LinkedIn's Career Advice feature was designed to connect people seeking guidance with members willing to share their professional experience. Its current availability isn't confirmed by the official sources available for this article. Check your account and LinkedIn Help before following an older tutorial.
You can still seek advice if you can't find the feature. Start with a career decision, then look for someone whose experience fits it. An advice article, a conversation and an ongoing mentoring relationship aren't interchangeable. Each calls for a different level of involvement from you and the other person.
How LinkedIn's career advice feature works
The original Career Advice feature suggested contacts using members' advice interests and preferences. A person thinking about changing careers, for example, could look for someone with experience in the industry they hoped to enter.
The feature was intended for informal guidance. Entrepreneur's reporting on the early test said members could chat when both agreed to connect. A suggested match wasn't necessarily a trained career counselor. You still had to decide whether that person's experience fit your question.
Career Advice versus advice content
LinkedIn's community articles are separate from the original matching feature. The cited page labels its guidance as powered by AI and the LinkedIn community, with member contributions alongside it.
Reading can help you narrow a question. A conversation gives you room to discuss your own work history, though the quality of the answer still depends on the person. Check a contributor's relevant experience before acting on a specific recommendation, particularly one about a career change or an offer negotiation.
What the evidence supports
| Item | What is known |
|---|---|
| Original purpose | Connect members seeking career advice with people interested in giving it. |
| Matching inputs | Advice interests and preferences, such as industry or region, were part of the reported early process. |
| Early test locations | San Francisco and Australia, according to the historical Entrepreneur report. These aren't a current availability list. |
| Current limits or eligibility | No current official feature limits or eligibility rules are established in the supplied sources. |
The test locations are historical details, not a list of places where you can use matching now. Old descriptions of the process have the same limit. They tell you how the feature was reported to work, not what you'll see on your account today.
Where to look now
Look on your LinkedIn profile for a Career Advice hub or another mentoring option. The original launch coverage placed the hub on members' profiles. It doesn't establish where the hub would appear now.
You may find a notification setting instead. A third-party tutorial puts it under Settings & Privacy, then Notifications and Searching for a job. That setting concerns alerts. Its presence doesn't establish that mentor matching is available on your account.
No hub? LinkedIn search can still help you find someone doing work you want to do. Send a concise connection request and ask one question, such as which skills helped the person move into their current role.
Where LinkedIn career advice gets messy
An impressive profile doesn't always point to the most useful person for your question. A senior marketing executive might understand hiring strategy but have little recent experience applying for an entry-level role.
Someone only a few years ahead of you may remember more about the applications and interviews you're facing. Their profile might look less impressive at first glance. Their recent transition could be closer to yours, though, and the details they can share may be more relevant.
Thing is, neither profile tells you much about mentoring style or available time. Choose based on the experience you can see. Keep the first request manageable.
Advice is not the same as a mentor match
LinkedIn has a community advice article about making the most of mentorship. The page is labeled as powered by AI and the LinkedIn community. It can offer ideas, but reading it won't match you with a mentor.
The article's contributors suggest letting a relationship develop gradually. That's a useful approach with someone you don't know. "Can you review how I describe my customer service experience for an operations role?" gives the recipient a request they can size up. "Will you be my mentor?" leaves the expected commitment open.
You may hear nothing back. The person may be busy, so a quiet inbox isn't necessarily a judgment on your question. Give them time, then try another relevant contact rather than repeatedly following up with the same stranger.
Choose the right route for your question
Start with the help you actually need. A job posting can show what an employer wants, for example, but it won't give you personal guidance about your career.
| What you need | Useful route | Friction to expect | Next move |
|---|---|---|---|
| General job-search ideas | LinkedIn community advice articles | Guidance may be broad or AI-assisted | Check contributors' relevant experience and adapt the advice. |
| Feedback on a specific career move | A relevant professional in your network | A strong profile doesn't guarantee time or expertise | Ask one focused question about their experience. |
| Ongoing mentorship | A relationship built through conversation | Regular support requires agreement from both people | Discuss goals and availability before assuming a commitment. |
| Help finding an advertised role | LinkedIn Jobs or another job board | A posting won't provide personal career guidance | Use the listing to identify skills to discuss with a contact. |
These routes can work together. An article might help you narrow what you want to ask, while a job listing can show which skills an employer is seeking and give you something specific to discuss with a contact.
