does posting sob stories on LinkedIn hurt your job search?

by Alison Green on September 5, 2024

A reader writes:

I work in a field that has been heavily affected by layoffs in the past year. I have been lucky and managed to maintain work, but many talented people I know have not been so lucky.

My question is about whether posting depressing, sad posts on social media, especially LinkedIn, affects your hiring potential.

I have seen many of my former coworkers posting status updates that include how they been out of work for many months, they are burning through their savings, they applied to hundreds of positions only to be rejected by AI recruitment tools or ghosted by human hiring teams, and, in some cases, that they are are about to be homeless.

While I will not argue that the current job market is incredibly difficult, I worry that they are hurting themselves with potential employers who might unfairly see them as “difficult.”

I would like to know your take on this and what you would recommend on posting status updates like this on LinkedIn.

Yes, they are likely to be hurting their chances with prospective employers.

Employers tend to want to feel they’re hiring someone who’s in-demand — or at least someone who 100 other companies haven’t looked at and said, “We’ll pass.”

To be clear, this is not aligned with the realities of job-seeking and hiring. It’s not uncommon for talented people to struggle to find jobs, especially in a tight market, and being unemployed or having a long job search isn’t a sign that someone shouldn’t be hired.

But it’s not helpful to raise those questions in a hiring manager’s mind.

Moreover, hiring managers — being humans — tend to respond better to optimism than to cynicism, pessimism, or bitterness. That doesn’t mean that cynicism, pessimism, or bitterness are never warranted — but when you want people to hire you, making that your branding on a professional networking site is a bad move.

You may also like:
{ 174 comments }

{ 174 comments… read them below }

  1. Peanut Hamper*

    Yes, this definitely hurts.

    When job hunting, you want to be Winnie, not Eeyore–online, in your cover letter, during your interview, the whole bit.

      2. Crencestre*

        Rabbit is definitely management material (at least in his own mind…)

        Just be sure you don’t hire Owl to write your press releases – remembers that he spells his own name “Wol”!

      3. Oui oui oui all the way home*

        I’m a Tigger and Tiggers are wonderful things! True I bounced from job to job but me and my workmates had fun along the way!

  2. a bright young reporter with a point of view*

    Plus, if they do want to hire you, they now have information that makes it easier to underpay you, which isn’t ideal.

  3. Falling Diphthong*

    As with dating, looking for friends, and other types of human interaction: Desperation is off-putting. The rare people who are drawn in by your desperation and view it as a feature are not likely to treat you well.

    1. RVA Cat*

      This. I have to wonder if the bad employers who typically prey on new grads (who may have quit by now) will go after these folks, along with the outright scammers.

      1. Grumpus*

        I also see it on Facebook groups in my area for newcomers to meet new friends. I would personally never respond to someone who posts about how fed up they are, how people keep ghosting them, how desperately lonely they are. It’s completely the wrong strategy; you want to seem like you are fun.

    3. Beth*

      Yep. I feel like a lot of these people start posting because they’ve been told to let their network know they’re looking for work–but then their posts are so sad and angry and desperate that even if someone they know was hiring, they’d likely be put off by the intense negativity.

      I think it’s better to fake some confidence and present an optimistic front than it is to be real about your struggles on LinkedIn.

      1. Georgia Carolyn Mason*

        If possible, for sure present a positive front. If you can’t do that convincingly (have a friend read it to make sure it doesn’t seem transparently fake), just keep it factual. I’m looking for this kind of job, I have this experience, I’d love any leads you can pass along!

  4. Justin*

    Keep it on a discord or a forum like this (on Fridays, or even probably under this post).

    The venting is understandable, but not where they might see it.

    I have tried to humanize my current hiring process as much as possible (being as clear as possible about next steps, timelines, and anything under my control, which is not all of it), and I might be able to go from job posting to offer (including HR screen, manager interview, colleague panel, selection) in about 5 weeks total. I found that the efficiency was the kindest thing I could do.

    But if one of them popped up saying this sort of stuff it would not help. Even if I tried to put it out of my head.

    1. WillowSunstar*

      Right, definitely keep it anonymous. Posting things like that under a real name will come up when employers are doing the inevitable social media pre-screening search.

  5. Gh0st*

    I think it’s generally a bad look overall to post like that online- especially on a professional social site like LinkedIn and/or repeatedly over time. To me it can read as over-sharing and like you don’t have proper personal emotional outlets/support/boundairies (sad from a personal perspective, but unattractive from a professional one). Though, I can respect folks who do a one-off post that’s just an honest update of recent events with a tone that’s more realistic and candid than woeful.

    1. Justin*

      If it’s just stats, I think that can be fine. Like, “50 applications, 10 first round interviews, 5 second round, 1 offer” or whatever.

      1. MigraineMonth*

        What’s the point of a post like that, though? Unless it makes me a more appealing candidate or makes contacts more likely to refer me to openings, I don’t see why I would post it to LinkedIn when I’m trying to find a job.

    2. lyonite*

      This is where I’m coming from on this. Even if someone is sympathetic to your plight, they might have pause when it comes to hiring someone with demonstrably poor boundaries when it comes to posting things online. We’ve seen enough stories about the issues with over-sharing coworkers that that’s not unreasonable.

  6. Yup*

    LinkedIn isn’t the platform to unload your (very valid) feelings about being out of work. It is a place where you can publish a research/think piece about the effects of unemployment on employees, though, if that’s something a person needs to get off their chest in a professional setting. But they need to find the right platform for these discussions–like a forum of people experiencing something similar.

    LinkedIn is about polished professionalism. To each (media platform) their own.

    1. KeinName*

      Appreciate the take. I’m on LinkedIn all the time, albeit in my bubble, but only entered last year. Whenever I see such a post I think it must be a common practice and reap some benefits, otherwise why would people do it? You‘re basically copying each other in terms of tone and content on there.
      So maybe there’s sectors where there’s huge solidarity among professionals and a sob story leads to re-shares and job offers?
      More likely however people just have no awareness of their surrounding and a compulsion to share. Yesterday I read a post by a woman whose teenage child had just passed away with an ‚inspirational‘ take on making time to go to family events instead of working. Which, true, but still – the weight of what happened surpassed the format of a professional networking platform I’d say.

      1. Jill Swinburne*

        I think I know the post you mean! But then there are so many. Posts like that always make me squirm uncomfortably – like the one I saw the other day where a guy was using Biles-level mental gymnastics to apply lessons he’d learned from his dad’s dementia to running his business.

        Maybe low-level details of that stuff is appropriate where relevant – but it doesn’t usually come across that way to me.

        1. KeinName*

          Ha, that‘s a coincidence. It might have found extreme popularity and reached AAM readers across the globe. I’d hope the specific tragedy doesn’t happen so regularly that you find a whole crowd of mothers making LinkedIn posts about it.
          I could see a post like that making sense just to notify your network that you’ll be out of touch due to this happening, without the inspirational part. That would be sad but useful I guess.

