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Using LinkedIn strategically to actually find jobs
18 Plays11 days ago
Are you over 50 and feel like LinkedIn is a black hole? You apply, you wait, you hear nothing — and you start wondering if it's the platform or you. The truth? You've just never been shown how LinkedIn actually works today.
In this episode of The Ageism Survival Guide, we break down 16 step-by-step LinkedIn strategies designed specifically for job seekers over 50. You'll learn how recruiters use the platform, how the algorithm decides who gets seen, and how to leverage LinkedIn to land interviews — not just submit applications into the void.
Whether you're navigating a career change after 50, returning to the workforce, or just tired of being overlooked, this video gives you a modern LinkedIn strategy that works. These aren't generic LinkedIn tips — they're built for experienced professionals who need to overcome ageism in the job search and compete in today's market.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
✅ How to optimize your LinkedIn profile so recruiters actually find you
✅ The job search strategies that get results (not just applications)
✅ How to use LinkedIn to find a job — even when it feels rigged against you
✅ Tools most job seekers over 50 don't even know exist (Career Explorer, Skills Match)
✅ Why contract and fractional roles are the fastest path back to full-time work
💬 Join our community: Connect with fellow job seekers, share wins, and get support in our Discord server → [DISCORD LINK]
🔗 LinkedIn Career Explorer (mentioned in the video) → HERE
🔗Link to video on optimizing your profile on LinkedIn (mentioned in the podcast) → HERE
📺 Subscribe to The Ageism Survival Guide for weekly job search tips, LinkedIn hacks, and career advice for professionals over 50 who refuse to be counted out.
Just remember: youth runs fast, but age knows the terrain.
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Transcript
Is LinkedIn effective for job seekers over 50?
00:00:00
Speaker
You know what i hear a lot from job seekers over 50 every single week? Hey, I'm on LinkedIn, but nothing's happening. And here's the truth that most people don't want to talk about, which is LinkedIn really feels like a black hole. Sometimes you apply, you wait, you hear nothing and you start to wonder, does this platform even work or worse?
00:00:23
Speaker
Am I the problem? But no, you're not the problem. Sort of. You've just never been shown how LinkedIn actually works. How recruiters use it. How the algorithm works. And how people your age, my age, can use it to get real traction.
00:00:43
Speaker
There are many hidden tools on LinkedIn that most people don't even know about.
How to optimize LinkedIn profiles?
00:00:47
Speaker
In a previous video, which I'll link here plus in the notes below, We already rebuilt your LinkedIn profile from being just an online resume to being a search engine optimized marketing tool.
00:01:01
Speaker
So today I'm going to show you exactly what to do on LinkedIn step by step so you can stop feeling invisible and start getting noticed.
Choosing the right 'open to work' settings
00:01:17
Speaker
But before we talk about the job boards and before we talk about the recruiters or even the networking, we need to talk about that open to work setting because this is one of the choices that affects everything else. There are two versions. Maybe you know about them. Option one, open to work, which is for recruiters only. And option two, the the public open to work banner, that green banner around your your profile picture.
00:01:44
Speaker
Let's break them down. Recruiter-only visibility. This one tells recruiters using LinkedIn's paid recruiter tools that you're open to new roles.
00:01:55
Speaker
it It doesn't put that that green banner around your profile photo. It's discreet. It's safe if you're still employed, and it avoids some of that age bias that can come with public visibility.
00:02:08
Speaker
The downside, though, your network, it doesn't know that you're looking. So you could miss out on some referrals and introductions. Now, the public visibility, this is that that green banner. This one is bold. It's visible to to everyone, and it it absolutely increases your inbound messages. People, they're going to reach out. They're going to offer help. They're going to tag you in job posts. But it also signals vulnerability. And for older workers, that can sometimes trigger age bias.
00:02:40
Speaker
So here's my guidance. and it's really up to you. If you're unemployed or consulting or you want to maximize your visibility, the public banner can be really powerful. If you're employed though, or if you're worried about age bias, then use the recruiter only.
00:02:57
Speaker
Either way, turn it on to one of the two settings. It's one of the most important steps that you can take right up front.
Optimizing search and application strategies
00:03:05
Speaker
Now let's talk about the job board. Most people They just use it like Google. They type in you know one one job title, then they so search around for a bit, and then they give up But that's not how LinkedIn works. LinkedIn, it rewards people who search strategically.
