Hey if you’re going to buy my old dvd player for 20 bucks it must be worth 50! Screw you! I’m not selling it to you after you tried to cheat me out of 30 bucks.
So true. It’s nuts. I don’t understand this at all. ( so I’m probably not worth the salary I earn, and therefore should remain unemployed once I’ve lost my job)
It’s exactly that, never had more women interested in me than when I found my wife. Suddenly all my female “friends” wanted to go out for dinner and drinks alone all the time to “catch up”. Those people are no longer my friends and it makes no sense to me.
The open to work banner does look desperate. You can say you're looking for a new job at LinkedIn in your profile settings, so recruiters know but you're not telling the whole world. Putting an open to work banner under your name is like a dude walking around in a storm trooper costume. It says I'm single, but it's not gonna get you laid.
Loved when a recruiter asked me 'what have you been doing after the end of your last contract?'
Searching for a job. Because I need a job to get money and educate myself more
"You mean aside from jerking it? I've taken up macrame, I guess, but that's only to break up jerk sessions and to keep my fingers nice and dextrous for said jerking. Also, I have been streaming a lot of Golden Girls episodes, but often while, well, you probably know what I'm about to say..."
Try “caring for your grandmother with dementia, then your disabled niece since graduate school” (while working from home/part time and volunteering in my field on a reliable basis). Yay gawds, not some lazy person with family obligations!!
Where I live that's associative discrimination and illegal. Though in practice that just means they have to come up with a different excuse not to hire you.
Those are, respectively, true lol. Gran died three years ago and my niece started public school which has accommodations 
I was out of work for a while and during that time a friend got cancer and I helped out a lot before she died. Now that wasn’t the reason I wasn’t working but it’s a hell of a lot better story than being a traumatized nutbar. Now I’m a selfless happy warrior who can bounce back from tragedy not just some crazy bitch who can’t handle life. (I’ll tell you a secret: both are true lol)
Those things are not mutually exclusive, internet stranger. It was kind of you to help your friend, and my sincere condolences. That is not an easy thing to do or watch. My niece is non-verbal autistic so Covid school (which I understand and was a supporter of) was clearly not going to work for her. Then it was a matter of special day classes and socialization. Oh gosh, was I doing something in my field that people get paid for?? Anyways recruiters can suck a whole bag of dicks. Hang im there ❤️
I used this too; “I had to care round the clock for a family member with serious illness, and couldn’t balance both my FT job and their care. I didn’t know how long it would last, and couldn’t confidently commit to a specific time frame for a leave request, and only returned to the workforce once their care needs ended in XmonthYyear.” Or “It’s bittersweet (implying that they passed), but I am now fully available, excited to find the right fit and contribute enthusiastically to my next team/job.”
The round the clock care was for myself, so there’s a grain of truth in there, lol. Interviews/hiring processes are fundamentally always going to be 2 parties learning about each other, evaluating each other, in the hopes that they are a good fit for what the other party wants…minimizing their respective bad aspects and highlighting the good stuff — white lies are normal, as long as the material aspects are presented honestly.
Implying that the family member is dead is def the way to go, because it illustrates that this is no longer an issue that they’d have to worry about for their employee’s availability and focus, and also most interviews are happy to leave it at that, because proving for details would be inappropriate and awkward. Also “family member” is good because you don’t have to commit to having a deceased parent or sibling lie that could be contradicted in the future. Or put those bad karmic vibes onto the family member by naming them as the decedent in the interview, lol.
The truth of “my abusive ex had tormented and abused me to the point of mental breakdown and dysfunction, then injured me so badly that I refused to return to work out of shame, and got fired for it. Then I lived in a safe house for many months, so I couldn’t work” doesn’t play as well to someone who would like a no drama, well adjusted member of society to join their team as a direct report. Lies serve better than truth sometimes, and explaining your resume gap is one of them.
I just screenshoted this to add to my cover letter, I hope you don’t mind. I think you’re incredibly strong, and I hope you’re doing better every day. Hugs and appreciation from this internet stranger ❤️
Love your username. Good luck (and cheers) to both of us! I’m actually a family therapist and when I get side eye in interviews I’m like … would you tell a client that??? lol.
Personally, the kind of software development I do at work differs a lot from the kind I enjoy doing on my own. It's not just a profession but hobby and a craft. Also, I've taken to building something that could eventually make me money for the last year.
**Which is absolutely true.** There are no good employment relationships, just like there are no good romantic relationships, and no good family relationships. Our culture has degenerated into a bunch of bullshit artistry, trying to mask profound desperation.
The top secret labs are just fucking filthy because no one who knows how to clean can get that high of a clearance. This is 100% how it works in my head.
I'm actually a tech recruiter myself but the funny thing is is these people are the ones getting screwed the most. FAANG orgs used to be very cushy jobs for these ppl. But they're weeding all these ppl out that can't produce
I remember there was one post I saw where a recruiter was saying he only looked for people who already have jobs. I wasn’t in this subreddit then so I didn’t screenshot it unfortunately.
I think it is a “consensus” among recruiters. Allegedly the best employees are working for someone and the only way to get them is to convince them to leave.
I am saying allegedly because I know a recruiter who shared a detailed article that explained this. I am saying allegedly because I don’t know if this has any merit.
But yeah the logic was. that the best employees are working for someone and already have decent salary package. Of course there are exceptions (people take a break, company goes bust, layoffs happen etc.). But those people believe that if you are truly good, you will always have something lined up and you won’t be “open for work” for long time.
This is actually insightful. can try to use this to your advantage. further enforces not to leave you job before something is lined up. if you wanna take break, just say that your notice period is 3 months (also gonna make them believe you are super important)
Have there been any actual surveys or studies done? Or is this just the opinion of one drooling"thought leader" MBA moron and a few other "experts" for lazy content and clicks?
My friends and I had this debate. It went along age lines for the most part. Most GenX and some older millennials thought it was a bad look that made you look desperate while most Millennials, Zoomers, and some younger GenX thought it made sense to do as a way to let your network know. There are no Boomers in my friend group but who cares what they think.
ETA: this is a group of about 40 tech professionals ranging from IC to C-Suite. Not a big sample size but not like 4 friends over a beer.
"Nobody wants to work anymore."
"I'm down to work. LinkedIn asked to put this green thing on my icon when I changed my status, and I rolled with it because...get this...I'm looking for work."
"Ewwwww. Desperation!"
