LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 850 million members. With so many profiles on the platform, finding the right people to connect and network with can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. This is where LinkedIn’s robust search filters come in handy. LinkedIn’s advanced search allows you to narrow down your search results based on various criteria, helping you easily find the profiles you want.
Types of LinkedIn Search Filters
There are several different types of filters available on LinkedIn to refine your search results:
- Keyword – Search by keywords found in profile titles, skills, companies etc.
- Location – Search by country, postal code, city etc.
- Company – Search by current or past company names
- School – Search by university or school attended
- Title – Search by job title
- Group – Search within LinkedIn groups
- Industry – Search by industry
- Language – Search by language spoken
- Relationship – Search by 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree connections
How to Use LinkedIn Search Filters
Using LinkedIn’s search filters is easy! Just follow these steps:
- Go to the LinkedIn homepage and click on the search bar
- Start typing your search keyword (name, company, title etc)
- Click on “All filters” next to the search bar
- Select the filters you want to apply from the different categories
- Refine your filters as needed to narrow your search further
- Hit enter or click the search icon to view your filtered results
Keyword Search Filter
The keyword filter allows you to search for profiles containing specific words or phrases. For example:
- “Digital Marketing” – Profiles with digital marketing in the title or skills
- “Social Media Strategist” – Profiles with this phrase in the title or job description
- “Content Marketing” – Profiles mentioning content marketing as a skill or interest
Keyword searching is very flexible and one of the most useful LinkedIn search filters.
Location Filter
The location filter enables you to find profiles by geographic location. You can search by:
- Country – e.g. Canada
- State or province – e.g. Ontario
- City – e.g. Toronto
- Postal code – e.g. M5V 3A4
This allows you to easily connect with professionals in your desired geographic area.
Company Filter
With the company filter, you can search by:
- Current company – People currently employed at a specific company
- Past company – People who have worked at a company previously in their career
This is useful for identifying and connecting with professionals working at target companies.
School Filter
The school filter allows you to search by educational institution attended including:
- University name – e.g. University of Toronto
- College name – e.g. George Brown College
- High school name – e.g. Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts
Connecting with alumni is a great networking strategy.
Title Filter
Searching by job title allows you to find profiles with specific roles such as:
- Marketing Manager
- Social Media Coordinator
- Human Resources Director
Title searching is helpful for identifying profiles with certain expertise or authority.
Group Filter
You can filter your search within specific LinkedIn groups using the group filter. For example:
- Social Media Marketing Group
- Content Marketing Professionals
- Digital Analytics Association
Leverage groups relevant to your industry for hyper-targeted searching and networking.
Industry Filter
The industry filter allows you to search within certain professional sectors such as:
- Marketing & Advertising
- Higher Education
- Information Technology
Connect with professionals in your field or niche using the industry filter.
Language Filter
You can search by language using this filter to find profiles such as:
- English speakers
- French speakers
- Mandarin speakers
This helps you connect with profiles speaking your target languages.
Relationship Filter
LinkedIn allows you to filter by relationship, searching for:
- 1st degree connections – People you are directly connected to
- 2nd degree connections – Connections of your 1st degree connections
- 3rd degree connections – Connections of your 2nd degree connections
Leverage your network by filtering for degrees of connection.
Boolean Search Operators
You can combine multiple filters using Boolean operators to refine your search further:
- AND – Results must match both filters
- OR – Results can match either filter
- NOT – Results must not contain filter
For example: marketing AND Toronto NOT internship
This displays profiles with marketing in Toronto excluding internships.
Save Your LinkedIn Searches
Once you’ve created a filtered LinkedIn search, you can save it for future use:
- After applying your filters, click “Save” next to the search bar
- Name and save your search
- Easily access your saved searches from your LinkedIn profile
Saving complex searches saves time and makes repeat searching easy.
Tips for Effective LinkedIn Searching
Follow these tips to maximize your LinkedIn searching:
- Use multiple filters for laser targeted results
- Try different keyword variations and combinations
- Search within niche LinkedIn groups
- Boolean operators take filtering to the next level
- Save common searches for quick access
- Refine and experiment with filters to perfect your search
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s advanced search filters allow you to cut through the noise and easily find relevant profiles. Location, company, title and keyword filters are extremely valuable for discovering your ideal connections.
Take the time to really explore all the different search options. Combining filters with Boolean operators can give you very precise results.
So be sure to take advantage of these powerful searching capabilities the next time you log into LinkedIn. The right connections are out there – you just have to filter for them!