00:03:21
Speaker
So here's here's how to do it. You search by title, but you also search by skills. So, for example, if you've been a program manager all your life, then search for program manager, but also search for project lead, for delivery manager, for operations manager, even customer experience, because companies, they rename roles constantly. And older job titles, they don't always match the modern ones.
00:03:50
Speaker
Next, use the filters. Filter by by date posted, filter by experience level, filter by remote or by hybrid. And here's a really big one.
00:04:00
Speaker
Save your searches. When you save the search, LinkedIn starts to learn what you want and it starts feeding you better results. This is how you're going to uncover roles that you would not have found on your own.
00:04:14
Speaker
Once you've built your job searches, be absolutely sure to turn on the job alerts. Daily alerts are the best because timing
Engaging with companies and recruiters
00:04:23
Speaker
matters. Many roles they get flooded with applicants in the first 24 hours, and some roles they even close early before the posting even expires. So if you're applying late, you're already behind.
00:04:37
Speaker
So remember, alerts they help you stay ahead of the curve. Next, follow companies that you're genuinely interested in not 200 companies just maybe i don't know 20 to 40. when you follow a company you see their postings in your feed you see their news you see their leadership changes you you see their expansions and contractions and the recruiters see that you follow them which signals interest to them So for older workers, this is also a great way to stay current on industry, language and lingo because companies, they they reveal a lot through what they post.
00:05:19
Speaker
Now, following companies, it's it's well and good, but Engaging with their content is even better. When you like or comment on a company's post, your name and your headline shows up in front of their employees, in front of their recruiters and their hiring managers.
00:05:38
Speaker
This is visibility and visibility is your currency. But here's the key. Don't just leave generic comments. ah don't Don't leave, you know great post or thanks for sharing.
00:05:50
Speaker
Add one or two sentences of your vast insight. Show that you're you're thoughtful. Show that you're current and show them that you're paying attention to them. That's how you're going to stand out.
00:06:02
Speaker
Let's talk about recruiters. LinkedIn, of course, is one of the easiest places to find them. Search for recruiter plus your industry. Search for talent acquisition plus a company name. Or go to the company page and click people.
00:06:19
Speaker
Once you find them, reach out. But keep your message short. Keep it modern, forward-looking. Something like, hey, I'm exploring new opportunities in operations leadership.
00:06:34
Speaker
I'm especially interested in roles focused on customer experience and process improvement. If any relevant positions come across your desk, I'd love to stay on your radar.
00:06:47
Speaker
That's it. No long career history, no extensive paragraphs, no attachments, unless they ask. Keep it short, clear, and professional.
00:07:00
Speaker
Now let's talk about easy apply.
Application strategies and leveraging connections
00:07:05
Speaker
Easy apply great for speed but it's also a trap because when something's easy Everyone does it, and that means competition is really high. So here's the rule. Use EasyApply only when you match at least 80% of the job description and always attach a resume that's custom tailored to that job.
00:07:25
Speaker
Always. And if the job really matters, go to the company's website and apply there too. That makes sure that you're going to be entered into their ATS and some companies actually seem to prioritize direct applicants on their website.
00:07:42
Speaker
One of the most powerful features on LinkedIn is the people who work here section on the company page. This is where you're going to find alumni from your university. You're going to find former colleagues or people with similar backgrounds, people who might refer you.
00:08:00
Speaker
You know, reach out to them. Ask for a short conversation. Ask for insight or ask for a referral if it feels appropriate. Referrals, again, they dramatically increase your chance of getting an interview, especially for us older workers.
00:08:17
Speaker
Now, let's talk about
Maintaining visibility and updating skills
00:08:20
Speaker
posting. You don't need to post every day. You're not an influencer, but posting once a week is it's one of the best ways to stay visible. Share an article, share a lesson learned, share a a short story from your career, share something that you're learning today.
00:08:36
Speaker
You're not trying to go viral. you're You're just trying to stay present because when you post, you show up in people's feeds. And when you show up, people are going to remember you.
00:08:50
Speaker
Here's a little secret too. So commenting is more powerful than posting. When you comment your name and your headline, appear in front of the original poster's entire network. That's thousands of people that you would never reach otherwise. So make it a habit. Maybe five thoughtful comments a week.
00:09:11
Speaker
That's it. This builds visibility and visibility builds opportunity, which can lead to jobs. Next, let's talk about skills and recommendations.