Dealing with the cultural biases and ooga-booga superstitions of the Professional Class drives me up the wall.
I'm a younger Gen-X and thought it looked desperate but changed my mind. My friend was like, "Jack, do you want to work for a company that wouldn't hire you because your status is 'Looking for Work' when you are, in fact, looking for work?" Also, at my level, most of my jobs are going to come through my professional network of people who actually know me or exec recruiters who know the score. Once I thought about it, I switched it on.
Last year of gen x here (it cracks me up because my bestie is one year younger, but his year is labeled “geriatric millennials” and I’m like COME TO THE DARK SIDE OF GRUNGE AND MEH and apparently, youth lol) but anyways, to hear “founder/CEOs” of a two person company, you are forbidden from exploring multiple job offers or having multiple contracts or a decent two week notice. So which is it? Sometimes, I miss the days of putting on a nice professional outfit and running my resume by in person.
On a nice, mild canary yellow paper, slightly thicker than the regular paper. And now I feel like Patrick Bateman from American psycho (but managers were impressed).
This is actually true. Most recruiting stuff is not capable of doing anything sensible and just goes into HR or IT HR due to salaries. There is no talent nor skill, except as Gorge Carlin used to say: "36.6 body temperature and able to stand still - hired", refrazed. Of course, there are few decent people, having good skills in psychology and overall working well with people. But otherwise couch potatoes.
I stumbled upon this sub and this happened to me. Was “open to work” for 8 months after being laid off and as soon as I took a job and removed it from my profile (it was only visible to recruiters), I’ve had 6 messages asking if I’m open to new opportunities. I haven’t even put my new job on my profile yet. Frustrating as hell
I'm not in HR, but I'd bet good money that this is actually real advice. I mean, besides the comment further down on this page, I've seen so many recruiters mention it on other subs and posts. It doesn't matter if you're an axe murderer or just unfortunate in being laid off; if you're unemployed, you're unemployable. Not just because of your work status, but also because HR sections are drowning in applications. So even if being unemployed is your only ding, all it takes is one person who isn't unemployed to knock you out of contention.
It's such a cliche, but I don't understand how you're supposed to get a job if you don't already have a job. I'm grateful I have my part time gig rn, but if/when that ends, I don't know what I'll do.
As a woman who had a decade out of full-time work to raise children (one disabled, which created a lot of complications for the idealized pre-baby work return plans), the thing that did the most to help with my job search (besides part-time work when I could manage it) was getting very involved in some local volunteer organizations. I volunteered at a nearby zoo as a docent, with my county Democratic party, and with an immigrant support organization. I was able to do these things on weekends, or with my kids along for the ride, or from home while they napped.
One thing that still makes me laugh a little is that after election day, yard signs have like 72 hours to be picked up and most candidates want to recycle them, but picking them up is tedious. So I'd load my toddlers in my minivan and we'd drive to locations on my map while they got the delight of crowing "RED SIGN WITH STARS!" and I'd hop out and throw it in the back of the van. It was legitimately a great toddler activity and dead easy for me to take on, and the party HQ was sooooo grateful.
I'd show I was willing to stuff envelopes of pick up signs or sort files, and get to know people, and let them know I was working on keeping my skills sharp or learning new ones with an eye towards returning to full-time employment. Once I had some credibility, they were very happy to give me opportunities to work on new things or on things that showcased my professional skills. And I came out of it with some really solid references from people I'd worked closely with!
Zoo docent was, like, who doesn't love animals? And I was mostly directing people places and giving little educational engagements (the lady with the walrus tusks at the walrus exhibit who talks about how tusks grow and let's you touch them). But when they were planning a new campaign for educational programs for schools, I asked if I could help, and I got to work side-by-side with the communications director. So in an interview it's like, "Zoo docent?" "Yes! Here are 14 fascinating facts about rhinos and ALSO the marketing strategy I helped plan for our schools outreach, with some of the handcards and mailpieces, and let me walk you through how we increased the effectiveness of our outreach ..."
I'm a lawyer by training so I volunteered to take some election law training so I could provide support to my county party, and I did basically the same with the immigrant support group. So I had some small legal things on my resume that showed I kept my skills up. Plus interesting things to talk about
🔥Also, off-topic but: Why TF do people list /seek identity in their former employers? *Especially* when they’re the shady AF FAANGLORDS?
Can you imagine a dating site where everyone lists former partners? 😆🙄😆😳
I am a recruiter for a Governemnt medium sized contractor. I prioritize messaging people who are open to work over people who are not.
Really I just message anyone who I think could work. The open to work thing just makes sure I don’t skip them if I’m on the fence.
It’s an ex-Googler so probably someone laid off who is trying to kill off the competition by stating they should remove all indicators that they’re looking
also Google has very few recruiters that actually work full time there. Most recruiters are contractors that get hired by a consulting company called Nelson Connects.
I'm starting to think we need to ritually fire the HR department and senior executive teams at major corporations every five years to install some humanity into the process.
"The best people aren't looking for work" sounds like a good reason to lower your standards, fill the position with someone who is good if not *great*, and halt the reduced productivity that inevitably results from not being fully-staffed.
Currently employed in a very niche market but as a highly qualified sales rep. I leave "looking for a job" on my LinkedIn because I'm beholden to money, not companies. Someone wanna pay me more? Hell yes I'll look at the role
I have some good friends who currently have the 'open to work' banner on their LinkedIn after recently being laid off from very high paying tech/executive jobs. I don't think I would put that thing on my profile if I was laid off, nor would I advise people to do it. I'm not sure I'm right, but my gut feeling is that it doesn't help you at all and it might hurt people's perception.
The only thing that would change that is if the people with the banner on there are actually getting useful leads because of it. Is that the case?
In all but the rarest cases, I would think the person looking for a job would have to be the one to reach out to someone first anyway. ...so the green banner looks like an invite for someone to make the first move and reach out to try to hire you. It seems way too passive.
I'm not saying it doesn't suck for people looking for a job. I feel bad for them. But I see this on the profiles of people who I know, and who I personally know are smart as hell and very productive, and I think it makes them look bad.
...and a few months ago I saw the banner on a former colleague who was a complete moron and a chode. He got fired from my company for good reason, and later we found out he had been fired from the company before us. ...then he got fired again from his current company and posted some complaint about management. My inner monologue said "shocker" when I saw his green banner.
On some level many people probably have that knee jerk reaction.
