Can't Find a Job on LinkedIn? Get in Line
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, finding a job on LinkedIn can feel like searching for a needle in a digital haystack. With millions of users, standing out seems like an impossible task. I recently realized that LinkedIn has never played a role in any job I’ve ever had. The only thing that helped me was my network. In fact, very few of my acquaintances were hired through applications. In my senior year, a friend of mine applied to 500+ companies for 3 months and got only 3 interviews. But still, after all the applications he had, he never got a job. Is he really bad at what he does? I don’t think so. Even some of the companies hire interns at least. But no, I think the problem is deeper.
There are three types of applications as far as I know on LinkedIn. Quick application (without questions), quick application with bunch of questions and external application. I don’t have any data but the external application method gets the lowest application count among three of them. Reason is simple, the story has more steps than other methods. First, you need to click the apply button, then it will open a new tab and there will be a form on there. You have to fill the form with your information and submit. But these forms could be overwhelming, because the information you write on these external websites is already in your LinkedIn account. So most people don’t even click the apply button. If you make people click less, they will click more.
Let’s continue with quick (without questions) application. This one gets the most application count because you just need 2 or 3 buttons to apply. You can apply to a crazy number of jobs with this method, but that brings its downside. With this method, you would have the highest number of rivals. On the other hand, I think the best method lies here. Quick application with questions. There could be more than 2 questions or just 1 question, it’s really up to HR. I assume LinkedIn applies automatic filtering on those questions. So if the question was “What is your salary expectation?” and if you answer as “120.000$” you might be excluded instantly, because HR might have applied a filter on questions.
Why did I say “I think the best method lies”? Because if you think from a company’s perspective, they want a perfect fit. First method gets the highest number of applications, the external one gets the lowest. So with this method we are at mid. We can get the most profitable hirings at this point.
HR Problem
But there are a few problems. And these problems don’t relate to the methods, they’re related to recruiters. Most of the time they can’t get requirements correct. Do you want proof of this? Check tech twitter every quarter, you will see something called “layoffs”. They are so bad at recruiting that they don’t even know what technologies they need to use. Once I saw the entire IT department for a single role in the requirements section of the job description.
I have 2 years of experience in my career, but within this time I graduated last year and I worked 2 separate jobs concurrently. Of course this brought a lot of pressure but, pressure is the simplest way of learning. If your brain is under stress, you will learn faster. You just need to get out of your comfort zone. Do you think any HR evaluated my situation? Nope, they just checked the starting year of my first job from my CV. They are acting like we are in the 2000’s. They think that accessing information is as hard as it was 20 years ago and they think everyone is like them. We use TikTok and Instagram and wash our brain everyday. So after our regular work we just chill. Nope, that’s not true.
Being an “Enayi”
In the tech industry, there’s a challenge: the intense competition for jobs. This brings to mind a Turkish word “enayi”. Meaning is “there’s always someone willing to accept less than ideal conditions for the thing”. It’s a reminder that in our eagerness to get into the tech world, some of us might end up saying ‘yes’ to offers that aren’t really fair.
Let’s talk about this honestly. There’s a temptation, especially when you’re trying to break into tech, to grab any opportunity that comes your way. You might think, “Well, it’s a start, right?” But here’s the thing, when you accept a job that pays too little or demands too much, it affects more than just your own career. It sets a low standard for others as well.
The key here is balance. It’s important to recognize what you’re worth and not be shy to stand up for that. Negotiating for better terms isn’t just good for you. It helps establish a standard that benefits everyone in the industry.
Conclusion
If we keep accepting offers that don’t value our skills and time properly, that becomes the norm because our choices shape the industry. We need to be bold, not just for our own careers, but to create an environment that’s fair for all people. So next time you’re in the job market, remember: don’t just take what you’re given. Aim for what you truly deserve.
You don’t want to get paid 15.000 ₺ (500.00 $) per month with 2 years of experience as a React Native developer would you?