LinkedIn Career Explorer: Find Your Next Career Path (Free Tool)
Learn how to use LinkedIn Career Explorer to discover career transitions based on your skills. Free tool, no login required.
LinkedIn Career Explorer is a free tool that matches your current skills to potential career paths you might not have considered. Access it at linkedin.github.io/career-explorer—no login required—to discover job transitions based on skill similarity across 6,000+ job titles.
Key Takeaways
- Free access: No LinkedIn account or login required
- Skill matching: Compares 41,000+ skills across 6,000+ job titles
- Two key metrics: Similarity (skill overlap) and Popularity (how often people make the transition)
- Direct job links: Find relevant openings directly from results
- No signup needed: Hosted on GitHub, completely free to use
What Is LinkedIn Career Explorer?
According to LinkedIn's announcement, Career Explorer is a tool that helps people discover career transitions by analyzing the skills they already have.
How It Works
Career Explorer uses LinkedIn's massive dataset to:
- Map your current role to associated skills
- Calculate similarity between your skills and other job titles
- Show transition popularity (how often people make similar moves)
- Suggest paths you might not have considered
According to MakeUseOf's guide, the tool measures skills across 41,000+ unique skills and 6,000+ job titles.
How to Use LinkedIn Career Explorer
Step 1: Access the Tool
Visit linkedin.github.io/career-explorer
No LinkedIn login required—the tool is publicly accessible through GitHub.
Step 2: Enter Your Information
- Current job title: Type your current or most recent role
- Location: Enter your city for relevant job suggestions
Step 3: Review Your Results
The tool displays career matches with two key metrics:
Similarity Score: How closely the skills required match your current role
- Higher similarity = easier transition
- Skills overlap makes the move more natural
Popularity Score: How frequently people make this transition
- Higher popularity = more common career path
- Lower popularity with high similarity = untapped opportunity
Step 4: Explore Opportunities
Click "Find Jobs" on any result to see:
- Current openings in that role
- Positions in your specified location
- Relevant companies hiring
Understanding Career Explorer Metrics
Similarity Score
The similarity score shows skill overlap between your current role and potential destinations. According to ZipJob's analysis:
| Similarity | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 80-100% | Very easy transition; minimal upskilling needed |
| 60-79% | Moderate transition; some new skills required |
| 40-59% | Significant transition; substantial skill development needed |
| Below 40% | Major career change; extensive preparation required |
Popularity Score
The popularity score reflects real career transitions from LinkedIn's data:
High similarity + High popularity: Common, proven path High similarity + Low popularity: Untapped opportunity—fewer competitors
According to Avid Careerist, low popularity with high similarity often reveals the best opportunities.
Strategic Uses for Career Explorer
For Job Seekers
Expand your search: Discover roles you qualify for but hadn't considered
Identify skill gaps: See what skills you'd need for desired transitions
Find hidden opportunities: Low-popularity, high-similarity roles often have less competition
Build your narrative: Understand how your skills translate to new roles
For Career Changers
Validate transitions: Confirm your target role uses transferable skills
Plan skill development: Identify exactly which skills to develop
Find bridge roles: Discover intermediate steps to your ultimate goal
Build confidence: See that others have made similar transitions
For Career Counselors
Data-driven guidance: Base recommendations on actual transition data
Expand client perspectives: Show paths clients hadn't considered
Quantify readiness: Use similarity scores to assess transition difficulty
For Recruiters
Identify talent pools: Find candidates in roles with high skill similarity
Expand sourcing: Look beyond traditional backgrounds for open positions
Assess transferability: Evaluate how candidates' skills map to your roles
Maximizing Career Explorer Results
Tips for Better Results
Be specific with job titles: "Marketing Manager" yields better results than "Manager"
Try variations: Different titles for similar roles may show different opportunities
Consider your location: Results change based on geographic job availability
Look beyond obvious paths: The best opportunities often have lower popularity scores
What to Do with Results
- Research interesting roles: Learn what the day-to-day looks like
- Identify skill gaps: Note skills you'd need to develop
- Update your profile: Add transferable skills you might have overlooked
- Connect with people in target roles: Learn from those who've made the transition
- Build a development plan: Create a roadmap for acquiring needed skills
Skills You Might Overlook
Career Explorer often reveals transferable skills you didn't know you had. According to University of Miami's Career Center, common discoveries include:
From Traditional Roles
| Current Role | Hidden Transferable Skills |
|---|---|
| Teacher | Training, curriculum design, public speaking |
| Sales Rep | Relationship building, negotiation, data analysis |
| Engineer | Problem solving, project management, technical writing |
| Accountant | Data analysis, compliance, financial modeling |
Why This Matters
Many professionals undervalue skills that are routine in their current role but highly valued elsewhere. Career Explorer quantifies these connections.
