You’ve no doubt noticed artificial intelligence tools popping up across all kinds of apps, devices, and platforms recently. And LinkedIn is no exception: The social network for finding work and connecting professionals is keen not to get left behind in the rush to make everything as AI-enhanced as possible.
We should say at the top though that all of these AI features require a LinkedIn Premium subscription, which starts at $29.99 per month. If you’ve never had a Premium plan before, you can sign up for a month’s free trial to see if you like it before paying any money.
It’s also important to remember that generative AI—where new content is produced based on training data—often makes mistakes. By all means use AI as a time-saver on LinkedIn, but never take what it comes up with as 100 percent accurate every single time, and maybe fall back on your good old human skills for the most important tasks.
In this article we’re going to focus on the AI tools available to individuals as part of the Career Premium plan—those who are networking and job hunting. There are also AI tools available for recruiters and larger businesses that we won’t delve into here.
AI-powered job search
Looking for a job on LinkedIn usually involves clicking through a series of menus, filters, and checkboxes, but with the magic of AI you can just say something like “find me an office-based writing job in New York that pays over $75,000” (though how many matches you’ll get depends on how narrow your terms are).
It potentially means you’re going to find to more jobs that are relevant to you more quickly, but bear in mind some trial and error might be needed when it comes to the wording. The AI is very good at parsing what you say using natural language, though obviously you can’t see what’s going on behind the scenes.
When you land on a job listing, you’ll see some suggestions for questions to ask, and get AI-powered answers in return—questions like “am I a good fit for this job?” and “what can I do to better position myself for this job?” This is intended to help you weigh if this is a role that suits your skills and interests.
Use AI to review your application and resume
Is your resume really the best it can be? Are you properly selling yourself? The AI bot built into LinkedIn Premium won’t flinch in telling you where you could make improvements on your profile and in your application. You’ll also see AI prompts with gold stars next to them when browsing jobs—prompts to spruce up your resume, for example.
You can have the AI give more prominence to the qualities and experience you’ve got that are most relevant to a position, or have it rewrite certain sections if you’re not happy with them. Making a section shorter, or more formal, or whatever it is. You’re then able to use the details in the job, and the details in your resume, to draft a covering letter with AI.
Again, use these tools carefully. Recruiters may prefer hearing your own voice in your cover letter rather than generic AI spiel cooked up from millions of other cover letters, but it can be useful in finding turns of phrase and words that really get across what you’re trying to say (and how great a candidate you are). You’re free to make edits to everything that the AI suggests, so you don’t have to accept everything as it’s given.
Profile writing, messages and searches
Whether or not you’re currently applying for a specific position, you can use AI on LinkedIn Premium to liven up your profile. The AI bot will take a look at what you’ve already written, and make suggestions for improvements—ways in which the text could be more straightforward perhaps, or more punchy. Again, all of the suggestions can be edited or just discarded completely.
Generative AI text can also be deployed in messages, whether you’re trying to build connections or exploring job possibilities: There’s a Write with AI link built right into the messaging interface. Once you click it, you’ll be given a selection of suggested prompts to get started, or you can use your own (such as “draft a message asking about video producing opportunities, highlighting my years of experience”).
Another area where AI enhancements are coming soon is in search. LinkedIn says you’ll be able to ask all kinds of questions about your qualifications, potential roles, business issues, and more, right in the platform. In some cases, the answers will have been trained using data from LinkedIn experts in their various fields.
Again, use AI tools with caution. Being a human is the best asset you have.