Hi Reader,

The other day, I was chatting to 80+ final-year creative humanities students about graduate job hunting.

There was a moment in the presentation when I dropped a bombshell: “we’re all told to network like our lives depend on it, especially on LinkedIn.”

But that’s dumb and I told them as much.

There is an overemphasis on networking. Period.

Yes, it’s important and yes, I wish LinkedIn was invented earlier because there are contacts from my earlier career that I wish I could reach out to.

But if you don’t know how to use LinkedIn properly, it’s basically a big generic networking party where no one’s really paying attention.

Let’s be honest—if LinkedIn were a social media channel at a party, it’d be the dull friend in the corner checking email.

So if your industry tribe isn’t on LinkedIn every day, how on earth are you supposed to chat with them without riding some anxiety-fuelled rollercoaster or burning yourself out?

“Simples,” as that Compare the Meerkat would say: you build custom search URLs to keep tabs on the people (and companies) that matter.

Yup, you heard right—no complicated hacking needed.

Here’s the quick version:

• Head to LinkedIn and click in the Search bar at the top. Don’t type anything, just hit Enter.
• Once you’re on the main search page, select “Posts” under the Search bar.
• Click on “All Filters.”
• Set up a search for your target companies by using “From Company” (for a feed of the company’s posts) or “Author Company” (for posts by people working at that company).
• If you have specific folks you’d love to rub shoulders with, add up to 50 names in “From Member”. (Pro tip: only one filter at a time, or it’ll get messy.)
• Hit “Show Results.”
• Sort by “Latest” in the drop-down menu at the top.
• Copy the URL in your browser and save it somewhere safe—spreadsheet, document, Post-it note, you name it. I whack mine into my calendar so I don’t forget to check it monthly.

​Click here if you want the fancy version with images.

When you’ve got that URL, you can pop back whenever you like and see the freshest posts from the people or companies you actually care about.

Interact in a way that doesn’t just mean a quick “Like” tap, and voilà—you’re actually using LinkedIn to build real, meaningful connections.

Try it out and see how it works for you.

~Lisa

Your Q&A

Totally Legit (And I Can’t Even)

Hi Lisa,

I received a LinkedIn request from this person.

The name was obviously fake (Dogishot Alldaylong) and the profile shows no connections, no information, and no activity. Yet when I reported the profile as fake, LI in true fashion came back and said the profile did not violate any of their policies.

LI seems to be getting worse. Bots and fake accounts are becoming more common. Sorry, just needed to vent.

Denise

​
Hi Denise,

I’m not going to lie: the moment I saw that screenshot, I actually snort-laughed.

If “Dogishot Alldaylong” doesn’t set off a few alarm bells, I’m not sure what would.

Yes, bots and fake accounts are a problem on LinkedIn. I noticed a lot of them liking and commenting on my posts around the start of the year.

And given the number of job scams out there, LinkedIn should be doing better.

Thanks for sharing—and for the giggle.

~Lisa

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This information is for general purposes and doesn't consider your individual circumstances. It serves educational goals and isn't formal career advice. Always seek personalized guidance tailored to your needs.

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