Ongoing mentorship takes a separate conversation. Discuss goals and availability before treating a single helpful exchange as a longer commitment.
Make the first message easy to answer
A stranger needs enough context to understand why you've contacted them, but not your entire work history. Mention the experience you noticed and ask one question.
For example: "Hi Maya, I noticed you moved from retail into recruiting. I'm considering a similar move. Which experience helped you get your first interview?"
Maya can see why you chose her. She also has a question she can answer from her own experience, without having to decide whether she's ready to become your mentor. That makes the request easier to consider if she has time to respond.
Thank someone who shares useful advice. If appropriate, you can later say briefly what you tried. Hold back your full resume and sensitive personal details until you've established trust. The plan below can help you use a focused exchange to make a job-search decision.
A practical plan for using LinkedIn Career Advice
In 2026, check your account before making the matching feature central to your plan. Older tutorials may show screens or options you won't find. Start with LinkedIn Help. If matching doesn't appear, you can use ordinary networking instead.
Week 1: Choose a question and find people
- Pick one decision. Focus on a role, career change or hiring process rather than asking for general career advice. You might ask: "Which skills helped you move from customer support into operations?"
- Check your profile. Make your headline and recent experience clear enough for a contact to understand your background. Remove contact details you don't want to share publicly.
- Look for relevant experience. Search for people in your target role or people who've made a similar transition. If Career Advice matching appears on your account, review its prompts. Otherwise, consider alumni, former colleagues and professional contacts.
- Send a focused request. Introduce yourself briefly wherever LinkedIn lets you connect or message, then ask one question. Don't assume a contact can refer you for a job.
Here's another message you could use: "Hi Maya, I'm exploring operations roles after working in customer support. I noticed you made a similar move. What experience helped you make that transition?"
The shared transition gives Maya a reason to consider the request. The question leaves room for a short answer. You don't need to ask for a call or an ongoing commitment to learn from the first exchange.
Weeks 2-4: Turn replies into a job-search decision
Give people time to respond. If you don't hear back, one polite follow-up is enough. Then move on to another relevant contact.
When someone replies, ask permission before requesting a short call. Take notes on advice you can test, such as a skill to demonstrate or a job title to search. Look at current postings before changing your resume on the strength of one conversation.
Use job search app resources to help find those postings, then compare their requirements. You may see the same skills in several descriptions, or you may find that a suggestion fits one person's experience more closely than the roles you're considering. By the end of the month, choose one action. If the person welcomes an update, tell them what you learned.
Watch for these limits
A useful conversation isn't a promise of a job, referral or ongoing mentorship. Good advice can still reflect one employer or one career path. Check it against several current job descriptions before making a major change.
Keep sensitive information private. Don't give a networking contact your Social Security number, bank details or identity documents. Be wary if someone asks for money or pressures you to move immediately to another app. Report suspicious behavior through LinkedIn.
Frequently asked questions
Does LinkedIn still have Career Advice?
Its current availability and form aren't confirmed by the official sources available for this article. Check LinkedIn Help and your account. An older guide may show an interface that no longer appears.
Is LinkedIn Career Advice the same as LinkedIn Learning?
No. Career Advice was built around guidance from other members. LinkedIn Learning offers courses that can help you build skills, but a course isn't a personal mentor match.
How do I find a mentor on LinkedIn?
Search for people whose experience relates to a decision you're facing. Begin with a brief, specific question. A longer relationship can develop if you both want one and agree on what it involves.
What should I ask a LinkedIn mentor?
Ask one question the person can answer from experience, such as which skills mattered in their last career move. Choose a relevant contact and send that question this week.