      2. stratospherica*

        “I proposed to my girlfriend, this is what it told me about B2B sales” is one that sticks in my mind.

      3. Allonge*

        Obligatory warning that just because something is common practice (is it though? algorythms are a thing) it does not mean it works or is a good idea.

    2. MassMatt*

      This. If you are actively looking for a job, your LinkedIn needs to be a marketing piece promoting you, not a place for you to bellyache.

      As it’s grown, IMO more and more LI users seem to fail to distinguish between it and purely social media such as Facebook. It’s not a good place to vent about interviews, nor stream-of-consciousness essays about how tough the job search process is. Likewise, profile pics should not feature you on the beach, either, unless you are looking for a position as lifeguard.

      I would go further and say if you are really looking, you should lock down or clean up your other social accounts, given how common it is for hiring managers to check them also.

      1. Orv*

        Thank you. I keep my LI strictly business and, given how other people I follow use it, I was starting to wonder if I was doing it wrong.

    3. HelloWorld*

      Unfortunately, LinkedIn pushes the emotionally charged content to my feed (at least for me). Some folks could be looking for attention.

      The subreddit r/LinkedInLunatics/ contains some ridiculous LinkedIn posts. I would not want any of my content end up in this subreddit.

  7. Mirily*

    I say this as a Millennial who got a Facebook page in 2006 at age 16 and has had a social media presence ever since (i.e. the majority of my life): For the generations that now make up the majority of the workforce, oversharing online, blurring personal and professional boundaries, and craving the validation that the engagement from sad/negative posts garners (the positive comments, likes and “You’re great, don’t worry!”) has become a way of dealing with any and every difficult experience. Something has happened where people’s real-life community and relationships are being supplemented (and in some cases totally replaced) with the virtual community they’ve cultivated.

    The Gen Z version of this is posting a video of yourself crying to IG, TikTok or YouTube. Posting something similar on LinkedIn when your career hits a rough patch is the natural next step when you’ve been posting about every emotion you’ve had since Dylan broke-up with you in 4th period.

    All that to say, I have no idea how to get people to stop doing this because it’s definitely detrimental in the long run, but at this point two entire generations have engaged in this behavior for the majority of their lives.

    1. Justin*

      I think the solution is… I got older and realized I had to use the internet differently. (And also stopped using Facebook for that altogether because it’s just bad AI art lol.)

      However, not everyone has been to years of therapy (rather than just picking up therapy buzzwords on tiktok) and had intentional efforts to process things, so I am not surprised when others struggle with blurring these lines. I was once there myself, having gone to an Ivy and therefore one of the first few thousand people on Facebook in 2004. EVERY nonsense thing in my early 20s ended up on there. Bad.

      I’m not a robot on LinkedIn because I can’t be, but it’s a specific vibe that you need to fit unless you truly don’t ever need to be hired again.

      1. LL*

        This. I’m older Mirily (was 20 in 2004 when I got on Facebook) and I’ve definitely started posting differently the older I’ve gotten. I also almost never actually go on LinkedIn and I never write my own posts and I do not for the life of me understand why people think that a social network that’s explicitly for professional networking and communication is an ok place to post personal life updates.

        1. Justin*

          The only updates I post on there that aren’t strictly work are about my books and I did post that I bought a house bc my job is real estate related so it seemed important.

          And yeah, I was 18, so we’re in about the same place.

      2. Mirily*

        Oh, agreed. FWIW, I haven’t had a Facebook since … 2013? By the time I’d graduated college, it’d become a thing for my parents and their friends. I migrated to IG (and Tumblr … RIP) and I refuse to get a TikTok because I really don’t have the time to waste just doom scrolling. I post maybe twice a year on IG. And yes … I’ve had therapy.

        I’m also lucky to have cultivated a really great community of friends in the city where I landed, but it did take a few years of struggling. And for adults younger than me who never exactly had to learn how to socialize and meet people, I can see how they’d just give up. There was a discussion a few years ago about people who were so confused by the sitcoms of the 90s (Friends, Living Single, Martin, Melrose Place). People literally couldn’t imagine having that many friends and living in such close proximity to them.

        The advent of social media coupled with the death of the “third place” has really had a huge impact on how people form and maintain friendships.

        1. Nonsense*

          Tumblr’s actually still going strong, especially with Twitter/X’s constant woes. Folx ditched the bird app and went back to mining in the caves. With some judicious blocking and curating of followed content. it can pretty peaceful.

          1. Bee*

            Admittedly I don’t know how you’d go about building a Tumblr community or finding people to follow if you don’t join for a fandom (which I did, in 2022), but oh man is it SO much more fun/relaxing to spend time there than any other social media these days.

          2. Freya*

            I’m still on there too – joined in the early 00’s and never left. When things get a little slow, I search some of the suggested tags and go down rabbitholes for a bit. Sometimes all I get is dross, sometimes I get interesting posts, sometimes I find someone whose Tumblr is one I want to follow and see more of. No matter what, for me it’s a relaxed place to spend a bit of time browsing, where there are no real penalties for being an irregular poster, and there’s no dodgy algorithm.

        2. LL*

          I’ve actually always thought the most unrealistic part of friends was that the friends all lived pretty close to each other!

          1. Patty Mayonnaise*

            Later in the series that is true, but it’s established that Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, and Joey became friends BECAUSE they lived closed together (Phoebe lived with Monica across the hall from J and C). Rachel moves into Phoebe’s room in the pilot, so the outlier in terms of geography is Ross, who I think lives in another part of the Village at the start of the series? It’s implied he’s hanging with the rest of them more because his marriage fell apart.

          2. Michelle Smith*

            Close, it’s second. The most unrealistic part of that show was the size of the apartments they had. No way they could have afforded those lol.

    2. Retired Vulcan Raises 1 Grey Eyebrow*

      The internet is not your private diary or your small group of besties.
      What you post online is generally broadcast to the world and stays there forever. Think really hard if you want this – and will still want this 15 years later

      1. Junior Assistant Peon*

        I remember LiveJournal circa 1998 pretty much was what you describe. Only your computer-nerd friends would see what you posted, not your parents, classmates, coworkers, etc. People used to share stuff that they could never get away with today!

    5. Scholarly Publisher*

      I’m old enough to remember when Usenet gave the warning “if you post this it will be visible to everyone in the ENTIRE WORLD; are you absolutely sure you want to post this?” (Paraphrase.) It did make me stop and think before posting, and a little of that attitude has stuck; I’m cautious about what I say under my real name.

    6. TM*

      I think it’s pretty easy – don’t post personal content under your own name and with your own face. I’ve had two FBs forever – one with my actual name for family and one that’s completely anon. For ventage, that’s what places like these and discord are for. Or bluesky, under yet another alias.
      As for linked-in, professional content only, DIRECTLY related to my work. (I don’t make public posts there at all, since I am not trying to build a professional brand beyond my CV at present)

      1. TM*

        Exception to the first rule – unless your entire income and brand is literally “being yourself” a la Kardashians. And of course even what they reveal is curated. That isn’t to say you can’t move on to something else if there’s embarrassing stuff out there, but it can be a very hard road.