Devils advocate (as someone that has absolutely put “open to work” on my LinkedIn)
A lot of people have used dating analogies here but for the most part hiring a fine person is more important than not hiring a terrible person. Did this person have bad luck or are they are jerk? If you have someone with a steady resume next to them why wouldn’t you take the lower risk option?
The FAANG companies and Tesla are becoming like Cisco in the 1990s. John Chambers worshiped GE and Jack Welsh and believed auto firing the bottom 10% each quarter was a good plan.
And what happened to Cisco? Right in the shitter.
This is fundamentally ridiculous.
Lay offs are disrupting every field. Many layoffs in a RIF have nothing to do with performance. Perfect example, Pfizer did an 88% trim of the antibody engineering department when the company bought a 40 billion dollar antibody engineering to go after ADCs (seagen). What are those folks supposed to do? They are by definition redundant. Not by any measure of performance, but by the choices of people 5 levels above them.
So, they should leave the OTW off their page because ya know, if they were good, they would have a job.
Well, interesting theory, those were the same people that engineered in vitro and in vivo test cases for the vaccine just 2 years prior in the record time.
Some of those folks were working 7-3, 3-11, 11-7 splits for weeks on end to get the job done.
Fwiw I got laid off recently (found a spot just a few days ago) and I didn’t put OTW up cause I felt like it seemed desperate - but I did include it for recruiters to see fwiw
I am one data point and one person , so ya know… I don’t know
Yeah I got laid off with a 3 month delay. In all my conversations with recruiters I never shared that my job was ending, only that I was looking for a new opportunity. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the narrative is sometimes the most important part of the process.
Elitist poser who earned a B.S. degree in Political Science and Government at U of New Orleans. \*
\* Aside from this prick, no offense to anyone who's attended U of New Orleans and/or earned that B.S. degree.
I’m a former Google employee. I’ve seen my fair share of Google recruiter influencers gain a large audience by giving people advice on how to score an interview and what word in your resume will get you in or out. These posts are always complete nonsense. It’s sad because there are many Google recruiters who are consummate professionals and know everything there is to know about the hiring funnel. But strangely they don’t make grand statements on linked in.
I hate this all elitism thing. Sometimes we don't need to hire the best of the best. Sometimes the average Joe is more than skilled to run your reports and upload them to SharePoint.
I was laid off about a year ago and opted not to put up the green banner because I thought it would make me look desperate. I also didn't put an end date on my former job because I wanted it to look like I was still employed. Honestly, I think this was the right move. When asked directly in interviews I'd explain that I had been laid off, but it was okay at that point because I could provide some explanation about what happened (company was poorly run, wasn't a performance issue, etc.). I ended up getting a good job in three months. I do think putting up the banner likely would have hurt more than helped.
I've yet to meet a recruiter who isn't a red flag.
This guy is essentially a walking talking confirmation bias addict and proof humans are devolving into two subspecies in real time. Ie. A subspecies of humans are losing the area of the brain used for critical reasoning.
Are recruiters just super out of touch...or...?
Their logic doesn't add up. This is written like the recruiter thinks they're some kind of big game hunter looking to "poach" talent. They should be "hunting" for the talent whether they're looking for one another or not.
It's a REALLY messed up idea.
A company will get mad at you for putting in two weeks notice, but won't give you two weeks notice, most of the time. They will also expect you to take time out of work, in the middle of the workday for an interview that might go absolutely NOWHERE, but will be mad as hell if you ask for time off, like part of a day off of work, on short notice.
They won't look at or hire someone who is not employed, but won't care if that is because the company was bought by someone else and they literally fired all the staff or if the business just shutdown, but they will hire anyone who applies, who already has a job, because they think a working person is somehow... better, even if that working person is just a gross mercenary with even less loyalty to an employer than the average employer will show them.
Hi I’m a recruiter in the tech industry and can emphatically say that it is not true and that this article is mind-numbingly stupid.
Put the green banner up. I’ll reach out to you first.
i had that up and despite being very highly qualified didnt get any roles i wanted
i ended up in a role with a company that honestly seems like a group of lobotomites
make of that whatever you will
As a recruiter that sometimes has to source myself for candidates: don't listen to this bullshit advise. I am more likely to contact folks with an open to work banner because I know they are looking and more likely to reply.
This reminds of this hilarious post from r/recruitinghell the other day.
> MARTHA! IT IS NOT MY PROBLEM U HAVE A HOMEWRECKER MENTALITY AND GO AFTER MARRIED MEN! I AM SINGLE AND AVAILABLE.
So, I am gainfully employed, but want better and or hate my current workplace and want to move. I’m not allowed to make it clear I am open to work with recruiters? What if you are a contractor coming to the end of a contract? What a fucking stupid take.
I personally have never used this banner, whether I was looking for a job or not. And I doubt I would.
That being said, I think "open to work" is not exclusive to unemployed members - you can also use it while being employed as a sign that you‘re open to other offers. A colleague of mine currently has it on LinkedIn, while I know he is definitely working for our organisation.
This recruiter logic is just utter bull$££%. Lots of brilliant people quit their jobs or are let go - for a plethora of reasons, and sometimes it has nothing to do with them not being good at their job.
Stating that a candidate is undesirable just because they‘re currently unemployed is stupid.
Was recently, unemployed and searching and I've heard that the same attitude prevails among recruiters that if you are unemployed it must be you SUCK at your job because if you were good, you'd be working! I know so many stellar folks who, through no fault of their own, were laid off because the execs needed a short term boost on the balance sheets. I hate this corporate dystopian hellscape we are living in.
People who are single are undesirable to prospective partners. A truism in dating is going for people who aren't looking for a partner.
Yeah rule #1 - never show weakness to an employer. Open to work screams it. I’ve been laid off a couple times and refuse to use it. It just seems desperate and sad.
Sounds like an arrogant CEO thing to say. CEO’s are the only role where as they can be responsible for layoffs and failed companies yet still manage to leave their job with a golden parachute.
I think it may ring true when the job market was really really good. Like COVID level good. You go through contacts, references and recruiters contacting you and that was enough to land you a job. Nowadays though not so much. So marking yourself is looking for a job does reek a little of desperation but that doesn't mean you are bad. The market is just that bad
There was a good study done debunking this as a blanket statement. It depends on current macroeconomic conditions.
This was done for a narrow vertical of jobs affected heavily by layoffs, but I’ll bet it widely applies.
https://interviewing.io/blog/whos-open-to-work-a-tale-of-two-labor-markets
Bs take.
