Linkedin Blog

In this economic environment it’s tough to find a job. But LinkedIn can help. Today we’re excited to announce a major upgrade for job seekers on LinkedIn: the Job Seeker Premium Account.

We spoke with hundreds of job seekers to understand their needs and designed a package of features to help them stand out from the crowd, reach out to hiring decision makers, and manage their job search more effectively. The new Job Seeker Premium Account enables job seekers to:

Whether you’re looking for a new job or looking to make your next rock star hire, matching talent with opportunities is a time-consuming process. With Real-Time Profile Matches, a new beta feature that is included with every job posting on LinkedIn, we now hope to make it faster and easier both for users to find the right jobs and for hiring companies to find the right talent.

Now LinkedIn members will be matched with job opportunities that they might otherwise miss, and hiring managers and recruiters will see qualified candidates immediately after posting a job. As a user, you may want to have your profile complete and up to date, to ensure that you are matched with the best possible jobs. This new feature works best when you’ve filled out the experience, summary and professional headline sections of your profile with details about your skills.

In President Obama’s State of the Union last night, he highlighted our many shared aspirations, chief among which is finding a job that pays the bill and getting a chance to get ahead. We want to help you make this a reality, so today and tomorrow, we’re offering job seekers 50% off the first three months of a LinkedIn Business account. In addition, we want to increase your job opportunities by providing companies a “buy one, get one free” job posting incentive.

The past months have been enormously difficult for the global economy. The U.S. job market, in particular, has been hit hard with millions of lost jobs and an unemployment rate in the double digits. Economists claim the recession is over, but for many without a job – or sometimes in a job that does not inspire them – this sounds cruelly abstract. Landing a job, and ideally one they’re passionate about, is still a primary concern.

LinkedIn is in a unique position to connect millions of professionals with the best career opportunities from all types of employers – small and medium businesses and larger corporations.