  8. T.N.H*

    I get that this is demoralizing, but in every case that someone gets rejected, even by an AI bot, someone else was presumably hired. For me, that’s part of why it comes off as entitled.

    1. Peanut Hamper*

      Not all positions get filled though. And some are basically just a rotating door.

      Why does this seem entitled to you? Genuinely curious.

      1. Buffalo*

        For me, there’s a lot of underlying (if not necessarily ill-intentioned) entitlement and, especially, main character syndrome when people complain about having been rejected for jobs. When you put in a job application, it’s not a referendum on whether you’re any good; it’s a competition with the other candidates. Assuming that you *should* be hired, assuming that you deserve feedback or even a response (especially when you’ve just clicked auto-apply and haven’t put any effort into your application), is entitled, to me. It’s not “end of the world, you’re a monster” entitlement, but it’s “recalibrate your thinking about the degree to which you’re the centre of the universe” entitlement.

        2. Orv*

          It’s tricky because to interview well you absolutely DO have to put yourself into the mindset that you are the ideal person for this job, and they should absolutely hire you, because that kind of faux confidence is how you sell yourself.

          1. Ellen Ripley*

            I’ve had better luck swinging the other direction. Like “I’m confident, stable, and if I don’t get this job then no worries, I’ll find another one”. This mindset helps keep me away from the end of the spectrum that houses “this job is so amazing and I would be perfect for it and I need it” desperation energy that is way more likely to make me put my foot in my mouth.

            1. Higher Ed Cube Farmer*

              Yeah, my experience has been more like Ellen Ripley’s, as an applicant and a person involved in hiring.

      2. Orv*

        I think one thing we’ve learned recently is that many positions that are posted don’t even exist. They’re just dummies to either judge the market, or make overworked staff feel like something is being done.

        1. Dasein9 (he/him)*

          Yes. This is an important element of today’s job market. For job seekers to develop strategies for dealing with such a hostile market, communication and collaboration are key. It’s also true, though, that we should not forget our communication and collaboration are public and must remain professional.

    2. Caliko*

      I don’t think your math is mathing. And every case that someone gets rejected, somebody else was hired. That’s not right. Probably 500 people were rejected in order for one person to get a job. What are you even talking about in terms of being entitled?

      1. bamcheeks*

        I think it comes across as not exactly entitled, but uninformed about how hiring works.

        Understandably so! When you’re job-hunting, especially if it’s a long job hunt, it feels super personal. It feels like a whole bunch of people going, “You?! No! OBVIOUSLY not. As if! In your dreams!” It 100% feels like people are Not Choosing You because something is wrong with you. And it’s a really normal and natural way to feel! I got two rejections this afternoon, so I’m feeling it particularly. But really, they are not looking at my applications and jnvesting time in marvelling at my presumption, my ignorance, my inherent Wrongness— they’re just choosing someone else who they think is a better fit for this particular role.

        Like I said, I do think it’s very normal to feel like that, and I think it’s a completely valid thing for people to share with their friends and partners— people who invested in how you feel and your success and failure. But when you make that pubic on LinkedIn , it’s like you’re asking people to invest in your success and failure, and to accept this idea of you as the protagonist, and all the other people who did get that interview or that job as less-real people who got in the way of your job search. And sometimes it comes across as “I need someone to pick me over that better-qualified, more suited person, because my need for a job is more real and urgent than theirs”, and even though it’s not intended that way I can see why it feels entitled.

        1. T.N.H*

          I like the way you put it. To me, when people make these videos, I always think: So, you want the new hire to be fired cause you feel you deserve the job? Often that’s not literally what they are saying, but it comes across strangely in a venty public post.

        2. Caliko*

          To each his own. I have a lot of compassion for people who can’t find jobs and are suffering financially and emotionally and I don’t find anything entitled about them expressing how difficult it is.

          I agree that LinkedIn isn’t the place to talk about that. But having human emotions isn’t entitled in my book.

          1. Bossy*

            I understand what you’re saying but also understand the way that people are talking about the entitlement feeling. It’s kind of like if someone asks you on a date and you say no thank you and then they want to know why or get upset. It’s like I don’t owe you a date so why are you getting upset?
            It reminds me of a great quote about expecting nothing. You can ask sure, but don’t expect things so that you’ll then just be disappointed and/or mad. If you ask without expectations if it’s a no you’re just like OK and if it’s a yes, then you’re happy. Thats the gist of the quote, which I can’t remember verbatim.

            1. Parakeet*

              But most people have to have jobs in order to have an even halfway decent quality of life. People don’t need to have dates in order to keep their housing or afford food. Also, expressing upset at a person for not wanting to date you is creepy. Companies aren’t people and there’s nothing creepy about being upset with one. It’s not the same at all.

              1. Not an incel btw*

                I don’t mean to derail the conversation but, at least in my part of the world, people absolutely do need to be in a relationship if they want to move away from their childhood homes. It’s almost impossible to rent, let alone buy, anywhere halfway decent on anything less than two incomes, which means that dating, like working, isn’t actually optional.

                1. Higher Ed Cube Farmer*

                  Even if you need 2 incomes to afford housing, it is possible to share housing with someone you’re not dating.

                2. Not an incel btw*

                  In theory, but even sharing has an expiration date. Most people end up living with romantic partners. How many twenty- or thirty-somethings are going to want to live with a middle-aged singleton who never settled down and has to share indefinitely?

              2. Higher Ed Cube Farmer*

                It’s analogous in that:
                People do need to have relationships for psychological health/quality of life, But no one has to have the specific type of relationship, with the specific person/demographic that they want, if that other person doesn’t reciprocate their preference. Even if a LOT of other people don’t reciprocate one’s preference, one is not prevented from forming other kinds of relationships with other people to meet their need for human connection — just as many other people do as matter of course not a devalued last alternative.

                People do need to have income and benefits, usually from employment, for physical health/quality of life. But no one has to have the specific type of job, with the specific company/employment sector that they want, if those don’t want to hire them. Even if a LOT of companies don’t hire them, one is not prevented from taking other kinds of work in other fields to meet their need to pay living expenses–just as many other people do as matter of course not a devalued last alternative.

                It’s natural to feel hurt by rejection and worried about repeat or longterm struggle to meet basic need for survival or quality of life. It’s natural to want sympathy and support when struggling. It’s also natural to (want to) express those feelings in a variety of ways and contexts, some of which are counterproductive — when one shows their worst self instead of their best, to people who have the least ability to give sympathy or support instead of the people who are most able to. When one shows lack of self-awareness, audience, boundaries, personal responsibility. When one’s suffering or struggling, strategic judgment and self-restraint are the least accessible… but more needed than ever, to avoid making the unfortunate situation worse.

          2. Buffalo*

            As I’ve said, the particular things I find entitled are:

            * putting very little effort into the job search, and then:
            * expecting (not just hoping) that employers will think you’re better than the other applicants;
            * expecting to be hired based on that very little effort;
            * expecting human hiring managers to act like your quarter of a second entitles you to, if not a job, their support, mentorship, and guidance.

