LinkedIn Top Voices 2020: Job Search & Careers

LinkedIn News is debuting our 6th annual Top Voices list, a collection of hundreds of experts driving today’s professional conversation. As COVID-19 continues to upend our lives, these members are using their voice to help us parse today’s changing world of work, navigate our industries and find balance through it all.

To compile the list, we used a combination of qualitative and quantitative signals — including engagement (including reactions, comments and shares across each member’s content); posting cadence; and follower growth. Top Voice honorees from 2019 were excluded from consideration in order to highlight new voices. You can learn more about the methodology at the bottom of this article and can check out all of this year’s Top Voices around the world here. 

Below you’ll find this year’s standout voices in job search and careers, just 10 of the hundreds of Top Voices highlighted around the world. Now more than ever, people need trusted resources and guides that explain how to navigate their job search and career trajectory in a tumultuous economy.

For example, Jessica Hernandez, who took the top spot on this year’s list, offers a lot of value through the infographics she posts about everything from applicant tracking systems to a person’s overall job search strategy. Broadus Palmer, who is number five on the list, is known for posting short videos that encourage people to take the right step in their job searches and careers. For those of you looking for a little back and forth with an expert, Kamara Toffolo, who is number nine on the list, holds regular office hours for people looking to get their questions answered.

Check out all of this year’s #LinkedInTopVoices in Job Search & Careers — and follow them to stay plugged into the conversation.

What she talks about: Hernandez, who is known for the infographics she posts to her profile, has become a go-to resource for people looking to land their next job or move up in their careers. While she posts a lot about the resume ecosystem, Hernandez offers advice for every aspect of the job search process, such as networking and uncovering hidden opportunities. You’ll also find her engaging with many other job search and career experts on LinkedIn.

Follow Jessica Hernandez

What she talks about: Tardy works on both sides of the hiring process to help job seekers and recruiters. Job seekers will find a lot of value in Tardy’s posts about the job market — especially about the challenges underrepresented groups face when finding work. Similarly, recruiters and talent professionals will find a lot of value in Tardy’s posts about building and investing in diverse workforces. She also makes sure to work in current research and events into her feed to provide context for her connections and followers.

Follow Jenn Tardy

What she talks about: Tom aims to teach people what they need to know about resumes. She discusses everything from adding testimonials to resumes and also spotting outdated practices. However, she also emphasizes that a resume alone can’t land a person a job. She offers other suggestions for job seekers to help them get their next gig, from building an online presence to battling ageism.

Follow Adrienne Tom

What he talks about: Dewan, who is the founder of talent development firm Workhap, focuses a lot of his attention on helping people find the jobs they want and grow in their careers. His posts offer career advice but are often rooted in personal experiences, such as one about growing in a small role to find larger success later. Dewan also offers actionable exercises to help people, such as how to measure the fulfillment you feel in your current role.

Follow Sho Dewan

What he talks about: Palmer focuses a lot of attention on helping people trying to break into the world of cloud computing, but his posts are filled with great advice for anyone looking for help with their careers — especially if they’re looking to make a pivot. People scrolling through his profile will find a lot of gems, including a lot of videos, from short pep talks to music videos. 

Follow Broadus Palmer

What she talks about: Mason’s journey to being a job search and career expert started as a recruiter. She now uses what she learned to help people make an impression during the hiring process. Her profile is filled with advice for people looking to build CVs/resumes, including pesky formatting issues and what to do about references. Mason also focuses a lot of attention on how people can revamp their LinkedIn profiles.

Follow Hannah Mason

What she talks about: Wagadia uses what she learns from her work as a recruiter to help people find the right career paths. Her work allows Wagadia to offer advice on various parts of the hiring process, from resume length to demystifying the role of recruiters. She also talks about trends in recruiting and tries to teach her peers best practices, such as providing all applicants with at least some feedback.

Follow Tejal Wagadia

What he talks about: Layfield aims to help people in all areas of their job search, but he pays special attention to resumes. People looking at his profile will find advice on everything from the dynamic between resumes and LinkedIn profiles to challenging the thoughts that hold people back. He also shares a lot of posts from other career and job search experts and the content he creates for Living Corporate.

Follow Tristan Layfield

What she talks about: Toffolo’s LinkedIn profile shows that she’s on a quest to dispel as many career and job search myths as possible — often through fun videos. She explains everything from the ins and outs of applicant tracking systems to the truth about cover letters. She also hosts and posts “office hours” with special guests. 

Follow Kamara Toffolo

What she talks about: McCarthy uses her experiences in human resources and talent development to teach people — especially millennials — about looking for work and advancing in their careers. She posts about everything a person might encounter when looking for work, including when to actually jump into a search for work. People will also find many informative infographics and videos from McCarthy that offer lots of actionable advice.

Follow Rosie McCarthy

You’ve read about the Top Voices in Job Search & Careers. Now, check out this year’s #LinkedInTopVoices covering Equity in the Workplace, Sales, Marketing and more.

How we compiled the Top Voices list:

To compile the list, we use a combination of quantitative and qualitative signals. This includes engagement (including reactions, comments and shares across each member’s content); posting cadence; and follower growth. But engagement is just a start. Our next filter is qualitative. LinkedIn News editors refine and curate the list by looking at an eligible member’s body of work: Are the contributions insightful, conversational and timely? Do they seek to give and get help vs. being self-promotional? Finally, does this list reflect the world we work and live in today? 

All sharing activity measured took place over a 12-month period, from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. As with all LinkedIn Lists, we excluded current LinkedIn and Microsoft employees from consideration, as well as any members who are being or have been paid by LinkedIn to participate in brand campaigns or courses.