I keep hearing that utilizing LinkedIn is a great way to find a new job, but it has been practically useless to me. My profile is acceptable and I post on occasion, but the thought of "networking" with random people on the internet just so I can potentially work with them in real life makes me consider homelessness instead.

Have any of you had any luck on that site?
How do you guys do it?
Do you know of any eng. or manufacturing jobs where you don't currently work?

I actually found my last two jobs through LinkedIn, with the last being in 2022. As I start a new job search I plan on using it as well. However, I will say it has become much less of a tool as it seems to have a lot of spam accounts and messages on it now.

I used to be very passive like you on LinkedIn. But seeing how crappy the market is, I figured it’s better to be proactive instead of waiting for a fire to install smoke detectors.

So I do regularly schedule LinkedIn posts 2x/wk and did a major profile rebrand which led me to increase my connections by 20% and got solicited for job opportunities that offer premium rates. In other words instead of I have to chase opportunities, opportunities chase me. Huge game changer.

Now I can also describe the issue from someone’s 2nd or 3rd degree connection point of view. Too often I get random solicitation from job seekers wanting an internal reference to a job posting. I don’t know these people. I don’t know their quality of work. I don’t know if they have abrasive personalities. Why the hell would I risk my professional reputation for you? Amazingly these are how many people treat networking. Like that friend who only reaches out to you to borrow money. How likely are you to help?

Now on the other hand if someone built a good online reputation and demonstrates professional work and thought process I’d recommend that stranger gladly.

EDIT: Networking and posting on LinkedIn isn't just about visibility—it's about "warming up" the algorithms. When you're active, you're more likely to surface in Recruiter-side searches and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Keep in mind that many recruiters manage the "hidden job market"—roles that are filled through headhunting and referrals without ever being posted on public job boards.

Honestly, it's about presentation. Lay it all out there on your linkedin page. Find someone who has a lot of "Found a job on LinkedIn" experiences (they have a little badge on their profile) and connect with them to have them help you groom your profile. It's not hard, just make friends!

Talking to people about things that interest you is a great way to meet potential contacts within the job market! Use it like a virtual address book of possible job openings

If you use LinkedIn to build relationships first and maybe opportunities come from them, you might have some luck, but it takes time, authenticity, and a willingness to be of help to the other person too. Connecting in the hopes of finding a job is likely to fail. Put yourself in the other person’s position. Who would you rather engage with?

You can set your jobs status to ‘open to work’ and hide from your employer. You can set up job searches and alerts. if you’re profile is average, then look up a good profile and apply some of the same stylings/wordings to yours. find some recruiters on there for your type of work. it’s not a social site per se but you’ll have to mingle/network with people you don’t necessarily know to make connections and the the work/job opportunities should follow.

I understand this feeling- here’s how I have used it:
- I used chat GPT to get it all set for job seeking with being noticeable to my employer, or others who aren’t recruiters.
- once I applied for a job that I really wanted, I sent a couple messages to people who worked there, real short and simple, “hi John! I see you have been with ABC for 5 years now, working as an account manager. I just applied for the account manager role in Michigan. Would you be willing to talk with me about a couple questions I have? I respect your time and would be fully prepared to keep our time short. Let me know if something like this would work for you! Thank you, “ - only one persons responded to me, and it helped me go far in the r interview (ended up not getting the job).
- I was looking for 2.5 years for a new job, finally found one through a recruiter who found me! It’s a job I would have never allied for on my own either. I start today!

I found that using my profile was helpful in a sense I had it set up in a way that recruiters could find a lot on there about me, before reaching out- so when she reached out, she already knew so much! Hope that makes sense.

I know, it’s a tough market right now!

The average company is getting 500-1000 applications a week the market is flooded employers are getting rid of the low performance and put them up on the shelf stay there now vote the performer. We will come back and get you soon. I mean,  never 

Turn on the "Open to Work" banner, that could help.
The job market is very tight right now, even within the medical sector.