00:09:23
Speaker
Add modern skills to your profile, skills that match today's job descriptions, not just the the ones that you used 20 years ago. Ask former colleagues to to endorse you, endorse others, because many people will just endorse you back and return the favor.
00:09:41
Speaker
And request recommendations. Three to five is is ideal. Recommendations, they they counteract age bias. They show that you're still relevant, that you're valued, that you're still in the game today.
00:09:55
Speaker
LinkedIn groups, they're not as active as they used to be, and they're they're full of a lot of advertisers, but they're still useful.
Using AI tools and LinkedIn Premium
00:10:02
Speaker
So maybe consider joining some groups related to your industry, to your function, to your job search. You you don't have to be a heavy participant, but just being in the room helps you stay connected and and see what's going on.
00:10:16
Speaker
LinkedIn has three tools that older workers often overlook, possibly because one of them isn't even on LinkedIn, but on a separate server. These are the Career Explorer and SkillsMatch together with a basket of AI tools to optimize your application.
00:10:34
Speaker
These tools, they show you the roles that you're qualified for, the the skills that you may need to add, and how your background maps against modern job titles. And it also offers ai tools to help your application become more effective.
00:10:50
Speaker
Since Career Explorer isn't even on the the LinkedIn page, which which is really strange, I dropped the link to reach it into the show notes. This one lets you explore your skills and compare them to what skills certain roles look for.
00:11:06
Speaker
it can be pretty helpful during the exploration phase of your job search. The Skills Match is a really valuable tool located in the Jobs section of LinkedIn. So if you're a LinkedIn Premium user, you can click on a job to open the details, then locate Use AI to assess how you fit on that Jobs page.
00:11:27
Speaker
Here you can choose from a variety of options including show match details. If you click this you're going to see an assessment of how well your skills list and keywords are matched to the open positions description. You're also going to see additional options like tailor my resume which offers AI based assistance to tailor your resume specifically to this job with the most relevant keywords.
00:11:54
Speaker
In addition, you can leverage the Create a Cover Letter option to generate an AI-assisted cover letter specific to that role. But remember, as good as AI pretends to be, be sure to add some of your own personality to anything that's generated.
00:12:10
Speaker
There's also an option to click called Help Me Stand Out. Click on this if you want some additional tips on your LinkedIn profile, your your resume, your cover letter, or anything else depending on the additional assessment that LinkedIn's AI makes.
00:12:26
Speaker
These are all incredibly helpful if your job titles are outdated or if you're transitioning into something new where you're not so familiar with the the lingo.
00:12:38
Speaker
And be sure to use the My Jobs
Exploring contract roles and continuous learning
00:12:41
Speaker
dashboard. It shows where you applied, whether your application was viewed, and whether the job is still open.
00:12:50
Speaker
This helps you to stay organized and it helps you to follow up strategically when necessary. Here's something that many older workers often overlook.
00:13:01
Speaker
contract roles, fractional leadership, or consulting. These roles are often faster moving. They can bypass age bias filters and they often convert to full-time roles.
00:13:14
Speaker
Turn on a setting that tells recruiters that you're open to contract work. It opens doors that you didn't even know existed. Finally, LinkedIn Learning.
00:13:25
Speaker
Taking a course, it does two things. First, it updates your skills. And second, it signals to recruiters that you're learning and updating your skills, that you're current, that you're engaged. This matters because one of the frustrating and biggest stereotypes about older workers is that we don't keep up, that we don't learn.
00:13:47
Speaker
Again, i I call bullshit on this one. LinkedIn learning, it helps to prove them wrong.
LinkedIn as a dynamic marketing tool for older job seekers
00:13:55
Speaker
As we've discussed in the video I'll link here, LinkedIn is not a resume. It's it's not a static profile. It's a living ecosystem, a marketing document. And the people who get the most out of it are the people who use it and its tools consistently. Not not perfectly, not not obsessively, just consistently. A few minutes a day, a few actions a week. That's all it takes. Because visibility it leads to opportunity, and opportunity leads to interviews, and interviews lead to jobs.
00:14:29
Speaker
You deserve to be seen, you deserve to be valued, and you deserve to be hired. This is the Ageism Survival Guide. Just remember, youth runs fast, but age knows the terrain.
00:14:44
Speaker
See you next time.