Limitations of Career Explorer
What It Doesn't Do
Predict success: High similarity doesn't guarantee you'll succeed or enjoy a role
Account for credentials: Some roles require certifications regardless of skill match
Consider personal fit: Culture, values, and preferences matter beyond skills
Show salary data: You'll need additional research for compensation information
Use It As One Input
Career Explorer is valuable but shouldn't be your only career planning tool. Combine it with:
- Informational interviews
- Industry research
- Self-assessment of interests and values
- Networking conversations
Career Explorer vs. LinkedIn's In-Platform Features
LinkedIn offers career guidance in multiple places:
| Feature | Location | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Career Explorer | External (GitHub) | Skill-based transition analysis |
| Job Recommendations | LinkedIn Jobs | AI-matched job listings |
| Skill Assessments | Profile | Verify and display skills |
| LinkedIn Learning | Separate product | Skill development courses |
Career Explorer is unique in showing potential transitions you haven't searched for.
How Career Explorer Supports Your LinkedIn Strategy
Career Explorer insights can improve your LinkedIn presence:
Profile Optimization
- Add discovered skills: Include transferable skills you hadn't listed
- Tailor your headline: Reference skills valued in target roles
- Update your summary: Speak to your transferable value
Content Strategy
- Share transition insights: Content about career changes resonates widely
- Build authority in target areas: Start demonstrating expertise before you transition
- Connect across industries: Engage with people in your target roles
Networking
- Strategic connections: Connect with people in roles Career Explorer suggests
- Conversation starters: "I saw on Career Explorer that people in [your role] often move into [target role]—I'd love to learn about your experience"
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LinkedIn Career Explorer free?
Yes, LinkedIn Career Explorer is completely free. It's hosted on GitHub and doesn't require any login, LinkedIn account, or subscription. Simply visit linkedin.github.io/career-explorer to use it.
Do I need a LinkedIn account to use Career Explorer?
No. Unlike most LinkedIn features, Career Explorer is publicly accessible without any account. It's a standalone tool hosted on GitHub that uses LinkedIn's aggregated career data.
How accurate is LinkedIn Career Explorer?
Career Explorer uses real LinkedIn data from millions of career transitions, making its similarity and popularity scores reliable. However, it should be one input among many—it doesn't account for credentials required, personal fit, or industry-specific factors.
What do the similarity and popularity scores mean?
Similarity shows how much skill overlap exists between your current role and potential targets. Popularity shows how frequently people make that specific transition. High similarity + low popularity often indicates untapped opportunities with less competition.
Can Career Explorer help me change industries?
Yes. By focusing on skill similarity rather than industry, Career Explorer often reveals cross-industry transitions you hadn't considered. Many skills (project management, data analysis, leadership) transfer across industries.
How often is Career Explorer updated?
LinkedIn doesn't publish an update schedule for Career Explorer. The tool draws from LinkedIn's career data, which reflects ongoing transitions. For the most current job listings, click "Find Jobs" from your results.
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