            I don’t find anything entitled about feeling sad, wanting a job, or expressing that you’re suffering.

    3. Ginger Cat Lady*

      So 200 applicants = 200 hires? Because that’s what “in every case that someone gets rejected, even by an AI bot, someone else was presumably hired” would mean.
      And that’s NOT reality.
      Even if it was reality, that doesn’t make this a case of entitlement!

      1. bamcheeks*

        FWIW, I didn’t read that as “for each individual person that got rejected someone got hired” but “for each individual job where X people got rejected, someone else got hired”.

        1. T.N.H*

          Definitely what I meant! We’re all rushing to comment between meetings, right? Should have reworded.

    4. TheBunny*

      So I can see why you consider it entitled, but respectfully I don’t think it’s the quite right word.

      I think people get invested in job opportunities. I think they look at a description, see that they tick every box and then get upset when they don’t get a call. I don’t think they feel entitled to a call, but rather in their bubble they know they are a great fit and so don’t understand why they didn’t.

      1. Kay*

        If someone doesn’t have enough self awareness to understand that this very normal part of job hunting is going to happen to them and getting publicly “woe is me” on the matter isn’t a good look, well, that says a lot. Linking what that does say to entitlement – not too far of a stretch in most cases.

  9. seniormanager*

    I think it hurts your chances with hiring managers and recruiters, but it can help your chances of getting referrals from your existing network. People like to feel like they’re helping someone out. Ultimately I don’t think the tradeoff is worth it though, and it’s probably better to send an email or DM to your contacts asking them to keep you in mind if they hear of any openings at their company.

    1. MCR*

      There is definitely a way to reap the benefits of referrals while not turning off future employers, though. I don’t think there is anything wrong at all with a LinkedIn post that acknowledges that you’ve been laid off, says (in measured language) that dealing with the layoff is difficult, and asks your network to please get in touch if they know of opportunities. I have absolutely reached out to people who have posted something like that, and as a hiring manager I would not judge someone at all who has posted that. It’s the complaining about constant rejection and unfairness of the world that is the turnoff. I do think that someone who thinks that a standard application process is unfair is likely to think that some other standard workplace norms (punctuality, KPIs, etc.) are unfair too, and I’d avoid that person.

      1. A Simple Narwhal*

        Definitely this. I’m still salty about a friend who posted something like “fake friends say ‘I’m sorry you lost your job’, real friends say ‘here’s a referral at my company'”. (Not 100% relevant but this is the same friend who turned down a solid job referral because “it’s not something I’m passionate about right now” and then continued to complain about struggling to make rent.)

        I’ve seen other friends post something like “Unfortunately I’ve been laid off from my job. It’s a bummer after X years but I’m hopeful that I’ll land somewhere even better. I’m looking to find a new job, so if anyone knows someone who is looking for [their type of job], please reach out, I really appreciate it!”

        Both are clearly upset by the situation, but I’m way more interested in helping the second person.

        1. Falling Diphthong*

          I expect that by midlife, many of us have been burned by that friend or relative who is forever in messes of their own making, upset that no one is empathizing hard enough with this month’s plea for help.

        2. Orv*

          Yeah, that first paragraph ignores that many people are in jobs where they don’t have the power to make referrals. I can point someone to a job on our recruiting website that they might be good for, but my word will have absolutely no weight with the people who hire for it.

          1. Seashell*

            Totally agree. Also, I may work in a field where some friends have zero qualifications, and I have friends who I like on a personal level, but don’t think they’d be good at every job in my organization.

            1. Orv*

              Also, if we’re being honest, I have friends who I love and think are great people, but that I would absolutely hate having to work with professionally.

      2. bamcheeks*

        I’m going to do this next week, in fact— my contract finishes in three months so I’m going to do a “currently looking, please share anything you see!” post. But it will be upbeat and positive!

      3. Freya*

        And giving a synopsis of the type of thing you’re looking for and the kinds of things you’d be open to! Not just open-ended ANYTHING, but “my current experience is in x and y, it’s been a while but I’d be happy to get back into z, and I’m open to negotiation if something like A++ comes up”

        1. Freya*

          I’ve found that having a couple of keywords in these posts means they stick better in my head when my friends post them, and then I’ve got more words that will spark my memory of the post when I hear someone else use them in a job-filling context.

    2. TheBunny*

      I think a post that says “hey I’m excited to be looking” and the “open to work” banner speak to that with no issue. A woe is me post might get traction but probably not the right kind.

    3. Kay*

      I’m going to come down on the side of – there is no upside unless the post is professional. I’m not going to risk my professional reputation to help someone who has demonstrated they don’t value theirs.

  10. Mom2ASD*

    From a recruitment perspective – honestly, it feels like a lapse in judgment to post these things. Sure, let people know that you’re on the market. Let people know you were laid off in the latest mass layoff. Let people know what you are looking for. Ask for referrals, etc.

    BUT – leave it at that. If someone who knows you and thinks well of you can refer you to work, they will.

    Posting about how horrible the job search market is, the financial impact on you / your family – well, it’s not going to increase the number of job opportunities that come your way.

    That said, I would love to see more people post about how they succeeded in their job search despite AI knocking them out of contention for roles. I am absolutely biased – I totally admit that – but AI is a travesty when it comes to candidate selection and screening. As far as I am concerned, it only perpetuates stereotypes, because it looks only to the present or past to see what has worked. If all the people in your company who succeeded in a role were males between the ages of 34 and 42, then the AI will pick up on that and assume that is an important data point.

    I’ll be honest – I really want to make a post about my son, who has ASD, is absolutely brilliant (99.9th percentile in intelligence), and who has struggled to find co-op jobs. It’s really, really tempting. But I am not sure that it would help him, and it might hurt him.

    1. Justin*

      You don’t even have to go that deep for why AI is bad at this. My company has a system that has an AI option we do not use (but like everything it’s always suggesting itself), and when you post a job you choose the main 6 or 7 requirements. AI reads the resume and says “has x% of requirements.” But it’s always wrong!

      Like my job requires LMS (Learner Management Systems) experience. You can write that on the top of your resume and the AI might miss it altogether.

      But I read all 500ish of the applications for my job myself because I think it’s fair.

      Good luck to your son (I have ADHD so, it’s not the same, but I get it)

    2. Victor WembanLlama*

      I’m not a recruiter so forgive me if this is a very basic question but how does AI knock candidates out of contention?

      1. Rainy*

        If the organization is using the algorithmic screener tool, it will knock applicants out of the process. Some HRs are careful and go through the algorithm’s trash to make sure qualified people aren’t being eliminated, but some don’t look at all the resumes. And if the search is set to use AI to the fullest extent possible, those applicants who don’t pass the AI screener are removed from the process entirely. If you’ve ever gotten that “thanks but no thanks” email seconds or minutes after hitting the submit button, that’s usually what’s happening.

