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Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?

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Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?

#131

Post by dookahku »

ranuzz wrote: post #96

From my own experience, Linkedin is currently the best place to get your profile discovered by a potential employer. There are others too like triplebyte, workatastartup, etc. but linkedin is the biggest. If you are seeking a job then you are better off contacting and reaching out yourself. But even in this case having a linkedin profile, lots of connections and references help potential employers screen you later in…

I think the problem is not discovery but the problem is that only garbage comes from LinkedIn. I've never gotten a job that was worthwhile from LinkedIn.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?

#134

Post by lvspiff »

zmb_ wrote: post #43

I just completed a successful job search, including landing a great senior level IC role at a large tech company. I do not have LinkedIn (or GitHub etc.). Based on what I've read and heard from hiring managers, I optimized two things: CV and video call setup. My CV was customized for every application, a single page dense with information but designed to be easy to skim and pattern match to the role requirements. For…

I love the callout for a video call setup - have something more than just a pixelated camera and blank wall in the background! Things like lighting and ability to see and hear you can make or break an interview if not at least make you stand out for being clearer than the rest.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?

#136

Post by granitepail »

I haven't updated my LinkedIn in around five years. Definitely not a requirement. I do keep an up-to-date CV and just pass that along. Could always try putting n/a in the field and writing a note, or finding a hiring manager or someone in HR to mail directly.

From the hiring side--I've done quite a bit--I never thought twice about whether someone had a LinkedIn or CV. I do think it's lazy not to provide anything on one's background, though. It helps me guide the conversation towards a candidate's strengths.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?

#137

Post by AnimalMuppet »

DoubleGlazing wrote: post #81
CSSer wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the bio bit. That's a hilarious and really nice touch.

It's interesting what happens when certain recruiters send a follow up message when I don't answer first time. When that happens I tell them to read my profile carefully. Some then get it and send me a colour and a few have got a bit shirty saying I am being unprofessional or that I am being unreasonable expecting them to read my profile given the pressures they are under.

Wait, you're contacting me. Why should I care what kind of pressure you're under?

Who's being unprofessional here? Isn't it the recruiter?

Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?

#138

Post by not2b »

I deleted my LinkedIn account some time ago because every contact it generated was useless spam and people I have never heard of asking to be in my "professional network". If I ever want to move, I don't need LinkedIn; people in the relevant competing companies to mine know who I am. People just starting out don't have that luxury and may feel that they have to put up with it.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?

#139

Post by josteink »

zffr wrote: post #69
gregdoesit wrote: post #48

Former engineering manager here. LinkedIn is useful to get “sourced” for jobs. Sourcing refers to recruiters proactively searching for qualified candidates for a given job. The first place recruiters go to source for positions - especially for those that are harder to fill - is LinkedIn. So no: you absolutely don’t need to have LinkedIn to get hired if you apply directly. LinkedIn makes it easier for companies to fin…

The flip side of this is that LinkedIn can sometimes bring you lots of unwanted messages from recruiters offering worse jobs that also pay less than what you currently make

Sure. But you’re not obliged to respond or take on the offer.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?

#140

Post by gspencley »

evanelias wrote: post #76
DoubleGlazing wrote: post #67

I have never got a job through LinkedIn, even though I get loads of contacts from recruiters - as many as 10 per week. The problem is that those contacts are poor quality. They are spammy as heck, basically mass emailing anyone who has a specific search phrase anywhere in their profile. For the last year my profile bio has opened with the statement "Recruiters: Please tell me what your favourite colour is if you want…

I feel like the quality issue is only getting worse over time. Yesterday I received a LinkedIn message from a recruiter that began with "I wanted to reach out as it is almost the end of the year" ... The same recruiter previously emailed me in December and did not use that phrase, so it's not like he always copy-and-pastes the same thing. However, in his December message, he misspelled my name (which is only 4 letter…

My personal pet peeve is when recruiters talk about the qualifications and tech stack at length but completely leave out what the product / company is.

I know there are a lot of devs out there, particularly junior and intermediates, who are looking to work with their favourite tools or something they've not worked with before. But after 25 years in the industry, having worked with several "stacks" and programming languages and worked through many popular paradigm shifts, I care far more about what I'm building than I do what tools I'm using to build it.

So yeah, I ignore those recruiters.

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