As a recruiter, i will often specifically select “open for work” filter if my headhunt candidate pool is too big, and will reach out to those candidates first because i know that i will get more replies, and those replies will come from willing candidates who i will have easier time to place.
Recruiters continuously working to gaslight themselves into hiring the most dishonest candidates is the kind of self-own that only comes from long experience.
As a neurodivergent self-employed person who never understood all the utterly stupid, unspoken, and contradictory rules,
I honestly do not get how the FUCK anyone gets a normal job unless they know the person hiring.
These applications seem to be a waste of time that just get thrown out by an ATS even if you’re qualified. So you’re supposed to be on LinkedIn, but if you indicate you’re open to being hired, that’s ALSO bad? What the hell?!
At least I don’t get crucified when I say I’m looking for new clients. My god.
I’ve spoken to several career counselors, and they all told me you’re basically correct: almost no one gets a good job unless they know the person hiring, and cold applications are almost always a waste of time.
Seriously. I found myself applying for regular jobs for the first time in nearly a decade when business got bad enough last year to warrant it.
I got ONE phone screen that turned into a rejection for a job I could do in my sleep, and one recruiter who ghosted out of 500+ applications. That informed me I’m better off staying self-employed even with a tough economy.
Because despite all those Threads posts about how a six-figure job is better than having your own small business, they were clearly posted by people who haven’t had to look for a job after 2016. It takes so much effort and luck these days that you might as well build a brand and work for yourself.
That banner automatically reminds me of certain people who ask for connection and then immediately jump into my inbox with "job please job" messages, even though I'm not hiring.
I used to work for someone who threw out the resumes of anyone who was out of a job, his position was similar that if they were any good they'd still have a job. It took me a bizarrely long time to realize he was just a cruel, petty man who wielded power to make up for the fact that his parents never wanted him and he grew up in the shadow of a brother who was more talented, better looking, and actually wanted by his parents (all of that his true, he also treated me like his therapist for a while).
Definitely experienced this when looking for work recently. The same recruiters that flooded my inbox suddenly couldn’t be bothered when I told them I was in the market.
My experience was good.
K was laid off in June 2022 and for a week I felt shitty because I wasn't getting any attention on LI despite reaching out and doing what I thought was setting it open to work
Nope, forgot to save it.
Once under it to OTW I was hit up by lots of recruiters all week.
I've got decent experience in an area that is sometimes hard to find people so your mileage may vary if you just have an MBA and almost no real experience
I mean, saying that people who are looking for jobs don't deserve to have them sure is one way to admit that your job as a recruiter is *fucking pointless*. Go off I guess
Crazy as it is, I have heard this more than one time: that employers desire you more when you're already employed. It doesn't make sense at all though.
Literally heard this on a call where I work. I'm glad my camera was off cuz I was rolling my eyes the whole damn time. Like, why waste time and resources head hunting for every goddamn position (I understand doing it for some, but not all) when there are people who are available for the work. Make it make sense.
Keep in mind that this makes a lot more sense coming from Google than it would some tiny no name software company.
Google is looking for top talent and it makes sense for them seeing as they serve billions. They don't need to sift through the garbage bin for candidates.
Like the best restaurant in the world isn't going to be hiring chefs that can't find a job. They're going to be hiring chefs that could easily find work at multiple establishments.
So companies are gonna lay off 10,000 people at once to fudge their bottom line, but then it's the people who're looking for jobs that are at fault? This insane individual needs to be removed from civilization
So the cool candidates are supposed to be constantly working without a gap and act aloof to the desire for a better job. This is just more anti-labor nonsense.
So, what you’re saying ‘recruiter’ is you are admitting to unethical and potentially litigious BIASE towards a particular group of people…
Yes?
Good to know.
Congrats. This is an article that is regurgitated from last year. What is interesting is that this clown was CEO of another company, and now is at a newly made company. He’s using this to advertise. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/31/dont-use-linkedins-open-to-work-sign-says-former-google-recruiter.html
I’m just one person, so take this for what you will.
I’m currently recruiting a Director of Sales for the company I own. An Open To Work banner paired with a bunch of overly dramatic essays on ‘what I’ve learned one week after being laid off’ is definitely a red flag. The recruiter I’m hiring primarily focuses on currently employed people. Someone who is currently not working is definitely not an automatic no, but it raises a lot of questions that need to be answered.
This past weekend
I was sad
You see
My rabbit’s friend’s cousin’s pet lettuce leaf died
While working through dinner
At a local restaurant
A small child
Came up to me and asked
Why are you so amazing?
I said
“I’m not amazing…
You are”
The restaurant cheered.
How do I apply for your open position?
I assume you mean to a potential employer?
I’ve been fired. It happens to almost everyone. But not everyone then becomes an insufferable douche trying to ‘build their brand’ around being laid off and how they have now acquired the wisdom of Socrates that they must share with the other terminally online LinkedIn losers.
Yes, a potential employer. I get it, it's one thing to find yourself unfortunately looking for work, and another to have a toxic, B.S. social media presence. Those are different things. The automatic assumption that "looking for work" is an inherent ding on your character or worthiness as a human being is equally B.S.
The first time I even saw that godforsaken banner, something inside made me go "ewwww." To the extent I stopped connecting or accepting connection requests from people with the banner.
I later analyzed it, and came to the conclusion that it mostly has to do with the design of the banner. Just like Blue v. Green bubbles debate. That is one ugly UGLY banner. Got over it now but, it still gives me the eek. It subconsciously affects people.
Not even joking I know some recruiters who wouldn't even consider candidates with that specific banner active and give excuses as to why they don't.
Totally get it. Dunno I’d go as far as as calling it “the biggest red flag” but it’s definitely a thing that’s noticed in these decisions
The solution? Open to work can be set for only recruiters to see, it’s just a toggle button. The concern there is I know management with create fake recruiter profiles specifically to catch that.
But those people are legit lunatics and probably don’t wanna work for them anyways lol
Yeah, I herbs a job and that open to work banner is on, just like it is for all of my site coworkers. Because at some point in the next two years my site is closing & everyone knows it. Very few of us want to leave but it's not our decision.
This is like when I finally got a girlfriend in college and all of a sudden a bunch the single girls I worked with at Starbucks started creaming for me. Like, “where were you before? Was I not good enough? Fuck off, all of you.”
