The secret to job search success - targeting the right jobs with job match

As we enter 2025, nearly 60% of people worldwide are considering a job change. While the global labor market is expected to see slight improvement, many?job seekers are feeling the competition and finding the job search more challenging than before. We want to help.?

When speaking with those searching for a job, I consistently hear these 3 challenges:??

1. Discover: How can I just find the jobs I’m interested in?
2. Assess and Apply: Why is it so hard to understand if my skills are a fit for this job?
3. Hear back: Will I hear back if I apply??

We are going to be changing many things in our experience over the coming months, but we’ll start today with a focus on Assess and Apply.? Given the uncertainty in this process, it is natural to make volume your friend. Many end up hitting “apply” to numerous jobs without knowing if they’re a good match. In fact nearly 40% of people say they’re applying to more jobs? than ever but hearing back less.

However, the greater the volume, the harder the match. If your skills and experience don’t align with the requirements listed, it’s unlikely your application will move forward, and it makes it harder for hiring managers to sift through all the other applications. 73% of hiring managers say that less than half the job applications they receive meet all the required criteria.

Ultimately, if you’re searching for a job or looking to hire the right talent you want the same thing - find a match as quickly as possible. The only way to get there is by targeting the right jobs where your skills, experience, and interests align. This is the secret behind job search success and it is where we’ve invested for our first big product release in 2025.?

A new journey to better match job seekers and hirers

We’re excited to start rolling out our new job match feature, which will let LinkedIn members know how well they match with any job on LinkedIn in just seconds.

3 things to know about job match -?

1. For job seekers, this unlocks the ability to target the right job opportunities by knowing where you stand: Job seekers will see a full match summary explaining how the qualifications from their profile match up every required and preferred qualification on the job - within seconds. This will help you target jobs where your skills and experiences match what the hirers are looking for.
2. Premium subscribers also have access to competitive insights and guidance: As a Premium subscriber, you’ll see how you stack up against competition with a categorical rating that indicates if you are a high, medium or low match, and if you have a higher chance of hearing back from the hirer as a Top Applicant. Premium subscribers will also get additional guidance via our AI-powered tools to improve their resumes, cover letters, and see jobs where they are a Top Applicant.?
3. How this works - this AI powered tool is built based on insights from millions of job postings, companies, and professionals: For the first time, you now have complete transparency into how your application is viewed by recruiters. You can learn more about how LinkedIn’s products, and the technology behind them, are designed to help job seekers and hirers connect here, and you can see what else we’re doing to help recruiters with here.

Job match will be rolling out globally in English in the coming weeks with other languages coming soon. As we roll this out, we’ll keep iterating to make our products better - please continue to share your feedback along the way at [email protected].

PS: Here are few posts from recruiters and talent leaders who’ve shared their notes on the topic too -?

“Why recruiters may not always reply, even when they’d love to help… Spoiler: It’s not because we’re ignoring you on purpose! 1. Our Inbox Is Overflowing ????Imagine checking your LinkedIn messages and finding 100+ unread messages every day ??. That’s the reality for many recruiters! With limited time, we have to focus on finding the right candidates for the open roles we’re currently hiring for. This means not every message gets the attention it deserves right away—sorry! ??2. Role Relevance Is Key ??Recruiters work with specific job openings, and every role has unique requirements. If your profile doesn’t align with what we’re looking for, we may not be able to engage further right now.” – Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist Hanaa Benbella

“Outdated advice: Finding a job is a numbers game. People will say things like, “I sent out 100 resumes a week when I was looking for work.” Current job seekers who follow this advice are hearing crickets in response. The reason is that if you apply to every job you see, you’re applying to jobs that aren’t a great match for you.” – Sr. AI/ML Leader Ron F.

"Someone needs to hear this today...

?? Regardless of the number of applicants specified by LinkedIn, if you meet the requirements, DO apply the the job

?? If you DO NOT meet the job requirements, DO NOT apply to the job

? If you meet MOST of the requirements and there's a lower number of applicants, DO apply to the job

Today's job market is tough. One of the many factors include the ease of application. Recruiters are sifting through a ton of candidates who are not qualified for roles, while people who are qualified for roles are discouraged from applying due to the number of applicants. If you meet the qualifications, especially in a niche space, you'll likely still get an interview. It just might take a while due to applicant volume." - Head of Capital Impact Kali P

Footnote

*This research was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of LinkedIn amongst 22,010 consumers and 8,035 HR professionals across 15 markets in November-December 2024.