Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#1

Post by brayhite » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:21 PM UTC

I've worked at my current company since my college internship in 2012, and have not sought a new gig in all of that time. The company was a travel tech startup that I joined as an early employee, and it was acquired a few years ago. The app is still active and supported, but it feels time to start exploring what else is out there.

In case it matters, my background is largely in various QA and product roles, most recently transitioning from project management to product management.

Are the traditional places like Linkedin and Indeed the best places to upload resumes, update skills, etc.? Do I need to fully dive into the job-hunting waters and network with recruiters to get a good idea of where I "stack" so to speak?

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#2

Post by PaulHoule » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:31 PM UTC

I got my last two jobs at angellist and a local job board respectively.

I was active on LinkedIn for years but it got me in touch with so many bullshitters I felt I was being dragged down and becoming a bullshitter.

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#3

Post by BrianOnHN » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:34 PM UTC

Try Google for Jobs: https://www.google.com/search?q=wfh&uact=5&oq=wfh&sclient=gw...

It's creation pushed me out of niche job boards. I imagine it will do the same to Indeed, and LinkedIn. All the major job boards syndicate jobs there.

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#4

Post by halkony » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:34 PM UTC

I used Glassdoor to find my posting.

Part of their schtick is you have to leave an employee review of your company to access their resources. You can see a lot of comments about different companies there.

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#5

Post by chadash » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:37 PM UTC

LinkedIn yes, Indeed no. Almost all recruiters (internal and external) are active on LinkedIn. It definitely doesn't hurt to have a good profile... people will reach out to you.

Recruiters get a lot of scorn, but I've had good experiences with them as long as you understand their incentives. They usually get some percentage of your starting salary, so let's say they make 15k if your offer is 100k (making up these numbers, but probably in the ballpark. Also, they only get paid if you stick around for at least a few months). If your offer is for 120k, they might make 3k more, so they have some incentive to get you a higher salary, but really, their incentive is to close as many deals as possible. Better to close two deals for 15k each then to drag out one deal for 18k.

As long as you understand that their incentives are somewhat aligned with yours but not completely, you might have a good experience with recruiters. I've found some who are great and many others who suck. But the good ones will get you in the door with the right people and guide you through the interview process.

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#6

Post by skinkestek » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:40 PM UTC

BrianOnHN wrote: post #3

Try Google for Jobs: https://www.google.com/search?q=wfh&uact=5&oq=wfh&sclient=gw... It's creation pushed me out of niche job boards. I imagine it will do the same to Indeed, and LinkedIn. All the major job boards syndicate jobs there.

> Oops, your browser, device and/or location is not yet supported.

Google made it:

they managed to signal how little they care about me even more clearly than the "Sadly we cannot show you this information since we are not allowed to use all our 900 trackers on you."

To be a little constructive: just about anything would be better. I guess old Google would have said something like:

- "This page is not adapted for your region yet, but you are free to look." or

- "This page is not adapted for your browser yet, but you are free to look." or

- "Sadly our lawyers won't let you see this yet, but we are planning to open it for everyone early next year." or something similar.

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#7

Post by 5350-uiop-1130 » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:41 PM UTC

chadash wrote: post #5

LinkedIn yes, Indeed no. Almost all recruiters (internal and external) are active on LinkedIn. It definitely doesn't hurt to have a good profile... people will reach out to you . Recruiters get a lot of scorn, but I've had good experiences with them as long as you understand their incentives. They usually get some percentage of your starting salary, so let's say they make 15k if your offer is 100k (making up these nu…

I would say they mostly suck. Very slimy, unwilling to divulge basic information and will ghost you in a heartbeat.

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#8

Post by onion2k » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:42 PM UTC

It depends where you want to work. You need to go where the companies you'd like to work for look for staff. If you're looking for a role somewhere big and well known then Google, Indeed, etc are a good bet. If you want something more start-up oriented then sites like workatastartup are good. If you want something a bit more niche and unusual then using your LinkedIn network works well.

The last few times I've looked for a role I've just googled for companies I'd like to work at and browsed their careers pages. If you have specific things you're looking for (eg more "I want to work for one of these companies" rather than "I want to join any company within these criteria") then going direct can work very well. Companies seem to like candidates who approach them too because it saves them a fortune in recruiter fees...

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#9

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:42 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Are Indeed, LinkedIn the go-to places for exploring new jobs?

#10

Post by tomkat0789 » Tue, Nov 30, 2021, 1:46 PM UTC

You should be OK since you have experience. Just make sure your interviewing skills are dusted off, review the STAR method, etc.

My anecdata as a PhD engineer: my first job out of college came from putting my info into a faceless corporate careers website. I also got a competing offer through LinkedIn. My current job at a little I felt pretty useless fresh out of college, but once I got my first job, I started getting messages from recruiters on LinkedIn fairly regularly. I'd be interested in how people do their due diligence in checking the authenticity of LinkedIn recruiters!

As for indeed, when I used it 5 years ago to get my first job out of school, it didn't impress me. I didn't get any leads from it. Zip Recruiter I think is an actual scam.