With the job market more competitive than ever, job seekers need to use every tool at their disposal to find new opportunities. Two of the most popular job search platforms are LinkedIn and Indeed. But which one is better for finding and landing your next job? This comprehensive comparison examines the key features, benefits, and drawbacks of both LinkedIn and Indeed to help you decide which job site works best for your needs.
LinkedIn Overview
As the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 690 million users, LinkedIn is a go-to resource for job seekers and employers alike. Here’s a quick rundown of LinkedIn’s key features and functions:
- Professional profiles – Users create detailed resume-style profiles highlighting their work histories, education, skills, accomplishments, recommendations, and more. This gives recruiters a robust view of your professional brand and qualifications.
- Jobs portal – LinkedIn’s massive jobs board aggregates listings from around the web. You can search by keywords, location, company, job title, and more. LinkedIn uses your profile data to recommend relevant job matches too.
- Networking – Interact with connections, join industry or alumni groups, and follow companies to expand your network. Leverage connections to uncover hidden job opportunities and get introductions to hiring managers.
- Applications – Apply for jobs directly through LinkedIn in seconds using your profile. You can also sign up for email alerts about new job listings.
- Messaging – Contact recruiters, hiring managers, and connections directly via LinkedIn’s messaging tools.
- Salary data – View detailed, crowdsourced salary data for different job titles in specific companies or locations.
- Company pages – Research employers by following their company pages to see news, jobs, insights into their culture, key staffers, and more.
- Newsfeed – Stay on top of industry news and connections’ career updates through your customized feed.
Indeed Overview
Indeed established itself as one of the top job sites by aggregating millions of listings from all over the web onto one platform. Here are some key features of Indeed:
- Job search engine – Indeed pulls job postings from company career sites, job boards, newspapers, associations, and more. You can quickly search through over 16 million listings in one place.
- Filters & alerts – Refine your job search results by title, location, date posted, salary, job type (full-time, part-time, etc), and more. Save search alerts to get notified of new matching jobs.
- Recommendations – Indeed’s algorithm looks at your search history, profile, and other inputs to recommend jobs you may be interested in.
- Company pages – Research employers by browsing company pages that include reviews, photos, hiring trends, Q&As, and more.
- Resume search – Employers can post jobs and directly search Indeed’s database of over 85 million resumes.
- Mobile access – Search for jobs and get alerts on the go with Indeed’s mobile apps.
- Tools & resources – Take skill tests, access salary data, learn about companies, and get career advice from Indeed’s expanding library of tools and resources.
Key Differences
While LinkedIn and Indeed have some overlapping features, there are also some major differences to weigh when deciding which platform is best for your specific needs:
Indeed | |
---|---|
Emphasis on networking & making connections | Emphasis on casting a wide net with massive number of listings |
Caters to white collar, professional roles | Includes listings for roles of all types and seniority levels |
Detailed user profiles showcases skills, experience & accomplishments | No user profiles |
Jobs largely come from direct company postings | Aggregates listings from all over the web |
Smaller pool of high quality, relevant job matches | Larger pool of job listings, but more filters and screening required |
Contact recruiters directly through platform | Apply to jobs on company site |
Stay updated on connections’ career changes | No networking element |
LinkedIn Pros
Here are some of the key advantages LinkedIn provides job seekers:
- Networking power: With over 690 million users, LinkedIn offers unmatched access to professional connections. Leverage your networks and LinkedIn groups to uncover leads, get introduced, and land warm referrals.
- Curated jobs: Jobs on LinkedIn tend to be higher quality since companies pay to directly post openings on the platform. Listings target more professional roles.
- Profile showcases qualifications: Your polished LinkedIn profile highlights your background, skills, accomplishments, and endorsements in one place for recruiters.
- Build your brand: Active participation on LinkedIn establishes your professional brand and keeps you on recruiters’ radar.
- Insider company info: Company pages provide valuable intel to help you evaluate potential employers before applying.
- Salary data: LinkedIn provides robust, crowdsourced salary data so you can benchmark pay for positions.
- Resources & training: LinkedIn Learning offers thousands of expert-led courses to boost your skills and resume.
Top LinkedIn Features for Job Seekers
Make the most out of LinkedIn by utilizing these key features in your job search:
- Jobs portal – Use advanced search filters and alerts to pinpoint the best openings for you.
- Easy Apply – Send your profile as a resume with one click when applying to jobs.
- Career Pages – Follow company pages to get important insights and be the first to hear about new openings.
- Groups – Join targeted industry, alumni, and networking groups to tap into new connections and undiscovered opportunities.
- Open Candidates – Signal that you’re interested in new roles and let recruiters know you’re open to being contacted.
- Skills Assessments – Take free skills quizzes prospective employers value to showcase your abilities.
- Salary Tool – Find out typical pay ranges for roles based on your specific location and experience.