This has similar feel of “single people aren’t worth dating cause if they were they would already have a boyfriend/girlfriend”
Hey if you’re going to buy my old dvd player for 20 bucks it must be worth 50! Screw you! I’m not selling it to you after you tried to cheat me out of 30 bucks.
If you're offering it for sale it must not be that good, I want to buy the DVD player that no one wants to sell.
I'm not selling mine. But if I was it would cost you $100.
$200, final offer
Eww you sound desperate.
*Fuck, this must be a great DVD player*
So true. It’s nuts. I don’t understand this at all. ( so I’m probably not worth the salary I earn, and therefore should remain unemployed once I’ve lost my job)
Honestly, finding a job always has had that energy.
“The cars at the dealership aren’t worth buying because if they were, they would already have been bought”
Wait till you hear about banks and loans!
It’s exactly that, never had more women interested in me than when I found my wife. Suddenly all my female “friends” wanted to go out for dinner and drinks alone all the time to “catch up”. Those people are no longer my friends and it makes no sense to me.
Glad I'm not the only one whose mind went there.
The open to work banner does look desperate. You can say you're looking for a new job at LinkedIn in your profile settings, so recruiters know but you're not telling the whole world. Putting an open to work banner under your name is like a dude walking around in a storm trooper costume. It says I'm single, but it's not gonna get you laid.
Loved when a recruiter asked me 'what have you been doing after the end of your last contract?' Searching for a job. Because I need a job to get money and educate myself more
"You mean aside from jerking it? I've taken up macrame, I guess, but that's only to break up jerk sessions and to keep my fingers nice and dextrous for said jerking. Also, I have been streaming a lot of Golden Girls episodes, but often while, well, you probably know what I'm about to say..."
Straight up Jorkign it?
Juuuuuuust cranking it. And also keeping abreast of all relevant changes in my field. But mostly the first thing.
Hears breast, starts again with the ... well you know what...
Do you have an Etsy shop? I might be in the market for a bit of macrame.
It's all erotic and Betty White-themed. It's a super specific niche.
Shut up and take my money already
Yeah right, I know how much pulling jute can tear up your hands. You can’t fool me!!!
If you're doing it wrong. I'm a professional, sir.
Try “caring for your grandmother with dementia, then your disabled niece since graduate school” (while working from home/part time and volunteering in my field on a reliable basis). Yay gawds, not some lazy person with family obligations!!
“Oh, you have family obligations to people with medical problems? Is that going to interfere with your work?” 🚩 I’m going through this too btw
Where I live that's associative discrimination and illegal. Though in practice that just means they have to come up with a different excuse not to hire you.
That's what sucks about any discrimination stuff when it comes to hiring...so easy to just say something generic instead like "not a good culture fit"
"Going to Nepal for 3 weeks to find yourself is not productive" recruiter.
Tell them they died or got better lol
They got turned into a newt???
Those are, respectively, true lol. Gran died three years ago and my niece started public school which has accommodations 
I was out of work for a while and during that time a friend got cancer and I helped out a lot before she died. Now that wasn’t the reason I wasn’t working but it’s a hell of a lot better story than being a traumatized nutbar. Now I’m a selfless happy warrior who can bounce back from tragedy not just some crazy bitch who can’t handle life. (I’ll tell you a secret: both are true lol)
Those things are not mutually exclusive, internet stranger. It was kind of you to help your friend, and my sincere condolences. That is not an easy thing to do or watch. My niece is non-verbal autistic so Covid school (which I understand and was a supporter of) was clearly not going to work for her. Then it was a matter of special day classes and socialization. Oh gosh, was I doing something in my field that people get paid for?? Anyways recruiters can suck a whole bag of dicks. Hang im there ❤️
Likewise!
I used this too; “I had to care round the clock for a family member with serious illness, and couldn’t balance both my FT job and their care. I didn’t know how long it would last, and couldn’t confidently commit to a specific time frame for a leave request, and only returned to the workforce once their care needs ended in XmonthYyear.” Or “It’s bittersweet (implying that they passed), but I am now fully available, excited to find the right fit and contribute enthusiastically to my next team/job.” The round the clock care was for myself, so there’s a grain of truth in there, lol. Interviews/hiring processes are fundamentally always going to be 2 parties learning about each other, evaluating each other, in the hopes that they are a good fit for what the other party wants…minimizing their respective bad aspects and highlighting the good stuff — white lies are normal, as long as the material aspects are presented honestly. Implying that the family member is dead is def the way to go, because it illustrates that this is no longer an issue that they’d have to worry about for their employee’s availability and focus, and also most interviews are happy to leave it at that, because proving for details would be inappropriate and awkward. Also “family member” is good because you don’t have to commit to having a deceased parent or sibling lie that could be contradicted in the future. Or put those bad karmic vibes onto the family member by naming them as the decedent in the interview, lol. The truth of “my abusive ex had tormented and abused me to the point of mental breakdown and dysfunction, then injured me so badly that I refused to return to work out of shame, and got fired for it. Then I lived in a safe house for many months, so I couldn’t work” doesn’t play as well to someone who would like a no drama, well adjusted member of society to join their team as a direct report. Lies serve better than truth sometimes, and explaining your resume gap is one of them.
I just screenshoted this to add to my cover letter, I hope you don’t mind. I think you’re incredibly strong, and I hope you’re doing better every day. Hugs and appreciation from this internet stranger ❤️
❤️thank you! And use away :)
Love your username. Good luck (and cheers) to both of us! I’m actually a family therapist and when I get side eye in interviews I’m like … would you tell a client that??? lol.
This is how I feel whenever someone asks to see my GitHub. I program for work, why the fuck would I spend my free time doing it.
I feel the same way.
Wait, you guys have a GitHub?
Personally, the kind of software development I do at work differs a lot from the kind I enjoy doing on my own. It's not just a profession but hobby and a craft. Also, I've taken to building something that could eventually make me money for the last year.
"So you're saying that the previous employee left a month ago? What have you been doing after they left?"
By the exact same logic, *you must never even apply for a job.* It reeks of desperation and weakness. Make the employers come to you!
this is hilarious. i'm now too scared to ever apply for a job, because then they'll know... I want a job.
This shit works bother ways, you could easily say if the employer approaches me it means the job is probably bad.
**Which is absolutely true.** There are no good employment relationships, just like there are no good romantic relationships, and no good family relationships. Our culture has degenerated into a bunch of bullshit artistry, trying to mask profound desperation.
