Is LinkedIn blocking your career ?

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Is LinkedIn blocking your career/job search?

With a focus on networking, connecting, and sharing ideas – LinkedIn is the perfect platform to build your professional profile and personal brand. Also the obvious place to hang out if you’re looking for a job.

LinkedIn has done well at reinventing itself as a social site. But it’s a fickle platform, don’t take it too seriously, roll with the punches, enjoy the highs and expect lows.

LinkedIn may be the No.1 site for professionals but it also has a dark side

Whilst LinkedIn may enable you to start conversations, connect, and build networks and relationships, it's not all good news for job seekers.

The LinkedIn job board function is soulless and faceless – it's transactional and disconnected.

You may not like what I have to say but it's worth considering the dangers.

It’s nothing like working with an expert recruiter

The LinkedIn job board doesn't function like a recruiter with good communication, relationship building and listening skills. This tool is not a connector, if anything, it's a barrier between you and the hiring manager with no middle person to assist.

Are you being kept at bay?

You spot an opportunity that sounds perfect. You follow the 'easy apply' process but you can’t get close enough to find out more. So you must wait. 

Whether you’ve spent hours crafting and fine-tuning your application or you’re more the ‘spray-and-pray’ type – you probably won't hear back!

No response leaves you feeling flummoxed, frustrated, flabbergasted, and eventually f*@!ing furious.

Why don't they reply?

There could be many reasons why you've been blanked – the sheer volume of applications, the filtering process, glitches, an inexperienced recruiter sifting through, or you just weren't right for the role. You’ll never know the real reason but a ‘thank you, but no thank you’ response would help.

Reputation

This method is not great for the company employer brand, it does nothing for the recruitment industry reputation, but the biggest victim is you!

The ‘system’ has permitted people to ignore you – and that’s a problem, and not just because it’s rude, lazy, and unprofessional.

Disconnected recruitment

I know why they do it – it's quick and maybe it saves money (short term) and people are stretched but this methodology is flawed. It’s transactional and disconnected. It's soulless and faceless.

Are you disconnected?

I can understand why job seekers rely on LinkedIn – they assume that everything is advertised plus the 'easy apply' portal minimises the fear of rejection from a human.

If you’re between jobs you may already feel disconnected from others.

After a while, the lack of responses will get to you.

On a dark day, you may take it personally.

It will ruin your CV and your job search 

If it doesn’t mess with your emotions it will mess up your CV which by now is riddled with keywords to get it through the pesky portal.

A confusing CV usually belongs to a confused person (just saying).

Overworked CVs, procrastination, faffing, and lack of strategy and focus will hold you back and ultimately lead you to selling yourself short in interviews.

Missing out

The sad part is that everyone is missing out. Companies are missing out on great candidates, recruiters are missing out on doing work they love, and you’re missing out on opportunities.

What’s the solution?

This problem isn’t going away anytime soon so you will need to work with LinkedIn and around it.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, spread your net, use your network, and break down those perceived barriers before they become a psychological fortress.

CV development and job search strategy (including how to navigate the LinkedIn barriers) are included in The Career Accelerator / private 1:1 career coaching for senior/C-level leaders. Get in touch to find out how it works.

ABOUT ME

I’m Tracy, Career Consultant, and Executive Headhunter, I help senior-level executives and C-level leaders land great jobs with 1:1 job search coaching. I work with clients around the world from my London-based Zoom office.

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