Nothing comes easy. Linkedin is not the answer to your problems. It's one of many tools available for connecting, networking, marketing, etc. There are other things you can do. You don't seem motivated to do anything if it doesn't give you immediate results. Nothing happens over night. Think of it this way. You need a job. How are you going to get one unless one is available? So there are a finite amount of jobs available. Narrow that down to the ones you qualify for. Narrow it further to geographic or niches or any other limitations. Now it's timing. You have to apply or be visible to the right person at the right company at the right time that they are looking for someone like you. It's not going to happen over night. You should try doing multiple things every day. Making job search your job every day for 8 hours is your job now.

Linkedin seems to have become an ish-hole. seems like a waste of time. dunno who recommended it to you, i've only seen people recommending to look on more specialised sites where the stacks of applicants are smaller.
It is a good place to connect, find out people in an industry/company and make connections, and depending on the industry you can get a shortcut to the recruiter even if you don't know them in person from before... but you need to have an excellent portfolio or experience.
Essentially, I feel it's a site good only for seniors in a job role.
You do need to curate your profile tho because i've seen companies checking my profile after applying elsewhere

Been on LinkedIn since last year and still looking for a job as a data analyst with sponsorship any help will be appreciated 🙏

LinkedIn works wonders, but from my experience it isn't about how much you post or make BS claims in favor of some tech or company. It is simply an online resume where you can set up job alerts based on specific criteria that appeal to you. I work in tech so maybe it is better suited to my career versus other fields but it works great and you don't have to go out of your way to network.

Linkedin isn't working for me either. Does anyone know how to get in touch with a legit recruiter?

I will preface this by revealing I am unemployed and on someone's couch, but my attitude towards this job market is that there is no way I should be judged for any shortcomings in my resume, or indeed my whole life, if the government (the whole thing. Not picking sides. They're all pathetic) gets to do all that and there have been ZERO(0) cuts in the legislative, judicial, or executive branches and both wings on that bird collect more felonies that we pay extra for than some cartels (not OPEC)) gets paid for that fecal factory.

Not feeling servile.

StinkdIn like Assdoor seems to be an exercise in futility.

The Stink seems to excel at scam accounts and selling you an updated resume. This place seems to have set its market niche as offering opportunities doing wonderful things like DoorDash or presenting online games with the occasional Twilight Zone detour into FBI Field agent openings.

A few years ago, a recruiter contacted me on LinkedIn about a direct-hire opportunity that ultimately doubled my salary. I’ve been happy ever since. Interestingly, just a month after I left my previous role, my manager resigned, several colleagues were laid off, and the company merged with a larger organization that continued restructuring the teams I had worked closely with.

I used to be skeptical and suspicious of unsolicited messages from recruiters, but I’ve learned that it really depends on how you approach it and whether you take the time to do your due diligence.

Networking on LinkedIn works. The issue is simple. I do not network with people that do not have a single skill we need for our company. If you look over the roles they have posted over the past 6-months, there is a good probability they will have another similar role. Look first at what they hire, then network with companies that need your skill set.

I am 50/50 on LinkedIn honestly I've only ever found one job via networking on LinkedIn, and it didn't even work out.

I think it can give you some great exposure if you are the type of person who likes to post on social media.

I think it's great even if you're not looking for a lot of engagement for you to put out examples of your work throw a couple videos up there explaining how you like to do things giving some advice Make sure you're You are engaging with others not just yeah this is a great idea but give some content, sometimes be controversial if you don't agree with the post state that professionally.

It's okay not to agree with everything. Employers like to see That with respect.

LinkedIn, like a lot of other platforms, has become saturated with spam. I would recommend connecting with folks that you have worked with and start from there. It does offer some neat classes and other tools as well

I have to agree. Employers have such a large pool of IT talent. I have been looking for over a year and constantly getting refused even with updating my profile on LinkedIn.

Just having a profile isn't enough. A recruiter for the job that you want isn't just going to fall into your lap because you have a profile. You have to apply for jobs and send messages to recruiters. If your years of experience, job activities and job title are a good match for the job, then you've got a good chance of getting a response. You have to be honest with yourself about whether you're a good fit for what's in the job description and whether your profile and resume communicate that you are.