LinkedIn

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

My spouse and I have had LinkedIn profiles for some years, but they have become particularly important since we moved to the US. Both of us have in fact found great jobs by being searched and approached on LinkedIn since we got here. We were told Americans use it a lot...but I still think we were both surprised to find how well it worked here! If you are in any kind of professional field I would strongly suggest keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date, take as much care with it as you would with a resume, and make sure the appropriate job search functions are ticked (like letting recruiters know you’re open to jobs).  I still have issues with finding the site quite annoying at times... but it works. Good luck to all those looking for jobs.

Edited September 2, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[Loren Y 2,755]

I have recruiters trying to steal me away from my current employer all the time via LinkedIn. Until one can offer the money I want, no dice. Depending on your job, the recruiter gets paid based on how cheaply they can contract you for, and anything under what the company is willing to pay they get to pocket, so be careful how you use LinkedIn, you could be making less money than you should. Especially if you were approached by a recruiter.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Loren Y

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

40 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

I have recruiters trying to steal me away from my current employer all the time via LinkedIn. Until one can offer the money I want, no dice. Depending on your job, the recruiter gets paid based on how cheaply they can contract you for, and anything under what the company is willing to pay they get to pocket, so be careful how you use LinkedIn, you could be making less money than you should. Especially if you were approached by a recruiter.

Same here and I won't just jump for a mere $2 or 3k annual increase either. So that's why I stayed where I am at. 

[debbiedoo 2,339]

I own a resume writing service and deal with this all the time. Most of the inquiries you will receive off LinkedIn are from recruiters. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially as you begin your career here, but as you gain experience and want to advance your career, it is *usually* better to steer away from them. This isn't always the case, depending on your industry, but it is something to keep in mind a few years down the road. In most industries, you decrease your earning and negotiating power/leverage when going through recruiters.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

55 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

My spouse and I have had LinkedIn profiles for some years, but they have become particularly important since we moved to the US. Both of us have in fact found great jobs by being searched and approached on LinkedIn since we got here. We were told Americans use it a lot...but I still think we were both surprised to find how well it worked here! If you are in any kind of professional field I would strongly suggest keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date, take as much care with it as you would with a resume, and make sure the appropriate job search functions are ticked (like letting recruiters know you’re open to jobs).  I still have issues with finding the site quite annoying at times... but it works. Good luck to all those looking for jobs.

That's what I always tell people as well.  When @EM_Vandaveer was on here a few weeks ago asking for help that was one of the things I brought up for her husband. If you live in a big metro area with a complete LinkedIn profile in the IT field people will email you all the time for a job.

[Loren Y 2,755]

It is a good thing if you are just starting out, and some job is better than no job. Just be careful you don't get locked into too long a contract because once you do you are kinda stuck and when that great job offer comes along your stuck trying to negotiate the Buyout of your current contract, and that is a hard pill to swallow for people looking to hire you. Back in the day I took a 2 year contract and my buyout was 10k for the first 12 months, then 5k during the second year. Now you can always buy yourself out of your contract, but when you are just starting having an extra 10k or even 5k laying around may be tough. As other posters have said, to get your foot in the door it is a great opportunity to get experience and to get your name out there, because I'll be honest, every job I have taken after starting has been thru my own network of contacts you make while in your field. I have been at my current job since 2004 and am pretty happy here so it would take a pretty over the top offer to get me to leave, but if I ever got stuck I could call on any one of hundreds of contacts I have made over the past 14 years, and have a job offer the next day ( At least I hope I could... LOL). But never underestimate that person you meet at a convention or other field specific seminar or something, that person could be your future boss, so I can't stress enough to make those connections and it could be your saving grace one day.

[Loren Y 2,755]

28 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

Same here and I won't just jump for a mere $2 or 3k annual increase either. So that's why I stayed where I am at. 

Seeing where your located a have a few friends in your area. Judging by your username I'm putting money based on your location you work at or near Technology Park. No way I can guess the company you work for as that is the silicon valley of the east coast, but I had a house full of my cyber security friends here in early August for the conventions in Las Vegas. Love the pool parties! LOL It was 80's themed this year and we all were rolling around in Han Solo t-shirts, and our backpacks we did up to look like the ghosts from Pac-Man... Oh the memories.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Loren Y

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

31 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

Seeing where your located a have a few friends in your area. Judging by your username I'm putting money based on your location you work at or near Technology Park. No way I can guess the company you work for as that is the silicon valley of the east coast, but I had a house full of my cyber security friends here in early August for the conventions in Las Vegas. Love the pool parties! LOL It was 80's themed this year and we all were rolling around in Han Solo t-shirts, and our backpacks we did up to look like the ghosts from Pac-Man... Oh the memories.