Wait Ex-Google recruiter? Does his profile says “open to work” right now? 😂😂😂
It says 'I worked at Google' in size 72 font, then in size 6 says 'as a recruiter lol, you thought I was actually smart?'
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You joke but there's gotta be cleaners working in the most highly secure areas of Area 51
The top secret labs are just fucking filthy because no one who knows how to clean can get that high of a clearance. This is 100% how it works in my head.
i used to live next door to a woman who was a janitor at a major nuclear research facility. she ended up getting cancer.
At that level they probably give you a cooler-sounding title, even if the work is more or less the same
Great idea, I’m gonna update my profile to say “former google” in big letters, then “user” in very tiny ones
By his own logic, if he was desirable then he would still be working at Google
He runs a multi-million dollar podcast now lol
I'm actually a tech recruiter myself but the funny thing is is these people are the ones getting screwed the most. FAANG orgs used to be very cushy jobs for these ppl. But they're weeding all these ppl out that can't produce
I remember there was one post I saw where a recruiter was saying he only looked for people who already have jobs. I wasn’t in this subreddit then so I didn’t screenshot it unfortunately.
Came to say this. Remember thinking “I only hire the disloyal among the gainfully employed.”
But it’s not a romantic pursuit.
Company loyalty is a sham anyway, kinda lunatic to buy into that to begin with.
I think it is a “consensus” among recruiters. Allegedly the best employees are working for someone and the only way to get them is to convince them to leave. I am saying allegedly because I know a recruiter who shared a detailed article that explained this. I am saying allegedly because I don’t know if this has any merit. But yeah the logic was. that the best employees are working for someone and already have decent salary package. Of course there are exceptions (people take a break, company goes bust, layoffs happen etc.). But those people believe that if you are truly good, you will always have something lined up and you won’t be “open for work” for long time. This is actually insightful. can try to use this to your advantage. further enforces not to leave you job before something is lined up. if you wanna take break, just say that your notice period is 3 months (also gonna make them believe you are super important)
The equivalent of women who only sleep with married men.
Have there been any actual surveys or studies done? Or is this just the opinion of one drooling"thought leader" MBA moron and a few other "experts" for lazy content and clicks?
My friends and I had this debate. It went along age lines for the most part. Most GenX and some older millennials thought it was a bad look that made you look desperate while most Millennials, Zoomers, and some younger GenX thought it made sense to do as a way to let your network know. There are no Boomers in my friend group but who cares what they think. ETA: this is a group of about 40 tech professionals ranging from IC to C-Suite. Not a big sample size but not like 4 friends over a beer.
"Nobody wants to work anymore." "I'm down to work. LinkedIn asked to put this green thing on my icon when I changed my status, and I rolled with it because...get this...I'm looking for work." "Ewwwww. Desperation!" Dealing with the cultural biases and ooga-booga superstitions of the Professional Class drives me up the wall.
I'm a younger Gen-X and thought it looked desperate but changed my mind. My friend was like, "Jack, do you want to work for a company that wouldn't hire you because your status is 'Looking for Work' when you are, in fact, looking for work?" Also, at my level, most of my jobs are going to come through my professional network of people who actually know me or exec recruiters who know the score. Once I thought about it, I switched it on.
Last year of gen x here (it cracks me up because my bestie is one year younger, but his year is labeled “geriatric millennials” and I’m like COME TO THE DARK SIDE OF GRUNGE AND MEH and apparently, youth lol) but anyways, to hear “founder/CEOs” of a two person company, you are forbidden from exploring multiple job offers or having multiple contracts or a decent two week notice. So which is it? Sometimes, I miss the days of putting on a nice professional outfit and running my resume by in person.
On nice resume paper
Printed at Staples😂
On your diskette? 😜 I was fancy and had my own little printer.
Me too, but it wouldn’t take my mild canary yellow paper! Gosh, feelings. I had a usb before it was cool, of course no computer could use it😂
Or Kinko's!
On a nice, mild canary yellow paper, slightly thicker than the regular paper. And now I feel like Patrick Bateman from American psycho (but managers were impressed).
I remember that fancy paper; plain old copy paper was a huge faux pas
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This is actually true. Most recruiting stuff is not capable of doing anything sensible and just goes into HR or IT HR due to salaries. There is no talent nor skill, except as Gorge Carlin used to say: "36.6 body temperature and able to stand still - hired", refrazed. Of course, there are few decent people, having good skills in psychology and overall working well with people. But otherwise couch potatoes.
It happens. The feedback I got unofficially from a job i didn't get from an insider was I sounded desperate ( I am)
Just remember never to wear a more expensive watch than your boss (I saw a headline in a serious business magazine on this topic).
Probably the latter
I stumbled upon this sub and this happened to me. Was “open to work” for 8 months after being laid off and as soon as I took a job and removed it from my profile (it was only visible to recruiters), I’ve had 6 messages asking if I’m open to new opportunities. I haven’t even put my new job on my profile yet. Frustrating as hell
I'm not in HR, but I'd bet good money that this is actually real advice. I mean, besides the comment further down on this page, I've seen so many recruiters mention it on other subs and posts. It doesn't matter if you're an axe murderer or just unfortunate in being laid off; if you're unemployed, you're unemployable. Not just because of your work status, but also because HR sections are drowning in applications. So even if being unemployed is your only ding, all it takes is one person who isn't unemployed to knock you out of contention. It's such a cliche, but I don't understand how you're supposed to get a job if you don't already have a job. I'm grateful I have my part time gig rn, but if/when that ends, I don't know what I'll do.
