One of the most common mistakes people make when job hunting in the US is jumping straight to their resume, or firing off applications without any preparation. Your resume matters, of course — but there's something you should be building even before that: LinkedIn.
Back in Korea, LinkedIn is still often thought of as "just another professional social network." In the US, it's much more than that. Companies use it to find candidates, recruiters use it to source talent, and professionals use it to build networks and surface new opportunities.
Plenty of people who've successfully landed jobs in the US had been maintaining their LinkedIn presence well before they submitted a single application. Here's why LinkedIn should be the starting point for your US job search.
LinkedIn Is America's "Digital Business Card"
In Korea, exchanging business cards at a first meeting is standard practice. In the US, your LinkedIn profile often plays that same role. It's common for people to connect on LinkedIn right after meeting, and hiring managers routinely check a candidate's LinkedIn alongside their resume.
A single profile photo, one line of bio, or one project on your profile can shape a first impression. So even if you haven't started actively job hunting yet, it's worth setting up your LinkedIn account early.
A Strong Profile Creates Opportunities
LinkedIn's biggest advantage is that it works both ways — you can search for companies, but companies (and recruiters) can also find you. Keep your profile active and up to date, and recruiters may reach out first, or you may naturally build a network with people in your industry.
US companies frequently cross-check a candidate's experience and projects on LinkedIn, so it's worth keeping your profile current. When writing your profile, focus less on flowery language and more on clearly showing what experience you have and what skills you can actually apply.
What Should You Actually Post?
This is the most common question from people setting up LinkedIn for the first time. The good news: you don't need an impressive résumé to get started.
School projects, internships, research lab work, certifications, competitions, club activities — anything relevant to your target role can make solid content. Reading and sharing industry articles, and leaving a short comment with your take, also builds up a visible record of activity over time.
Think of LinkedIn less as something you finish in a day and more as a career record you build gradually.
US Job Hunting Ultimately Comes Down to Connecting With People
A lot of people preparing for a US job search focus almost entirely on English test scores or certifications. But in the actual hiring process, who you know, what experience you've built, and how well you can tell your own story often make a bigger difference than people expect.
We don't think of LinkedIn as just a job-hunting platform — it's a starting point for creating new opportunities. If you're preparing for a US job search, we'd recommend checking your LinkedIn profile before you touch your resume today.
Your Career in the US — and Finding the Right People, Too
Landing a job in the US naturally means being surrounded by a lot of new people in a new environment. But many Korean professionals living in the US tell us the same thing: their careers stabilized, but building new personal relationships turned out to be harder than expected.
Between work and home, there's a point where thoughts about dating and marriage naturally arise. That's exactly the problem Neorang was built to solve — helping Koreans across the US find genuine, serious relationships they can trust.
We'll keep sharing practical content on this blog — US job hunting, life in the US, and dating and marriage as a Korean in America.