        1. The Techie*

          This is when you find out who the hiring manager is and reach out directly.
          I’ve drowned this before with great success, including at a FAANG company.

          Of course, that requires getting beyond this site’s advice against showing “gumption.”

        2. bamcheeks*

          I have talked to SO MANY recruiters and I’ve never met anyone who admits their ATS can exclude candidates. Rank, yes. Exclude, no. Alison has a post about this called “your job application was rejected by a human not a computer”.

          Of course, it’s from 2020, so it’s possible this has finally become true in the last couple of years, but the idea has been going around for over 15 years so honestly I’m sceptical.

          1. Rainy*

            If you get a “thanks but no thanks” email within 2 minutes of pressing the submit button at 2 in the morning, I am deeply dubious that a human recruiter has actually skimmed your resume and then chosen to send a rejection email.

          2. sparkle emoji*

            Yeah, I see AI pushed much more on recruiting data bases (Indeed, Zip Recruiter, etc) than ATS systems themselves. Those AI systems are pretty garbage though and I can see a company that’s bad at hiring giving them too much power.

        3. Justin*

          Yeah that’s why I read every single application, though thankfully we don’t trust the AI tool in our system and it doesn’t factor in, it’s just there, being ignored lol

    3. Dasein9 (he/him)*

      I got hired because I spoke up on LinkedIn. Not a woe-is-me post, but a factual one that alerted people who knew me that I was available and they got in touch.

      The job search itself wasn’t actually successful in this market, and that’s something people do need to be discussing so we can all strategize.

  11. Good Enough For Government Work*

    This is why God gave us (anonymised) Twitter accounts and group chats with the besties, beloveds!

  12. Retired Vulcan Raises 1 Grey Eyebrow*

    Yes, it’s never a good idea to tell people you’re desperate, in any potential business arrangement or negotiation. Nor in dating or looking for friends. People tend to shy away from the openly desperate and think there is something lacking or wrong with them.
    At the very least, it tells the other party that you’ll likely accept much worse terms than others would.

    1. Retired Vulcan Raises 1 Grey Eyebrow*

      If you must vent or bare your soul online, do so anonymously.
      If you must do so in person, be very sure it’s someone close you can 100% trust not to gossip, or a professional bound by confidentiality.

  13. Keep it ril*

    I’m glad Allison answered this the way she did. I’d also add the constant attacks on recruiters. I’ve even seen companies tagged. As someone who hires regularly it’s a huge red flag. it’s a terribly tough environment but that doesn’t help.

    1. Strive to Excel*

      I think it’s one thing to call out a specific company or a specific recruiter that you’ve had a bad experience with, but it has to be an *unusually* bad experience and you need to be very matter of fact about the experience. Otherwise you’re going to come across as either whining or as someone who’s going to smear the people working with you, neither of which are helpful.

      1. stratospherica*

        It’s also, a lot of the time, misguided, and shows that you might not scrutinise thoroughly, since most of the complaints about recruiters are, in fact, complaints about hiring managers (long time between selection steps, lowball offers, frustrating back-and-forths…), or a misunderstanding of what a recruiter’s role is (inability to have an in-depth technical discussion about the work you’d be doing)

        1. sparkle emoji*

          This. Most of the issues I see attributed to recruiters could be about the recruiter, or they could be due to the hiring manager, or the companies policies, or the number of middlemen between the recruiter and the people making decisions, or or or. I can understand the recruiter bashing because they are the messenger, but it doesn’t help the job seeker.

  14. Scholar(ish)*

    I guess this is a good thread to ask for advice.

    I was laid off in March, did a little post reflecting on my time at ex-job. Had a few interviews, good conversations, but am deciding to focus on finishing my graduate degree by next May (rather than over the next 30 months). I was planning on putting up another post about what I’m doing, why I made this decision, the things (and hopeful career pivot) I’m excited about.

    My thoughts were that it would quell some questions I expect from future recruiters/hiring managers. Does that track with the group here?

    1. Arrietty*

      I think if the tone is positive overall and focuses on similar things to what you might put in a cover letter, that’s fine!

    2. ecnaseener*

      That sounds fine to post, but I wouldn’t count on it quelling questions from future interviewers. Even if they see the post, they’ll probably still ask (they might even be *more* likely to ask about it if they found your post interesting!)

      But if nothing else, writing your thoughts out while they’re fresh, and posting it so you won’t lose it, will be helpful when you’re prepping for those future interviews!

    3. Lost academic*

      As a hiring manager, don’t. I’ll see it (your accomplishments) on your resume. If I don’t see it there I might think you’re lying. And I’m still going to ask you, if it’s relevant, so writing it on LinkedIn doesn’t save you any time. only potential drawbacks.

    4. learnedthehardway*

      I think that this is a legitimate thing to do – you’re announcing your professional development, essentially.

      Something along the lines of “Thank you to all who have referred me to opportunities after I left ABC Company. You support means the world me. Upon reflection, I’m thrilled to update my network that I have decided to focus on completing my X degree by May 2025. I feel this will put me in the best position to achieve X role when I resume my job search. I will update everyone when I do that. Thanks again.”

      That would be a nice way to tell people what you’re up to, why, and that you’ll be resuming your job search.

  15. WantonSeedStitch*

    I’m always a little mystified by the way some people treat LinkedIn like their personal Facebook page or Twitter account. Yes, technically LI is social media, but it’s PROFESSIONAL social media, not personal social media. The “you” that you are on there is the PROFESSIONAL you. Not the “kvetching to my buddies over cocktails” you.

    1. The Original K.*

      Yeah, I think people share too much on LinkedIn. I’ve read posts about divorce, deaths in the family, and I think “what does this have to do with work?” I certainly sympathize, but LinkedIn shouldn’t be the forum for that.

  16. Caliko*

    I agree with you 100% that this is hurting their chances but when you refer to what they are saying as “cynicism, pessimism, or bitterness”, I don’t agree. They are being realistic. They are speaking realistically about their experiences. They are not being cynical. They are not being pessimistic and they are not being bitter. Saying what is happening in your life is not cynical.

    Again, I don’t disagree with your opinion that it’s hurting them, but I would have referred to what they were doing as “being honest” rather than as being cynical, pessimistic and bitter. And I would absolutely against that type of honesty related to job searching. Go to an anonymous forum on a Reddit if you need to vent.

    1. TheBunny*

      It’s possible to be upset, frustrated, demoralized, whatever…without being bitter and pessimistic.

      And if you can’t job hunt without allowing the bitter to come through, or you think it’s OK because you decide it’s “honest” well you need to look internally to understand why you aren’t getting hired.

      Every single time I’m going to hire the person who is excited by the opportunity over the downtrodden one. Even if on paper they are better? Know why? Because I want to hire an adult who can professionally regulate their emotions…and part of that is knowing where and when to share and how to do so.

      What you say is honest is something I feel is inappropriate in a professional setting and if they put it on LinkedIn they will put it into the job.

      1. Varthema*

        Agreed.