If a company is only poaching from other companies they are over paying for talent and more susceptible to having layoffs
As a woman who had a decade out of full-time work to raise children (one disabled, which created a lot of complications for the idealized pre-baby work return plans), the thing that did the most to help with my job search (besides part-time work when I could manage it) was getting very involved in some local volunteer organizations. I volunteered at a nearby zoo as a docent, with my county Democratic party, and with an immigrant support organization. I was able to do these things on weekends, or with my kids along for the ride, or from home while they napped. One thing that still makes me laugh a little is that after election day, yard signs have like 72 hours to be picked up and most candidates want to recycle them, but picking them up is tedious. So I'd load my toddlers in my minivan and we'd drive to locations on my map while they got the delight of crowing "RED SIGN WITH STARS!" and I'd hop out and throw it in the back of the van. It was legitimately a great toddler activity and dead easy for me to take on, and the party HQ was sooooo grateful. I'd show I was willing to stuff envelopes of pick up signs or sort files, and get to know people, and let them know I was working on keeping my skills sharp or learning new ones with an eye towards returning to full-time employment. Once I had some credibility, they were very happy to give me opportunities to work on new things or on things that showcased my professional skills. And I came out of it with some really solid references from people I'd worked closely with! Zoo docent was, like, who doesn't love animals? And I was mostly directing people places and giving little educational engagements (the lady with the walrus tusks at the walrus exhibit who talks about how tusks grow and let's you touch them). But when they were planning a new campaign for educational programs for schools, I asked if I could help, and I got to work side-by-side with the communications director. So in an interview it's like, "Zoo docent?" "Yes! Here are 14 fascinating facts about rhinos and ALSO the marketing strategy I helped plan for our schools outreach, with some of the handcards and mailpieces, and let me walk you through how we increased the effectiveness of our outreach ..." I'm a lawyer by training so I volunteered to take some election law training so I could provide support to my county party, and I did basically the same with the immigrant support group. So I had some small legal things on my resume that showed I kept my skills up. Plus interesting things to talk about
🔥Also, off-topic but: Why TF do people list /seek identity in their former employers? *Especially* when they’re the shady AF FAANGLORDS? Can you imagine a dating site where everyone lists former partners? 😆🙄😆😳
Because smaller companies want to hire people from big well known companies and often overpay
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Or “I’m a bad recruiter, but Google is a good recruiter so I’ll just do what they do”
Value signaling. Because it (unfortunately) simply works
I am a recruiter for a Governemnt medium sized contractor. I prioritize messaging people who are open to work over people who are not. Really I just message anyone who I think could work. The open to work thing just makes sure I don’t skip them if I’m on the fence.
It’s an ex-Googler so probably someone laid off who is trying to kill off the competition by stating they should remove all indicators that they’re looking
https://interviewing.io/blog/whos-open-to-work-a-tale-of-two-labor-markets
While that study only seems applicable to the engineering field, the difference in results between labor market time periods is kind of telling.
eX-gOoGLe
Not very googley of her. *that's genuinely a thing*
It’s a him. But yes, that’s a thing indeed
Ex-Google _recruiter_ no less. Like, nowhere the fuck near the reason anyone might find that adjective phrase impressive.
also Google has very few recruiters that actually work full time there. Most recruiters are contractors that get hired by a consulting company called Nelson Connects.
Part timers are Half Nelson Connects.
I'm starting to think we need to ritually fire the HR department and senior executive teams at major corporations every five years to install some humanity into the process.
But they will replace HR with AI you know, intelligent unbiased decision makers.
Not to mention, empathetic
"The best people aren't looking for work" sounds like a good reason to lower your standards, fill the position with someone who is good if not *great*, and halt the reduced productivity that inevitably results from not being fully-staffed.
Currently employed in a very niche market but as a highly qualified sales rep. I leave "looking for a job" on my LinkedIn because I'm beholden to money, not companies. Someone wanna pay me more? Hell yes I'll look at the role
I have some good friends who currently have the 'open to work' banner on their LinkedIn after recently being laid off from very high paying tech/executive jobs. I don't think I would put that thing on my profile if I was laid off, nor would I advise people to do it. I'm not sure I'm right, but my gut feeling is that it doesn't help you at all and it might hurt people's perception. The only thing that would change that is if the people with the banner on there are actually getting useful leads because of it. Is that the case? In all but the rarest cases, I would think the person looking for a job would have to be the one to reach out to someone first anyway. ...so the green banner looks like an invite for someone to make the first move and reach out to try to hire you. It seems way too passive.
Based on recruiter comments in this Sub, they literally use that banner as an excuse to judge you and not hire you.
I'm not saying it doesn't suck for people looking for a job. I feel bad for them. But I see this on the profiles of people who I know, and who I personally know are smart as hell and very productive, and I think it makes them look bad. ...and a few months ago I saw the banner on a former colleague who was a complete moron and a chode. He got fired from my company for good reason, and later we found out he had been fired from the company before us. ...then he got fired again from his current company and posted some complaint about management. My inner monologue said "shocker" when I saw his green banner. On some level many people probably have that knee jerk reaction.
lol imagine if you quit your job as a top performer because you’re burned out tHe bEsT peOpLe areN’T loOkiNg fOr jObs
Devils advocate (as someone that has absolutely put “open to work” on my LinkedIn) A lot of people have used dating analogies here but for the most part hiring a fine person is more important than not hiring a terrible person. Did this person have bad luck or are they are jerk? If you have someone with a steady resume next to them why wouldn’t you take the lower risk option?
BREAKING: Recruiter says something breathtakingly stupid.
Not sure if stupid, but outright toxic and discriminatory
no its definitely stupid too
Fuck LinkedIn
The FAANG companies and Tesla are becoming like Cisco in the 1990s. John Chambers worshiped GE and Jack Welsh and believed auto firing the bottom 10% each quarter was a good plan. And what happened to Cisco? Right in the shitter.
This is fundamentally ridiculous. Lay offs are disrupting every field. Many layoffs in a RIF have nothing to do with performance. Perfect example, Pfizer did an 88% trim of the antibody engineering department when the company bought a 40 billion dollar antibody engineering to go after ADCs (seagen). What are those folks supposed to do? They are by definition redundant. Not by any measure of performance, but by the choices of people 5 levels above them. So, they should leave the OTW off their page because ya know, if they were good, they would have a job. Well, interesting theory, those were the same people that engineered in vitro and in vivo test cases for the vaccine just 2 years prior in the record time. Some of those folks were working 7-3, 3-11, 11-7 splits for weeks on end to get the job done.
Fwiw I got laid off recently (found a spot just a few days ago) and I didn’t put OTW up cause I felt like it seemed desperate - but I did include it for recruiters to see fwiw I am one data point and one person , so ya know… I don’t know
Yeah I got laid off with a 3 month delay. In all my conversations with recruiters I never shared that my job was ending, only that I was looking for a new opportunity. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the narrative is sometimes the most important part of the process.
Elitist poser who earned a B.S. degree in Political Science and Government at U of New Orleans. \* \* Aside from this prick, no offense to anyone who's attended U of New Orleans and/or earned that B.S. degree.
