this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2026
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Privacy

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I have never had a LinkedIn account, both out of general anti-data-vacuuming-social-media, and specifically anti-whatever-the-fucking-corphead-psychos-are-doing-on-LinkedIn tendencies, and managed to find a decent job out of uni just fine (software field). I'm now looking for a job again and the number one piece of advice I'm being given by concerned parties is "get on LinkedIn".

I'm curious how many people into the whole "privacy" thing have had to make this choice, and which way you went with it.

Do the advantages (which it seems mainly boil down to "networking") outweigh the icky feeling I'd get making an account? Of course only I can actually answer that question, but it sums up my conundrum.

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[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 hours ago

Using it for daily activities is for psychos but it can be useful to find a job. LinkedIn might also be the only social media platform on which most people don't delete their account after some time.

[–] M1k3y@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 3 hours ago

I wanted to get in contact with a researcher that didn't have a public university mail and instead linked to his LinkedIn. I wasnt able to see his contact info unless logging in and I couldn't contact him without paying LinkedIn, so I didn't contact him...

Great networking platform /s

[–] rants_unnecessarily@piefed.social 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Both of my last jobs I found through LinkedIn. Before that LinkedIn didn't exist.

The latter one I'm in now, which I'm very much appreciating and enjoying, I was head hunted for, due to my info on LinkedIn.
The pay raise was substantial and the freedom of choice to how I want to work is superb, and like I said I really enjoy the work.

So I'm most definitely in camp worth it.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 2 hours ago

The thing about job searching is its kinda the opposite of privacy. Your shouting from the rooftops. Also the connections are important in linkedin because it allows me to give and recieve recommendations. Then its as good a place as any to have your online resume. That being said I don't really know how much of my employment history have been effected by it. I think my last job the person likely found me on it but the one before that was from a tech conference where places had booths looking for talent. Im not sure on one previous to that and on some contract work I did. So Im not sure I can answer is it worth it. Just that you gotta have something or your going to be limited to jobs you send resumes to alone.

[–] Manmoth@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

It's a terrible place but it's helped me multiple times in getting a job.

[–] Zexks@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Got my last 3 jobs from it. It didnt exist before then. Its a good place to store you employment history. Just dont use it like a social media site.

[–] modeh@piefed.social 2 points 4 hours ago

It’s a big circle-jerk of people “proudly announcing” every time they take a shit. With that said though, I got my first job through a Linkedin recruiter, and many of the other jobs I interviewed for were through Linkedin one way or another. Do I like that hot garbage? Absolutely not. Did it help me get into the industry? Yes it did.

[–] FreddiesLantern@leminal.space 8 points 7 hours ago

Last year they announced updating their policy to include data usage for AI purposes or something => deleted the next day.

It’s never gotten me a job, it doesn’t mean anything.

All it is is people posting their “look I’m an influencer now too” takes written in semi corporate speak. Boring, meaningless meanderings of self importance.

[–] eleitl@lemmy.zip 3 points 6 hours ago

As a corporate whore you can't afford to be squeamish. If you're not, the more power to you. Not many years for me left in that circus.

[–] Alvaro@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 12 hours ago

Depends on you local job hunting culture and your own work social networks.

If you are a person that has many work related connections and you have a large offline network, you could probably get a job through that way easier. But if you are not big on maintaining social networks like that and you don't have many connections, then you probably will have a hard time finding jobs otherwise.

There is a middle ground where you open a LinkedIn account with none of your real information. You use it to find jobs and every job you want to apply to you go to the site of the actual company and apply through an email or whatever form they might have on their website with your actual resume. The disadvantage there is that some companies expect you to have a LinkedIn and might actually skip your resume if you don't, also it is more work, and one actual advantage of LinkedIn is that you can keep a large work social network without having to maintain anything as you can always dm an old connection and it wouldn't be as weird as calling them up.

Personally, I take the privacy L and have a real LinkedIn profile.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 6 points 12 hours ago

It's garbage

[–] Nioxic@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 12 hours ago

I got my job through a contact on linkedin

Others dont.

I mean, my contact knew a guy was hiring and gave me his email.. might as well have been through other means

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 5 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

LinkedIn is absolutely useless.

It fails to include a libre software license text file. We do not control it.

Apply directly.

Always put 'no social media' on any form that asks for LinkedIn.

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 34 points 18 hours ago

Didnt have an account for years but needed to make one recently for some work bs. Anyway as much of a privacy nightmare as it is. It seems to be the way a lot of hiring is done these days. My friend found all his last few dev roles on there. I started on it late so forget half of the folks i went to college with etc but such is life.

I do hate the falseness and corporate fetishization that goes on there. The mind virus is on full display.

[–] cuboc@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Rarely. I do not want to attract recruiters.

[–] Silent9218@lemmy.zip 13 points 16 hours ago

I have found all my roles on there and all but one through the one click easy apply. That’s the only benefits - good (maybe best in the USA) pool of jobs and mostly reasonable application process. I ignore the posts, limit visibility and only connect with people I’ve met or worked with directly.

It truly sucks though, full of spammy engagement bait and bad recruiters. It’s tough, but personally I think having an account is worth it even if I ignore until it’s time for another job hunt.

[–] YesButActuallyMaybe@lemmy.ca 15 points 18 hours ago

Linkedin is the most useless shit. If you want to get spammed by indian recruiters that's the place to be. If you have to create an account to find a job just delete it when you found one. I highly doubt that your concerned parties found their jobs on linkedin tbh

[–] protist@mander.xyz 6 points 17 hours ago

LinkedIn is fine. I work in community-based healthcare and interact with a shit ton of people from other organizations, and having LinkedIn to look people up is incredibly useful. You don't need to post on LinkedIn, or read the feed at all. For me, it's purely a way to connect with other people I know. If someone does an internet search for your name, it's also likely going to be the first hit, and can help prospective employers know who you are

[–] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 15 hours ago

It's still good and it works. However, it's a sickening circle jerk of tool who value productivity and "successful people have these 5 habits" rather than worker protections had works-life balance.

linkedin if you want it to look like youre lookin for a job.. i found indeed to be more useful