        Upset, demoralized is: “It’s really rough out there. Sending dozens of applications to radio silence, thinking you’ve really connected in an interview only to never hear back – unfortunately, these are the realities of job-hunting and it can be tough to keep your spirits up.”

        Bitter is: “I guess human decency isn’t part of the hiring process anymore. I send dozens of applications – nothing. Have a great interview – ghosted. If it’s not the AI bots filtering out your resumes, it’s the recruiters who don’t care about you as a human and just want to check meaningless boxes. Good riddance, you reap what you sow.”

        Same content, totally diff tone.

    2. sparkle emoji*

      You can honestly describe something frustrating without coming across as pessimistic or bitter. I definitely have seen posts on LinkedIn which are closer to Varthema’s bitter example and others that feel more factual.

  17. GreenDoor*

    As a hiring manager, I’m not hiring you because you have bills to pay and mouths to feed. We all do! I’m hiring you because you have the skills, experience, and qualifications I need and you appear to be the right cultural/attitude fit.

  18. Snazzy*

    These sad, negative feelings need to be aired – but in a jobseekers support group, your therapist, your pastor, your partner and select friends. They DO NOT need to be aired on LinkedIn or anywhere that a potential future employer might access it!

  19. Filofaxes*

    On the one hand, yes an Eeyore mindset when job hunting unfortunately backfires. No one wants to deal with that during the interview process. But in my opinion, the real argument for not posting sob stories on LinkedIn is that LinkedIn has become a cesspool of “MLM Influencers but for startups and tech bros–plus a new playground for data scammers.” So really, what even is the point, you know?

    Your colleagues would be better off taking those 10 minutes they would have spent on posting a sob story to LinkedIn and instead spending it on tweaking their resume, doing a targeted job search, an online skill training, etc.

    In short: avoid LinkedIn unless you enjoy giving scammers and phishers another avenue with which to steal your data and spam your phone.

    1. Justin*

      I mean, no, there are valuable connections to be made there. It’s helped me promote my book significantly.

      You don’t have to follow the tech bros

    2. Victor WembanLlama*

      That’s really not consistent with how millions of people use LI though. I’ve gotten my last few jobs via LinkedIn so ymmv

      Plus we all have phones and email which is where the vast majority of scammers are coming from anyway

    3. Orv*

      LI seems to be mandatory for certain types of jobs. I’ve seen job applications that asked for your LI profile.

      1. allathian*

        Yes, I’ve seen them too. But that’s because I’m in Finland, and here employers/recruiters are only allowed to look at the social media profiles the candidates link to in their applications. They aren’t allowed to Google you, or if they do, they aren’t allowed to use what they learn against you. So reasonable employers don’t Google just as they won’t ask about family relationships or plans.

  20. CherryBlossom*

    Oof. As someone who has been there, I do have sympathy and empathy for that awful sinking feeling, wondering if you’ll find something before it’s too late. It’s terrible, and I don’t blame people for feeling what they feel.

    But Linked in is just not the place for it! Any social media that’s tied to your name and face should be kept as clean as possible, because it’s something employers can and will use against you. Cry on a friend’s shoulder, journal, go to therapy; there are ways to work through these valid emotions offline.

  21. Buffalo*

    Generally, the less you share on social media that’s visible to potential employers, the better, because you never know how something will resonate with someone.

    As a hiring manager, I have no problem with sad stories per se – “I lost my job and I’m going to be homeless if I don’t get another job in two weeks” would make me feel empathetic, not turned off. But I do have a problem with a certain entitlement culture I see on Linkedin a lot of the time. “The job market is so unfair! I clicked Apply on 10,000 jobs yesterday, and not only did no one hire me, the bosses didn’t even take two hours apiece to write out detailed feedback about why they rejected me! I have no earthly qualifications at all, but I briefly thought about becoming Taylor Swift’s business manager this afternoon, and she didn’t even read my mind and fly me out to interview me for the job – how dare she ghost me like that!” I’m annoyed by that stuff, maybe an unreasonable amount. (I’m a big old-fashioned spend-a-week-crafting-a-cover-letter-and-resume person – if someone thins spamming their resume out to tons of jobs indiscriminately somehow entitles them to someone’s attention, that’s not for me.) I’m not even saying I’m right – just that people have prejudices and you never know what you’re going to trigger.

    1. Orv*

      I feel like there’s a big imbalance now, where you’re expected to spend a lot of time crafting a cover letter and resume that will, in 99% of cases, be thrown out before a human ever sees it.

      1. Buffalo*

        I mean, yeah, capitalism is kind of about imbalanced power dynamics between the boss and the worker.

        You make an interesting point, though. I lead a small nonprofit. If I get two hundred applications for a job, I read every one of them. If I say in my posting, “E-mail a resume and a cover letter to…” and then I get a Linkedin message that reads in its entirety, “job”, I’m over here thinking, “What did this guy think was going to happen? Did he think I was going to write back, ‘hired’?” That’s more what I’m talking about when I talk about entitlement. The guy who thinks his “job” message is better than your cover letter is off-base in a way that’s disrespectful of you, in my view.

        But your interesting point comes with AI screening at larger organizations. I understand feeling frustrated when you feel like some ATS might have auto-rejected you and a person isn’t even considering you. That can be really hard.

      2. Helewise*

        I’m at a small organization, so I know this isn’t the case everywhere, but I read every application (over 300 for the position I’m currently hiring for) and seem to see that mindset resulting in awful applications. Somebody mentioned above that this is a competition, and whether that’s fair or not it’s true – but more than that, a general resume possibly targeted for a completely different job doesn’t give me the information I need to decide if I can responsibly move you forward. That expectation around the cover letter and resume is just communication; it’s the only way I can get to know you.

    2. Can’t believe it*

      I see this A LOT

      “I have no work experience and a 1.99 GPA in General Studies associates degree. I want at least 350K, fully remote with no core hours and contractually guaranteed I will only receive positive feedback”

      I would say this was brought on by the pandemic and quiet quitting etc; but it’s not. When I was in high school it was essentially the same thing. “I don’t need to work hard/study. I’m going to the and you’ll be screaming my name”.

  23. Salsa Your Face*

    Okay, so now how to subtly get this response in front of my friend who constantly posts unemployment sob stories on LinkedIn…

    1. A Simple Narwhal*

      Ha right? Maybe just share a link to this article on your page and hope they see it? But if they’re anything like the friend I would want to see this, they probably won’t think it applies to them.

  24. Luciernaga*

    I came to the site today specifically with a LinkedIn question – a week ago I interviewed for a job I’m really excited about at an org where I am work acquaintances with the CEO. When I sent in my application, I sent the CEO a note, and they replied that they were really happy to hear I was interested and included the hiring manager on the reply. I connected with the hiring manager on LinkedIn. I haven’t heard back after my interview yet, but I know it’s a super busy time for this org. Their team has been posting about some exciting things they’ve got going on. My question is, would it be appropriate to comment something short on the hiring manager’s post? Like a good luck/congratulations comment? Or does that seem too desperate to stay on their radar?

