Deleting the LinkedIn account and becoming social network -free

[tszaboo]

Has anyone gotten a job -- not a contract gig, but a full-time regular employment position -- through LinkedIn?

Yes, I've got my last two jobs through LinkedIn. Both were upgrade in terms of salary and responsibilities.
Keeping my profile updated and relevant is the best investment of my time, with the highest return in my life.
I dont know what is all your problems with it. You can turn off the spam emails. You can remove yourself from the search results. You can actually delete the phone app if the notifications are bothering. And then if you are looking for a job, just go back. Simple as that.
Its a tool, if it is used correctly, it could mean the difference between being unemployed, having a shit job with no future, or having the time of your life. If you cannot see the benefit of being searchable for something, that directly effects the quality of your life... Then I guess that new job offer just going to ride in through the gate on a white horse.

[olkipukki]

Linkedin is a total waste of your time.  I deleted my account weeks ago and have never regretted it.

What time did you waste with Linkedin? 
Do you change a job everyday or need (re)connect wih a world population or trying to "follow up" with everything/everywhere? 

[Electro Detective]

It's good that TWO members here scored something from LinkedIn 

But any scumbag can copy an amazing LinkedIn resume, and goodbye to the job you deserved   

Who checks, patrols and controls this type of low down activity?

Who would you complain to      and what would they do about it?

It's just another 'air' site reeling in desperate for jobs people,
even a dating site would offer better security and remote hope opportunity

[m98]

But any scumbag can copy an amazing LinkedIn resume, and goodbye to the job you deserved   

How that? If your resume is so unimpressive that someone could get away with copying it, you wouldn't worry about that scenario in the first place.

[james_s]

I'd love to sit in on an interview of someone who copied a resume and see how well that goes when they're asked to tell about this or that project they worked on. 

[coppice]

I'd love to sit in on an interview of someone who copied a resume and see how well that goes when they're asked to tell about this or that project they worked on. 

One of the biggest weaknesses in many people's CVs is they say they worked on this and that, without saying if they were the project lead or just made tea. So, you get some equally interesting interviews expanding on honest CVs.

[james_s]

I've never embellished my resume at all, it's completely honest, which means it doesn't really stand out from the crowd all that well but the companies that have hired me have been very pleased with what they got. It's crazy the amount of bs some people put in there, I've had people reach out to me to ask about resumes after getting an application from someone who worked with me in the past and some of the things people claimed to do are just absurd.

[SiliconWizard]

I've never embellished my resume at all, it's completely honest, which means it doesn't really stand out from the crowd all that well but the companies that have hired me have been very pleased with what they got. It's crazy the amount of bs some people put in there, I've had people reach out to me to ask about resumes after getting an application from someone who worked with me in the past and some of the things people claimed to do are just absurd.

Yeah! But as you said, this is just for exactly that: attempts at standing out from the crowd.
Bullshitting a resume is silly, but I think many people do that in reaction to how absurd recruitment processes have become.

[16bitanalogue]

I've never embellished my resume at all, it's completely honest, which means it doesn't really stand out from the crowd all that well but the companies that have hired me have been very pleased with what they got. It's crazy the amount of bs some people put in there, I've had people reach out to me to ask about resumes after getting an application from someone who worked with me in the past and some of the things people claimed to do are just absurd.

Yeah! But as you said, this is just for exactly that: attempts at standing out from the crowd.
Bullshitting a resume is silly, but I think many people do that in reaction to how absurd recruitment processes have become.

For a long time I took the advice of using "action words":
1. Drive development...
2. Authoring white papers...
3. Leading cross functional...

The above and the "skills" section of my resume is something I am considering on nuking. I been in the industry for a long time, good I hope I know how to use a multimeter and scope.

Side topic, the biggest scam is the "you must write your resume like X!" I have a hybrid resume where my schooling is last - I highlight my industry experience first.

[tszaboo]

It's good that TWO members here scored something from LinkedIn 

But any scumbag can copy an amazing LinkedIn resume, and goodbye to the job you deserved   

Who checks, patrols and controls this type of low down activity?

Who would you complain to      and what would they do about it?

It's just another 'air' site reeling in desperate for jobs people,
even a dating site would offer better security and remote hope opportunity

How would that even happen? Like they would claim, that they worked at the same company as me? Or they completed the same projects? All it takes is 3 minutes to figure out if someone really worked somewhere. And besides, sociopaths will exist, no matter what you do about it. As well as bad HR people.

Its like saying cars are bad, because someone might put a car bomb in it...

[h4x0r]

Been on the site for 14 years.

It serves no purpose other than shameless hot air and self-promotion, interspersed with ads and corporate marketing bullshit.

When I joined, it was simply an IT industry oriented networking site. Obviously that has scaled and morphed.

I get all kinds of inane recruiter-bs and I politely decline, or simply delete depending on content.

I never made any effort to 'expand' my contacts. But all of my contacts are legitimate and I know them personally, unlike most users.

With the correct applied scrutiny, you can make it work for you, but it's relevance in todays Interwebs of Everything is sinking.

I wouldn't say it's a bottom-feeding social media site like Farcebook, but it's probably one rung above....  certainly not buoyant with enriching content.

If you're not in the IT-related industry, I'd say do not bother with it.

[SiliconWizard]

For a long time I took the advice of using "action words":
1. Drive development...
2. Authoring white papers...
3. Leading cross functional...

Yeah, that's typical HR requirements. Used to do that as well as the skills section on top.

The above and the "skills" section of my resume is something I am considering on nuking. I been in the industry for a long time, good I hope I know how to use a multimeter and scope.

Wise move.

Instead of "action words", you may still want to highlight some of your key achievements in your industry experience section, instead of just listing what your duties were. Other than that, don't bother. If you land a job because you wrote your resume like HR droids ask you to, it will probably be a position in which they expect you to work like a junior but with 10 years+ experience.

[pidcon]

You're not alone, as I also felt that the LinkedIn account had little value to me. I deleted my LinkedIn account shortly after MS pushed more advertised content or certain "LinkedInfluencer" using aggressive marketing methods into my account. It felt like I was constantly reading what they wanted me to read, and struggling to remove the news feed even though I have clicked on the not-interested button many times. Before MS, I always hated that anonymous people could review my profile, and there's no way to find out who those people were, even if you had a Premium account. Other that showing off my own measly credentials, it didn't do much for me.

[HazelHoward]

Although this thread is three years old, I wanted to share my thoughts on LinkedIn. Deleting your LinkedIn account and going social network-free can be a personal choice that brings a sense of relief and freedom. LinkedIn means different things to different people. For some, it's a valuable professional networking platform to connect with colleagues and explore job opportunities.

[ebastler]

Although this thread is three years old, I wanted to share my thoughts on LinkedIn. Deleting your LinkedIn account and going social network-free can be a personal choice that brings a sense of relief and freedom. LinkedIn means different things to different people. For some, it's a valuable professional networking platform to connect with colleagues and explore job opportunities.

And would you, by any chance, also have a value-adding link which you would like to share?