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Linkedin Premium / Careers / Top applicant
How to become a top applicant on LinkedIn
Find the roles where you’re most likely to stand out and use LinkedIn Premium Career to strengthen your application.
Stand out for in-demand roles
In a competitive job market, many qualified candidates are applying for the same roles. Even talented professionals can struggle to know where they stand or how to stand out.
The LinkedIn Premium Career plan offers the tools and insights to help you become a top applicant: a candidate who shines because their skills, experience, and activity align closely with what hiring teams are looking for.
What it means to be a top applicant
Being a “top applicant” means your profile is highly aligned with a job’s requirements — from your skills and experience to your engagement and activity on LinkedIn.
Premium surfaces this insight directly on job listings, showing where your background gives you an advantage. Recruiters are more likely to view, respond to, and consider applicants who appear as strong matches.
Why it matters:
- Top applicants gain increased visibility to recruiters
- They enjoy higher response rates on applications
- They can apply more confidently knowing where they stand
Thanks to Premium’s insights, like Top applicant jobs, I’ve also secured positions more confidently, knowing where my profile ranks in competitive applications.”
Matt Croser
Head of Global Development, Britam Shipping Limited
Find the right jobs for you
Premium helps you discover the right opportunities — and the right fit.
Top applicant jobs
This feature highlights roles where your skills and experience most closely align with the job description, giving you a clear signal of where you’re likely to stand out.
Premium Career subscribers who apply to Top applicant jobs are 10% more likely to hear back from recruiters.
Source: LinkedIn data (Jan. 2024)
They’re 2.3x more likely on average to receive recruiter views.
Source: LinkedIn data (Nov. 2024)
They receive 8x more recruiter views on average.
Source: LinkedIn data (Jan. 2024)
They’re 3.9x more likely to get hired on average when applying to Top applicant jobs.
Source: LinkedIn data (Mar. 2025)
Top applicant jobs
Find jobs where your skills and experience align most closely with the job description. With Top applicant jobs, you can identify roles where you’re more likely to stand out to recruiters.
Advanced search filters
Refine your job search by company, experience level, location, or remote preference. Use Advanced search filters to focus on opportunities that match your goals.
AI job search advice
Let AI insights do the heavy lifting. Premium Career offers personalized guidance that suggests jobs based on your unique skills, experience, and career aspirations.
The Top applicant jobs feature was particularly useful in identifying positions where I had a competitive edge. All in all, the features have streamlined my professional growth immensely."
Denis Duran
Director, Springer Nature
Improve your application materials
Once you've found the right roles, Premium helps you build and tailor materials that get noticed.
AI resume & cover letter tools
Generate resumes and cover letters customized for each job posting.
AI profile writing assistant
Enhance your About and Experience sections with expert-backed suggestions to make your value crystal clear with this writing assistant feature.
LinkedIn Learning courses
Add in-demand skills or certifications to increase your match percentage and strengthen your candidacy with 25,000+ LinkedIn Learnings courses.
Premium has been a game-changer for me. The AI resume and cover letter support helped me craft tailored applications that stand out."
Catia Pereira
Founding Member, ivee
Maximize visibility and engagement
Your application is only as strong as your visibility. Premium Career helps ensure your profile gets seen by the right people.
Who viewed your profile
Discover who’s shown interest and reach out while your profile is top of mind using the Who's viewed your profile feature.
InMail messaging
Message recruiters and hiring managers directly with LinkedIn InMail — even if you’re not connected.
AI message drafts
Get guidance to craft concise, personalized messages that spark meaningful conversations with the AI message and post drafts feature.
3x
Applicants who sent InMails to job posters were 3x more likely to get hired and 1.6x more likely to hear back.
Source: LinkedIn data (Jan. 2022)
How to use AI to stand out
Here’s a quick checklist to help you get there:
Identify matching Top applicant jobs to focus your search.
Optimize your profile using AI-powered writing tools.
Use AI-assisted writing features to tailor your cover letters and applications.
Reach out confidently to recruiters using InMail.
Keep learning and sharpening your skills with LinkedIn Learning.
10x
Premium Career subscribers have 10x more connections on average, and LinkedIn Premium helped 3.2 million job-seekers land jobs in 2024 alone.
Source: LinkedIn data (Feb. 2024)
Real success stories
Showcase your skills with Premium Career
Turn every application into opportunity. Try Premium Career risk free.