    1. Having a Scrummy Week*

      I think a quick “Congratulations” on a single post would be fine. It shows that you are looking at their posts and are interested in their company. I would just leave it to one comment.

  25. Ashley Armbruster*

    I’ve had to stop looking at my feed because those stories were taking over.

    ….Is what you are a probably thinking! Please give me attention! Here’s a picture of me holding a baby, aren’t I special? I wanted to get hired at Dunder Mifflin, but the HR rep and hiring manager were haters! They didn’t let me speak my truth! So now I’m writing on LinkedIn to name shame them, doesn’t that make you want to hire me? What’s that, you don’t want to hire me?? Well then you don’t deserve me at my best!

    #ihatedrama #h8ersaremeandoodieheads!

  26. Dust Bunny*

    Noooooo save it for friends-only posts on Facebook!

    It’s not that hiring managers don’t get it, it’s that it’s way over the line re: professional behavior and appropriate boundaries, which is exactly where you don’t want to go if you need a job.

  27. TheBunny*

    I think it hurts…if for no other reason than it puts the question out there as to why the person is being ghosted, or sending out numerous resumes with no reply.

    Could it be that the person is in a heavily impacted field? Sure. But the first thought is going to be that there’s a reason they aren’t hired.

    I also think attitude correlates to job hunt success. A friend (really LOL) has searched off and on for years and isn’t selected. Most of the applications have been to internal transfer opportunities. She’s convinced they are only interviewing her because they have to…and I’ve told her (more than once) that this is reflected in how she manages the process.

    I think I’d tell someone posting on LinkedIn the same… even if it doesn’t torpedo chances directly it may impact attitude and behavior and keep you from being your best self in an interview.

  28. Nora*

    I do think that a positive to neutral “I got laid off, please let me know if you know of any opportunities” is fine though and a good way to get referrals or leads.

    1. Khatul Madame*

      Only if they specify WHAT opportunities they are interested in. If you need my help, don’t make me work on figuring out what you need.
      People build their LI network over decades; the contacts who had known me as (for example) a mid-level Java developer could refer me to Java jobs, but I am no longer interested in those, having become a cloud architect.
      LinkedIn now allows to specify job titles one is seeking, which made it somewhat better.

  29. musical chairs*

    I’m lucky enough to be in a high demand industry right now so posts that I see like this on LinkedIn are from friends and not colleagues. I’m more worried about them when I see those kinds of posts than I am anything else, but that may be because I generally can’t help that much beyond emotional support, information about financial/housing resources if it’s really dire, buying them a lunch, sending a care package, keeping an ear out. That’s the role I play in their lives and that feels right.

    When I’m managing people, I have to approach emotional support differently. I can have warm, trusting relationships with my staff but it’s expressly not my job to be a significant portion of their emotional support system. I am their only direct manager, so I have to respect them and the role I play in their lives by acting like their manager, treating them as professional adults and taking their emotional realities into account where appropriate, if it gives me the opportunity to afford grace. I can’t be their friend, I can just be a human manager.

    If I had a candidate that blurred those lines for me from jump, with strong emotional appeals early in a process, it would give me pause. I know it’s not the fairest cause usually they really need employment and that’s where it’s all coming from. I wouldn’t use the existence of these posts as litmus test by any means, but I’d have to stop and think before moving forward and make sure I’m not making any decisions out of pity or anything else like that.

    1. Sara without an H*

      If I had a candidate that blurred those lines for me from jump, with strong emotional appeals early in a process, it would give me pause.

      Yeah, it would give me pause, too. I don’t say I’d never interview somebody who did this — a lot would depend on how big the pool was and who else was in it — but I’d probably go into the interview on high alert for other red flags.

      I know the job market is tight right now — heck, I retired from a job in higher education, where the job market has been crappy for decades. But Alison is right — job seekers need to be Winnie the Pooh, not Eyore.

  30. Former Young Lady*

    What shocks me is how much engagement these sob stories seem to get. Half my feed anymore is “Jane Lane supports this post by Joe Schmoe,” and it’s always six-paragraph essay about how Joe Schmoe’s job hunt has been fruitless for eight months, despite 3,000 applications and 17 first-round interviews.

    Invariably, Joe’s essay has a thousand reactions and hundreds of people commenting “for reach.”

    I thought it was bad during the Big Quit, when everyone was using LinkedIn to share tasteless photographs of hospitalized relatives, or improbably pithy quotes from their precocious children, “to remind you all that there’s more to life that work!” As bad as those copypastas were, at least no one thought they’d be getting a job offer out of them…right?

  31. Anon for This*

    I can’t speak for every hiring manager, but the last time I was hiring I specifically passed over every candidate who had this kind of thing posted on linkedin/Facebook/twitter/etc that I could find by googling them. Not only is it off putting, but I have seen this translating into just oversharing online in general. It makes me wonder what they will do they have an actual issue that should be addressed with me, when they have a bad day at work, don’t like a decision that senior leadership has made, etc. To me oversharing online lacks professionalism, and I want to hire someone who would be a good steward of the organization in their public communications.

    1. Also Anon for This*

      It doesn’t just translate to oversharing online – it typically translates into lots of other less than desirable traits.

      Suffice it to say, I’ve never seen a high performing, well put together employee post something like this on any platform (that I know of), but the dramatic, under performing, problematic ones have plenty of these kinds of posts all over social media.

  32. Jam on Toast*

    I think of my LinkedIn profile like a personal billboard next to a busy highway. I assume most people are only going to see it for a few seconds, and engage superficially. I want it to be positive, focused and easily digestible so it will reinforce my professional brand effectively. So 4 out of 5 dentists recommend this person! and not a tearjerk novel about my last horrifying visit to the dentist and why I buy Crest and not Colgate, because I’m still grappling with some kind of unresolved toothpaste trauma.

    I lost my job a couple of years back with very little warning, and it took me almost 7 months to find a new, full-time position. It was awful but as others above have said, LinkedIn was not the place to broadcast my anxiety about my arrested career momentum. Did I vent? Did I cry? Did I get angry? Darn tooting, I did. I’m not a robot. But I only shared those feelings privately with my spouse, family, and close friends. Otherwise, during my job search, I did everything in my power to ensure the outside world only saw a competent, emotionally well-regulated professional, regardless of how I really felt inside, because doing otherwise would only complicate an already challenging process.

  33. el l*

    Is there some other LinkedIn I haven’t seen? Because my experience of LinkedIn is of 98% of the content being perfectly polished “Go Team! Here’s my newest think piece! This is me at a conference!”

    That’s what makes this venting especially jarring.

    1. Can’t believe it*

      It probably does depend in large part on your specific associates on LinkedIn. But it does happen

      Also some people might be putting the “think pieces” into this category as well. I have seen a lot that were just Hot Takes by consultant types with no real world experience in the field they were commenting on.

