LinkedIn Premium is one of those subscriptions that feels worth it during an active job search and questionable the rest of the time. Here is an honest look at which features are genuinely useful for job seekers and how to get the most out of a trial or paid subscription.
InMail Credits Are the Most Valuable Feature
LinkedIn Premium gives you InMail credits that let you message people you are not connected to. For job seekers, this means you can reach out to hiring managers, recruiters, or potential referrals at target companies directly. The key is using InMail strategically, not spamming. Personalized, short, specific messages get responses. Generic “I noticed you work at X” messages do not.
See Who Viewed Your Profile
The ability to see who has viewed your LinkedIn profile in the last 90 days is genuinely useful during a job search. If a recruiter or hiring manager from a company you applied to looked at your profile, that is a warm signal and a reason to reach out proactively. Many job seekers overlook this and miss warm leads. For more on this, see our guide on use linkedin for your job search effectively.
Use the Salary Insights Tool
LinkedIn Premium includes salary insights that show you the pay range for specific job titles in your location. This data is useful when evaluating offers and when you need to anchor a salary negotiation. It is not perfect data, but having current market data is better than negotiating blind.
Job Applicant Insights Shows Your Ranking
When you apply to jobs through LinkedIn, Premium shows you where you rank relative to other applicants in terms of skills and experience. This is useful for deciding whether to apply and for calibrating which roles to prioritize. If you are in the top 10% of applicants, that is a different situation than if you are in the bottom half.
Is the Free Trial Worth It?
LinkedIn offers a 30-day free trial. If you are actively job searching, start the trial when you have a handful of active applications and a few target companies you want to approach directly. Use the InMail credits, review who viewed your profile, and use the salary data. Then decide if the ongoing cost makes sense for your situation. For more on this, see our guide on job search on linkedin without your boss finding out.
Read next
- How to Stay Motivated During a Long Job Search
- How to Job Search While Still Employed
- How to Deal With Job Search Burnout
Frequently Asked Questions
What should my LinkedIn headline say?
Include your role, specialization, and one differentiator. “Senior Product Manager | B2B SaaS | Building products that scale” is more findable than just a job title.
Does my LinkedIn headline affect my job search?
Yes. LinkedIn search surfaces profiles based on keywords in your headline. Recruiters searching for specific skills will find profiles with those terms first.
How often should I update my LinkedIn profile?
Update your headline and summary when you start a job search or change roles. Review the whole profile every six months.
Should I use Open to Work on LinkedIn?
The recruiters-only setting makes you visible in LinkedIn Recruiter searches without the public green banner. Best for confidential job searches.
The visible job market, meaning the postings on LinkedIn and Indeed that everyone can see, represents only about a third of available opportunities at any given time. The other two-thirds exist in conversations that happen before a role is posted, often because a manager told their network they are planning to hire, or because a company is considering creating a new position. Getting access to that hidden market requires a proactive outreach strategy, not just application tracking.
A common mistake I see job seekers make is treating their search like a numbers game. Sending 50 generic applications a week feels productive, but the conversion rate is often less than one percent. Sending ten targeted, customized applications to roles where you have a genuine connection, a referral, or a specific point of differentiation will almost always generate more interviews and better outcomes.
Tracking your applications in a spreadsheet is not optional, it is essential. Document the company, role, date applied, and contact name for every application. Follow up on every application where you have a specific contact. Set a calendar reminder to check in seven to ten days after applying. Candidates who follow up thoughtfully get callbacks at a significantly higher rate than those who apply and wait. For more on this, see our guide on balance a job search with a full-time job.
Get your free resume review from a real recruiter
At AskTheRecruiter.com, every resume review is done by a human recruiter with years of hiring experience. You’ll get honest, specific feedback you can act on right away. No automated scoring, no generic tips.
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