer best practices when it comes to answering those common questions.

You can find a transcript of the conversation and listen to the episode by clicking here.

COMING UP:?

I've only met a handful of people over the years who enjoy — or at least don't mind — writing resumes. The issue is that resumes are foundational documents for job searches. You need one. Even Leonardo da Vinci had to write a resume. The irony of everyone's dislike for writing resumes is that they're pretty straightforward documents. Luckily, career advisor and resume writer Ana Lokotkova is joining us on the next episode of the podcast to talk about the basics of writing a solid resume. Follow my podcast wherever you like to listen, including Apple Podcasts, so you don't miss the episode.?

Ana will then join my LinkedIn News colleague Brandi Fowler on Monday, May 1, at noon ET on #GetHired Live to answer your questions about job searching in modern times. You can RSVP for that live conversation by clicking here or the accompanying image.

• Can you be too honest in job interviews? (By Todd Dybas) The gap between forthcoming comments and self-indicting ones is narrow. Negotiation expert Mori Taheripour says to demonstrate in an interview that room for growth exists without pummeling yourself. This approach to answering interview questions is human and thoughtful. It also allows a pivot. Taheripour told Welcome to the Jungle that mentioning growth when asked about your weaknesses can highlight hope and opportunities with the new company. She also said to be cautious about when to disclose caretaking responsibilities. "Company culture, I think, dictates a lot of how comfortable you’re going to be doing that," Taheripour said. Click here to find out what people are saying about this approach.
• Why are workers saying no to "hustle culture?" (By Kaniya Rogers) The 24/7 hustle culture that dominated pre-pandemic professional life is increasingly getting rejected. More workers are prioritizing their mental health and personal time over the all-consuming pressure to climb the career ladder, BBC Worklife reports. Experts say the anti-hustle shift was prompted by COVID-19, which enabled people to consider the negative impacts of overworking. The pandemic also challenged perceptions that a work-hard, play-hard mindset would level the playing field, since the crisis more severely impacted minorities and caregivers, especially working mothers. Click here to learn more.
• Is this the most important question to ask during interviews? (By Todd Dybas) The end of an interview is often a time to ask the interviewer questions. Google Wallet VP Jenny Chang told CNBC employees should always ask this: "Is there anything else that you are looking for in this role that I haven’t articulated yet?" Cheng says the question provides an opportunity to address undiscussed concerns the interviewer may have. A chance may arise for clarification. It may also reveal how the interview is going. "Either way, you will get valuable feedback on the spot," Cheng says. Click here to see what people are saying about the advice.

An increasing number of people are telling me that they are focused on finding work at companies that prioritize the environment when doing business. Some people take that a step further to find work that deals directly with sustainability. This LinkedIn Learning course teaches you how to find a green career. You can watch it below or by clicking here.