I have been offered 2 contract positions without linked-in profiles
So my answer it is not necessary.
I mostly use linked-in to post articles of interest to me in the various groups as a way to promote open source code repos from authors who publish their software as well as their findings
It is my hope that by posting such articles/work I will encourage more authors to publish their code so we can all grow together
Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
141–150 of 214 posts
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#142I 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…
If they can fill their roles with acceptable candidates without reading individual profiles, what's their incentive to do so?
Do you want a new job enough to be inconvenienced by recruiters? If not, then this system seems to be working perfectly.
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#143For the original question, I'd just say to put 'n/a' or similar in the LinkedIn field, or whatever gets you past that box but indicates that you don't participate in LinkedIn. If that alone causes your application to be rejected, you probably don't want to go through that channel anyway.
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
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?
If this person needs a job more than they don't want to be inconvenienced by recruiters, then they really don't have a leg to stand on.
You can always be as demanding as you want but don't be surprised when somebody else doesn't give in.
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#145I don't use linked in, I have been hired. Put "N/A" in the linked-in field.
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
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…
A really common one I get is emails about Java jobs where the recruiter praises me for all my Java skills and experience and talks about how I would be the perfect candidate for the job they have. The thing is nowhere in my profile does it say I have Java experience (I'm all C#/.Net), however it does mention JavaScript in a few places. They couldn't be any more obvious with their laziness.
That is why I have a NO JAVA Gmail template that tells the recruiter to learn to properly use their search engine
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/20-tips-use-goo...
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/topics/googleapps/
Since it is a template it takes 20 - 30 seconds to respond
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#147I blocked all email from linkedin on my mail server back in 2005 or so when they were relentlessly spamming _every_ email address they could find. I still have them blocked. I never bothered to create a linkedin account because from what I hear, 99.9% of the content is inane self-promotion and a never ending stream of begging from low-quality recruiters with low-quality offers. 100% of all the jobs I've had in my two…
Oh man that was terrible. I graduated in late 2004, got a job in 2005 and I literally got 10 e-mails from linked in per week to all of my e-mail addresses.
It's why, to this day, I do not have a linked in profile. Obviously if my family were starving I'd do what it takes to get a job, but given that programming jobs are fairly easy to find, I am not signing up.
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
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?
If this person needs a job more than they don't want to be inconvenienced by recruiters, then they really don't have a leg to stand on. You can always be as demanding as you want but don't be surprised when somebody else doesn't give in.
Just seems like GGP is trying to avoid being hired by a string of people not detail oriented.
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#149I am a midlevel frontend developer. I had to look for a job one time per year for the last 3 years. 3 years ago I tried everything. I applied to (literally) hundreds of position. More than 100 on LinkedIn, which led to nothing (50% ghosted, 50% automated rejection). Applied to a few from HN (“Who is hiring”), a couple of interviews, no offer. A fez dozens on AngelList, a few interviews, one offer, got hired. 2 years…
Seconding that. The quality of positions on Linkedin is not just down, I found them essentially worthless (applied to less than 100 positions but still a lot). Some positions are there for more than 1 year (and shown as recently posted), dead links, some links lead to job boards that force you to register with them just to show the job description, etc etc.
The "Home" page feed is full of inspirational quotes/memes and heartwarming videos, so they're building a social network which I have no need for. I only have the profile because recruiters/employers increasingly require LinkedIn profile with your application.
Re: Ask HN: Do you have to use LinkedIn to get hired?
#150Obviously it is not a requirement but it's quite helpful, even if LinkedIn is a dreadful web site in so many ways. I've gotten 3 of my last 4 jobs as a result of LinkedIn inmails (including 1 MAMAA).
Applying for open jobs is always going to be a numbers game that most candidates will lose. On the other hand there is no better way that I know of to passively receive inquiries from companies. Most of them are irrelevant or garbage but it only takes one good one to be your next job.