Will a Major LinkedIn Redesign Help Find a Job?
LinkedIn is not the brightest social network, but the upcoming platform redesign could make it much easier to use and potentially more useful for job hunting – the update includes a new interface, redesigned search and messaging, and new ways of finding work. lists. On the other hand, the atmosphere and features are also moving in a much more “social” direction, which means it may simply offer even more opportunities for distraction and stress. Either way, here’s what you can expect following the launch of the new LinkedIn in the coming weeks.
New home page and user interface
The fastest change is the new LinkedIn user interface . From the demo screens we’ve seen so far, the new layout still looks like LinkedIn, but it now has more in common with other social media websites in terms of aesthetics. LinkedIn’s blue is being replaced by a predominantly white and gray interface, and the main navigation bar looks more like Facebook or Twitter than ever.
A dark theme is also planned but not yet available, so you’ll stick with these vibrant whites, grays and blues for a while.
LinkedIn also adds more illustrations – those stylized images of workplaces and groups of people that you sometimes see on the site. The new illustrations will showcase a wider range of industries and jobs, as well as more diverse workers with different ethnicities, abilities and cultures.
Best search tools
One of the biggest usability changes is the revamped search tool available on both the website and the LinkedIn app.
LinkedIn Search now breaks down results by categories: people, jobs, groups, courses, businesses, posts, events, and more. Users can also narrow down their results even further by applying multiple keyword filters. For example, you can search for companies by location, company size, or industry. Tap or click categories at the top of the search results screen and select the filters you want to apply.
Your search will also display personalized results, including content that people you know liked and a People Also Viewed column that lists users and businesses and other people who might be relevant to your search criteria. You can now also subscribe to other accounts or save jobs right on the search results screen.
New messaging features
The built-in LinkedIn messenger will receive several new features as part of the redesign, including message editing, shortcuts for video calls, and responses to emoticons.
Edit and delete posts:
- Desktop: Hover over your message. Mobile app: press and hold a message.
- Select “…”
- Select Modify to change the text, or Delete to delete it.
Reactions to Emoji Messages:
- Desktop: Hover the cursor over the message. Mobile app: press and hold a message.
- Tap / click the emoji reaction you want to send.
Start video call:
- Click or tap the video camera icon in the chat window.
- Select the video conferencing application you want to open. Zoom, Teams and Blue Jeans are currently supported.
- Log into the video app, then create a new appointment.
- Share the meeting on LinkedIn chat.
Stories
Yes, you read that right – even LinkedIn is addicted to storytelling .
LinkedIn app users can post 20-second video and picture updates to their profile. Messages with related stories remain online for only 24 hours and then are deleted. They look and work like Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook Story posts, but LinkedIn’s announcement states that this feature is for professional stories. I guess this means a rich CEO can post fake inspirational quotes in another way?
However, you can post the post of the story to your LinkedIn page via the mobile app.
- Tap your profile picture, then click the “+” sign in the upper right corner.
- Upload or record your video / photo, then you can edit it with stickers, text and other graphics.
- You can also click the “+” icon to add additional history messages.
Profile frames “open for work”
Finally, here’s a new option for your profile that really makes sense to your LinkedIn audience: Users can apply an “Open for Work” frame to their profile picture. LinkedIn already allows users to tag themselves as “Opportunity Seekers,” but this has mainly affected how and whether recruiters can find you. This new photo is more obvious and will appear anywhere on the site.
We haven’t seen what the new “Open for Work” frame looks like or how to enable it, but it – and all the other new features described here – will be rolled out with the new LinkedIn design in the near future.