How to Get a Job Abroad Using LinkedIn
You’ll drastically increase your chances of getting a job with relocation if you correctly optimize your LinkedIn. Interestingly, the best strategy isn’t mass-applying with the Quick Apply button.
If you’re dreaming of building your career abroad, you’re probably wondering whether LinkedIn can actually move the needle. Can you get a job abroad through LinkedIn?
The answer: Yes, but…
Because yes, LinkedIn will work, but if you treat your profile like a landing page, not a forgotten resume from 2019.
This is in line with other stories I’ve covered in The Global Move. In my How Recruiters at Big Tech Actually Hire article, my friend and colleague Anna, a hiring executive, revealed that around 80% of positions in tech are actively sourced by the recruiting team.
So, some people in this community might think LinkedIn is just a passive directory which they can use to prove their experience. But, if used right, it becomes your inbound job funnel, especially if you want recruiters from other countries to find you. Maybe you’re a developer in Brazil thinking about Berlin, or a designer in Delhi curious about working in Toronto. Either way, LinkedIn can definitely work as your way in.
So, if you were thinking: “I’ll get a job abroad through LinkedIn thanks to the Quick Apply option,” then you should flip your script: You’ll get the job abroad because you’ll make your profile so compelling that recruiters will find you, and not the other way around.
This guide breaks down several tips on how to make your profile stand out to international recruiters and turn LinkedIn into a real job search tool. Spoiler: it takes more than just switching on the “Open to work” badge. It has more to do with becoming visible, being clear with what you want others to notice about you, and getting seen.
Just like when I wrote my article debunking the central myth around the ATS (“You need to get past it! It’s automatically rejecting you!”), I called in for expert help to get a complete view of this matter. On this occasion, I called Eli Gündüz, Principal Tech Recruiter at Atlassian (Jira crowd, raise your hands!) and a freelance tech career coach, so that he could weigh in. Eli runs Careersy Coaching, a service with which he can help you land attractive job offers in less than three months and without spamming the Quick Apply button. Many of the recommendations you’ll find here were brought up by him, and I know they’ll help The Global Move readers.