      1. Freya*

        Yeah, I tend to cull people who only post unprofessional stuff on their LinkedIn. And anyone who posts Hot Takes TM every day. It’s so boring, and there’s never anything that feels worth the 10 second skim!

    2. anon today*

      I will say if you’re in any recruitment related niche you will get these posts suggested constantly. There’s likely some algorithmic aspect.

  34. Daria grace*

    I think a lot of this comes out of a wrong view of how the hiring dynamic works, applicants seeing employers sort of like charities who bestow resources (a job) on the most deserving rather than businesses trying to solve a business problem (not currently having the right staff) that they have. It’s understandable why job seekers would feel this way when getting a job will mean bills can be paid that currently aren’t (I’ve fallen into feeling that way) but it poisons your job hunt in a bunch of ways

    1. bamcheeks*

      The ones that really piss me off are actually the other side of this, whcih is people congratulating themselves on “giving someone a chance”.

      “She had no GCSEs.

      Her only experience was McDonalds.

      She wanted to work in real estate.

      Nobody else would give her an interview.

      But I decided to take a chance on Sarah, and today she’s the leading …”

      I hate these a lot more, because the “woe is me” post is irritating but you can see where it comes from and obviously I do feel sympathy for people struggling to find a job. Whereas this kind of thing uses the same framing — the employer is doing the candidate a massive personal favour — but in this ghastly self-aggrandising way. You hired Sarah cos she was good! Be quiet!

      Also the LinkedIn one-line-per-paragraph style is incredibly annoying.

      1. Freya*

        I see the one-line-per-paragraph a lot in marketing stuff as well, to the point that I automatically assume it’s trying to sell me something I don’t want. If I have to scroll more than once to get past the emotive puffery to the information, I’m not going to keep reading because of sunk cost, I’m closing the post and deleting the email. Life is too short.

  35. Jen*

    We hired an employee despite her saying a previous workplace was toxic because I felt this could sometimes be justified. I shouldn’t have, because – no surprise to many, I’m sure – she turned out to present with a sour temperament in general, and also didn’t seem to like our workplace much.

  36. I Have RBF*

    While I’ve occasionally posted some biting commentary on LinkedIn, it has never been my tales of woe from job hunting. Usually it’s pointing out some silly cargo-cult management trend, with numbers and cites to prove why it’s silly/wasteful/etc. But this was back when LI was mostly puff pieces and inane listicles. Now? I don’t post anything, it’s too much of a egotist’s sewer.

  37. Jaya*

    I admit I have been posting once a month on LinkedIn about my job situation: to ask for help. And it has been really hard to ask. I try to put up milestones to show that I’m not actually still feeling stabbed in the back and that I have been doing stuff during the interim like business trips and such.

    A former supervisor has liked my most recent post about job hunting, and I feel that I am being patronized. This supervisor gave a very hurtful and illogical reason for why I lost my job, and a like is not going to help me find more work or restore the confidence I had. I don’t need a condescending pat on the back when they’re the one who put me in this situation and couldn’t even tell the truth.

    How does one not come off as desperate? I’m sure the vibes are there considering it’s been three and a half months. But how do you switch them off?

    1. English Rose*

      Jaya, I would focus on using LinkedIn for more than posting about your job situation. Asking for help is really tough. But you can do more than that. Gather together a list of employers and key people you would like to work with/for. Follow their posts, ‘like’ them and comment judiciously – by adding something pertinent and taking what they have said further. (In other words don’t just comment “I agree” and similar – that’s what ‘likes’ are for.) Building a network like that will get you noticed.
      And is there anything you’re doing in terms of volunteer/community work that you could write about, to contribute more than simply looking for jobs?
      Good luck, I do feel for you!

      1. Jaya*

        Thank you. I will do that and follow people in dream companies. Doomscrolling LinkedIn feeds for job opportunities has not been good for my health.
        Usually I’m an attendant Toastmaster member, and I host a local writer’s group online. I could get back to Toastmasters and be serious; burned out a bit after being president and vice president of education during the pandemic.

  38. English Rose*

    Horse has bolted etc., but these posts are why you need to build up and maintain an active and appropriate network on LinkedIn before you need to start job-hunting.
    I’ve had several opportunities through this that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, and I know that’s the same for other industry connections.

  39. Bookworm*

    I respect the takes of “keep it off of LinkedIn” but as someone who has been looking for FT work for almost 1.5 years after TWO bad job experiences that had been “helped” by networking (I couldn’t expect my connections to know the working situations but these were really awful as an employee) it makes me feel less alone. I don’t do the sharing out of privacy, etc. but seeing people going through similar or even worse searches has made me feel less lonely.

    1. anon today*

      I totally get this feeling. However, I’d look for a private job seekers group on LinkedIn or your preferred social media site, rather than posting it on a public page. That way it stays limited to the group and you can share those frustrations without reaching the wrong audience. I’m in a couple on Facebook.

  40. ijustworkhere*

    Your LinkedIn needs to remain professional You use that to showcase your skills, what kind of professional development you’re doing (posting links to professional articles you are reading, for example) and for testimonials from people about your work. It is basically an enhanced resume coupled with a virtual professional networking tool.

    Leave your personal challenges with a job search for FaceBook or Instagram or TikTok or wherever you connect with your friends.

  41. Mary*

    Regarding number 3. I am on the team that deals with this where I work. If something inappropriate shows up accidentally (which can happen) just ignore and move on; we don’t go looking for anything transient. If it is something appropriate but misclassified definitely let us know so we can fix that. We aren’t actually here to stop people from working, just make it safer to do so. And from the other direction “false positives” like this make it harder for us to find real problems when they crop up.

  42. Lost the election by a whisper*

    I chose to leave my last role in March. I’m active on LI (post 1-2x day and comments). I follow people in my industry and in other industries. I post updated on my job search every month, mostly data (because that’s my jam). I will not post bad experiences unless I can make it a teachable moment for my sector (non-profit); we’re a good group to speak like this. I will throw out kudos for good interview experiences tagging the non-profit. If an employer reads my LI profile and activity, they’ll see someone who is positive, albeit experiencing a trying time. I share lots of information, I appreciate my peers, like a variety of interests. That’s what they want to see.

    I include my LI on my resume and/or cover letter. I want them to see it.

  43. DramaQ*

    Another thing that popped into my head with LW1 is I would be LIVID if I was whoever left Hank in Jane’s care too. It is just as possible the LW and Falcon could have taken advantage of Hank, it happens caretaker abuse is a thing. I don’t know them either and I would have no idea of they are capable of handling his needs. Maybe Hank was silent in the dark because he was distressed but that is not the LW or Falcon’s fault. It is JANE for ignoring that she had a special needs adult in her house in favor of her plans. She should have canceled rather than try to con a 13 year old into not only dog sitting but baby sitting someone they aren’t remotely equipped to handle. Jane deserves to have fire rained down her by multiple people. I’d feel terrible about Falcon and probably apologize and pay myself. Neither he or Hank should have been in that position and it is not Falcon or the LW’s fault they didn’t know what to do.

Comments are closed.