I don't actually but I work at a military base close by, but I do live between the "Park" and the base. That way I can easily go to either place if I need to. I work for the Feds and i have a couple of Fed jobs in the works that are in the park promotion wise if I want to move up there 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

I hear you guys and your warnings and yes maybe I should have mentioned you need to sift through the recruiters as you do get a lot of bumpf as above but it’s not only recruiters. My husband and I are both senior professionals in our fields. He got contacted directly by the hiring manager at a company you will all have heard of, for a position that has turned out to be great for him. I started freelancing in my field with precious little idea of how to find contacts somewhere I don’t know anyone, lol, but have been contacted directly by two companies who I have done decent work for and pretty much fill my capacity. In none of these cases are we being badly paid, i promise you  and yes it’s the Bay Area, so no-one moves for $3k and we know what a decent salary is  

 

Both of us lost our networks at home when we left (we were both well established in our 40s when we moved to the US) and considering we knew just about no one in our fields here when we arrived, LinkedIn has ended up being a surprisingly useful tool to overcome that, starting with adding contacts as we made them here and then letting the LinkedIn network grow. Obviously given our ages we are not naive about recruiters, contracts etc so maybe your warnings are appropriate for younger people.  It seems that many senior roles are not advertised or done through recruiters as many companies are as wary of them as we are, and many hiring managers use LinkedIn directly. 

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[bakphx1 789]

As the skilled labor pool has been spread thin due to a lower economy, companies turn to recruiters for assistance in locating candidates.  When a recruiter approaches you, keep in mind that they are just playing numbers.  They just throw a bunch of candidates at a client and collect a fee if theirs gets picked. I have been contacted many times, sometimes for a good match, other times it was clearly not going to work, and would be obvious to any HR pro.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

I’m not really understanding why everyone else only seems to see recruiters on LinkedIn and we are seeing both job posts and contacts directly by the hiring companies, I just ignore the occasional recruiter message.  Are you all in tech or something? Or what? 

[debbiedoo 2,339]

1 minute ago, SusieQQQ said:

I’m not really understanding why everyone else only seems to see recruiters on LinkedIn and we are seeing both job posts and contacts directly by the hiring companies, I just ignore the occasional recruiter message.  Are you all in tech or something? Or what? 

Tech is a BIG one for recruiters. Probably the largest, all in all.

[dwilder 74]

On 9/2/2018 at 4:54 PM, debbiedoo said:

I own a resume writing service and deal with this all the time. Most of the inquiries you will receive off LinkedIn are from recruiters. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially as you begin your career here, but as you gain experience and want to advance your career, it is *usually* better to steer away from them. This isn't always the case, depending on your industry, but it is something to keep in mind a few years down the road. In most industries, you decrease your earning and negotiating power/leverage when going through recruiters.

@debbiedoo Have any resume writing tips?  I don't seem to be getting much traction nowadays.  I'm hoping to relocate prior to my fiance arriving, I don't want to her to have to uproot her life twice for me.

[abum 324]

On 9/2/2018 at 3:57 PM, SusieQQQ said:

My spouse and I have had LinkedIn profiles for some years, but they have become particularly important since we moved to the US. Both of us have in fact found great jobs by being searched and approached on LinkedIn since we got here. We were told Americans use it a lot...but I still think we were both surprised to find how well it worked here! If you are in any kind of professional field I would strongly suggest keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date, take as much care with it as you would with a resume, and make sure the appropriate job search functions are ticked (like letting recruiters know you’re open to jobs).  I still have issues with finding the site quite annoying at times... but it works. Good luck to all those looking for jobs.

i used LinkedIn mainly to search for job opportunities (when i was out of the USA wanting to migrate). It landed me a job (i believe i applied more than 200++ jobs and got a handful of interviews).

 

Though one thing i noticed, for my skillsets, way too many non-US based recruiters (i believe they operates via call centers that use US landline numbers) looking for contractors - and i wasted a lot of time with them (until i stopped responding to their emails and calls). basically they will race to contact you to get your agreement to be submitted for the openings they have but after that NOTHING. they wont even bother to update you with any feedbacks, cancellations etc.