Creating job alerts on LinkedIn is a simple but immensely effective way to reach the next step on your career journey.

Whether you’re currently out of work or toying with the idea of participating in the Great Resignation and jumping to a new company, real-time alerts about new job postings are invaluable. 

Of course, even before embarking on Step #1 you must have a LinkedIn profile!  Read a prior article we wrote about the benefits of maintaining a LinkedIn account.   The article also includes a link to a great resource for building your profile from scratch. 

Step #1 – Go to the Jobs Page

Whether using a desktop or mobile device, the Jobs page can be accessed by clicking the briefcase icon. 

Step #2 – Access the Job Alerts Portal

Look for than icon of a bell to access the Job Alerts section of the site.  On  a desktop, it’s likely to be in a menu on the left side of the Jobs Page.  On a mobile device, you may need to click a kebab menu near the top of the page (aka, the three dots menu).  On some mobile versions of LinkedIn, the bell icon will say “Manage Job Alerts.”

Tip: Depending on how active you’ve been with your profile, LinkedIn may already have ideas for you in the “Suggested job searches” box!

Step #3 – Enable Job Recommendations

There are two steps to take on the screen that pops up after clicking the bell icon. First, toggle the “Job recommendation” button to On.  LinkedIn’s algorithms are very competent and will be a tremendous asset in bringing job postings to your attention that may be of interest. 

Next, click “Search for jobs.”  Don’t worry about clicking “Done” on this screen; the toggle button will remain On.

Step #4 – Enter Parameters for Your Dream Job and Enable the Alert

LinkedIn has significantly expanded its offering of job search parameters in recent years.  Want to be one of the very first applicants to respond to a posting?  You can filter by “Under 10 Applicants.”  Looking for a remote position that offers tuition reimbursement?  There are parameters for that. 

Review each parameter offered in the job search tool menu so you don’t miss any, and be sure to click on “All Filters” for a suite of additional data points. 

Once you’ve got your parameters set, simply toggle the “Job Alert Off” button to On (it’ll turn from gray to green.)

Want a second alert to notify you of job postings with different criteria?  Simply refresh the page; when you start setting new parameters, the Job Alerts button will toggle back to Off, and you can switch it On once you’ve established the new criteria.  Create as many job alerts as you need!  

Anytime you want to delete a job alert or remind yourself which alerts are active, click the bell icon discussed in Step #2 to access all active alerts. 

Were these steps for creating job alerts on LinkedIn helpful?  Was there something additional we should have covered?  Let us know in the Comments!