Indeed Pros
Here are some of the key upsides to using Indeed for your job search:
- Quantity of listings – Access millions of job postings aggregated from all over the web in one place.
- Great for hourly or entry-level roles – In addition to professional roles, Indeed has extensive listings for hourly, service, government, nonprofit, and entry-level jobs.
- Variety of sources – Jobs come from company sites, job boards, staffing agencies, associations, and more.
- Powerful search functionality – Advanced filters make it easy to zero in on the listings that match your criteria.
- User reviews – Get candid insights into company culture and work environments by reading Indeed company reviews.
- Local focus – Search can be filtered down to only show jobs within a specified radius from any location.
- Real-time updates – New jobs matching your searches get sent to you via email or mobile push notifications.
Top Indeed Features for Job Seekers
Make the most of your Indeed job search by using these key features:
- Advanced Job Search – Use multiple filters like location, date posted, salary, job type, and company to narrow down options.
- Job Alert Emails – Get notifications automatically sent to your inbox when new jobs match your saved searches.
- Company Pages – Research employers to evaluate if they’re a good fit before applying.
- Resume Search – Upload your resume so recruiters can find and contact you about openings.
- Indeed Assessments – Take free skills tests to showcase abilities employers are looking for.
- Indeed Career Guide – Get insider advice on resumes, interviews, salaries, and more.
- Indeed Jobs by Salary Tool – Discover average pay rates for different roles in your location.
LinkedIn Cons
Despite the many advantages, LinkedIn also comes with some downsides to consider:
- Smaller job pool – LinkedIn has a much smaller job listing index than sites like Indeed. Fewer openings can mean fewer options.
- Limited screening options – You can’t screen by as many filters like date posted, salary range, job type, etc.
- Have to apply off-site – Most applications get redirected to the company’s application portal instead of applying directly on LinkedIn.
- Not anonymous – Since profiles are public, your current employer may be notified if you apply via LinkedIn.
- Spam & irrelevant messages – Having a public profile can attract irrelevant inquiries and sales pitches.
- Time commitment – To really benefit, you need to actively engage by building your network and profile.
Indeed Cons
Indeed also comes with some notable limitations to factor in:
- Duplicate and irrelevant listings – Aggregating jobs from many sources can result in outdated, duplicate, or irrelevant postings.
- Can be overwhelming – With millions of listings, search results can feel massive and unwieldy without the right filters.
- Lack of networking – Indeed doesn’t facilitate making connections or leveraging professional contacts.
- Limited profile building – No way to build a profile showcasing your qualifications to potential employers.
- Spam risk from resume search – Posting your resume can lead to unqualified recruiters contacting you.
- Varying quality of jobs – Some listings lack key details or lead to sketchy application processes.
- Can’t directly contact employers – Unlike LinkedIn, you can’t message hiring managers or ask connections to refer you.
Which Platform Should You Prioritize?
With a solid understanding of each platform’s strengths and limitations, deciding whether to focus your efforts on LinkedIn or Indeed depends on your personal needs and job search strategy.
Prioritize LinkedIn If:
- Your target roles are more professional, senior-level, or technical.
- You want to leverage networks and contacts to find opportunities.
- You want to vet companies thoroughly before applying.
- You value having a polished profile to showcase your background.
- You want to research salaries for positions.
- You prefer quality over quantity when it comes to job postings.
Prioritize Indeed If:
- You want access to the highest number and variety of job postings.
- You are open to hourly, entry-level, gig, or remote work.
- You want robust search functionality to filter listings.
- You value being able to apply anonymously.
- You prefer a passive approach focused solely on applying vs. networking.
- You want employer reviews from current and past employees.
Using Both Indeed and LinkedIn
While you may get more mileage targeting your time towards either LinkedIn or Indeed based on your situation, combining both platforms as part of a multifaceted search strategy has powerful advantages:
- Cast a wider net and increase the number of potential opportunities.
- Leverage your networks as well as large volumes of job listings.
- Uncover openings that may be unique to each site.
- Take advantage of the unique features and tools each provide.
- Diversify so you have options if one site goes through a dry spell.
- Have backups in case postings expire quickly on a particular site.
To balance both platforms, focus your LinkedIn efforts on networking, company research, building your profile, and applying to select openings. Use Indeed for broad searches, alerts, and easy application submissions to roles. Together they provide complementary benefits that strengthen your overall search success.
The Verdict
So which platform comes out on top when comparing LinkedIn vs Indeed for job seekers? The truth is that both sites have distinct advantages depending on your situation and goals. Optimally utilize both platforms – leverage LinkedIn to build connections and your brand while tapping into Indeed’s unparalleled job inventory and employer information. This well-rounded approach gives you the best of both worlds, more high quality options and exposure, and the highest chances for landing your next opportunity.