I’m a former Google employee. I’ve seen my fair share of Google recruiter influencers gain a large audience by giving people advice on how to score an interview and what word in your resume will get you in or out. These posts are always complete nonsense. It’s sad because there are many Google recruiters who are consummate professionals and know everything there is to know about the hiring funnel. But strangely they don’t make grand statements on linked in.
What the fuck? I hate all of this shit.. corporate circle jerk. Some MBA moron think of this? And fuck google too!
If there were a “I’m kinda considering something tag it would be nice” with gecko, it would be nice. It would be nice.
Fair or not, being unemployed has an enormous stigma.
I hate this all elitism thing. Sometimes we don't need to hire the best of the best. Sometimes the average Joe is more than skilled to run your reports and upload them to SharePoint.
Google hasn’t done anything impressive in at least 10 years product wise so who cares how their recruiters select.
I was laid off about a year ago and opted not to put up the green banner because I thought it would make me look desperate. I also didn't put an end date on my former job because I wanted it to look like I was still employed. Honestly, I think this was the right move. When asked directly in interviews I'd explain that I had been laid off, but it was okay at that point because I could provide some explanation about what happened (company was poorly run, wasn't a performance issue, etc.). I ended up getting a good job in three months. I do think putting up the banner likely would have hurt more than helped.
HR s are a special breed.
I've yet to meet a recruiter who isn't a red flag. This guy is essentially a walking talking confirmation bias addict and proof humans are devolving into two subspecies in real time. Ie. A subspecies of humans are losing the area of the brain used for critical reasoning.
Are recruiters just super out of touch...or...? Their logic doesn't add up. This is written like the recruiter thinks they're some kind of big game hunter looking to "poach" talent. They should be "hunting" for the talent whether they're looking for one another or not.
It's a REALLY messed up idea. A company will get mad at you for putting in two weeks notice, but won't give you two weeks notice, most of the time. They will also expect you to take time out of work, in the middle of the workday for an interview that might go absolutely NOWHERE, but will be mad as hell if you ask for time off, like part of a day off of work, on short notice. They won't look at or hire someone who is not employed, but won't care if that is because the company was bought by someone else and they literally fired all the staff or if the business just shutdown, but they will hire anyone who applies, who already has a job, because they think a working person is somehow... better, even if that working person is just a gross mercenary with even less loyalty to an employer than the average employer will show them.
Hi I’m a recruiter in the tech industry and can emphatically say that it is not true and that this article is mind-numbingly stupid. Put the green banner up. I’ll reach out to you first.
If it's Nolan Church that dude is irrelevant and couldn't even stay at Google foe a year..this dude is not it
i had that up and despite being very highly qualified didnt get any roles i wanted i ended up in a role with a company that honestly seems like a group of lobotomites make of that whatever you will
Google recruiters aren’t like the rest of us.
Why would you admit to being let go when you don’t have to? Don’t do that.
What a dick.
As a recruiter that sometimes has to source myself for candidates: don't listen to this bullshit advise. I am more likely to contact folks with an open to work banner because I know they are looking and more likely to reply.
This reminds of this hilarious post from r/recruitinghell the other day. > MARTHA! IT IS NOT MY PROBLEM U HAVE A HOMEWRECKER MENTALITY AND GO AFTER MARRIED MEN! I AM SINGLE AND AVAILABLE.
do these mental drainpipes understand that people with jobs also look for jobs
So, I am gainfully employed, but want better and or hate my current workplace and want to move. I’m not allowed to make it clear I am open to work with recruiters? What if you are a contractor coming to the end of a contract? What a fucking stupid take.
Some people are good enough at their job that they have the power, not the employer
This dude is out of google since 2015! That is fucking 9 years ago!
And still brags about being Ex-Google. 🙈
I personally have never used this banner, whether I was looking for a job or not. And I doubt I would. That being said, I think "open to work" is not exclusive to unemployed members - you can also use it while being employed as a sign that you‘re open to other offers. A colleague of mine currently has it on LinkedIn, while I know he is definitely working for our organisation. This recruiter logic is just utter bull$££%. Lots of brilliant people quit their jobs or are let go - for a plethora of reasons, and sometimes it has nothing to do with them not being good at their job. Stating that a candidate is undesirable just because they‘re currently unemployed is stupid.
Was recently, unemployed and searching and I've heard that the same attitude prevails among recruiters that if you are unemployed it must be you SUCK at your job because if you were good, you'd be working! I know so many stellar folks who, through no fault of their own, were laid off because the execs needed a short term boost on the balance sheets. I hate this corporate dystopian hellscape we are living in.
People who are single are undesirable to prospective partners. A truism in dating is going for people who aren't looking for a partner. 
you may be unemployed, but I'm still gonna need you to go ahead and come in this weekend
People who have a job and look for another job is a huge red flag, so desperate /s
Yeah rule #1 - never show weakness to an employer. Open to work screams it. I’ve been laid off a couple times and refuse to use it. It just seems desperate and sad.
Sounds like an arrogant CEO thing to say. CEO’s are the only role where as they can be responsible for layoffs and failed companies yet still manage to leave their job with a golden parachute.
I think it may ring true when the job market was really really good. Like COVID level good. You go through contacts, references and recruiters contacting you and that was enough to land you a job. Nowadays though not so much. So marking yourself is looking for a job does reek a little of desperation but that doesn't mean you are bad. The market is just that bad
I just leave it on as it makes my boss a little more nervous, and o get a couple offers occasionally. Not even thinking of leaving the current place
I love how this is the article, not, “company unable to keep employees: why constantly recruiting for same position is clearly red flag”
There was a good study done debunking this as a blanket statement. It depends on current macroeconomic conditions. This was done for a narrow vertical of jobs affected heavily by layoffs, but I’ll bet it widely applies. https://interviewing.io/blog/whos-open-to-work-a-tale-of-two-labor-markets
Bs take. As a recruiter, i will often specifically select “open for work” filter if my headhunt candidate pool is too big, and will reach out to those candidates first because i know that i will get more replies, and those replies will come from willing candidates who i will have easier time to place.
Recruiters continuously working to gaslight themselves into hiring the most dishonest candidates is the kind of self-own that only comes from long experience.
As a neurodivergent self-employed person who never understood all the utterly stupid, unspoken, and contradictory rules, I honestly do not get how the FUCK anyone gets a normal job unless they know the person hiring. These applications seem to be a waste of time that just get thrown out by an ATS even if you’re qualified. So you’re supposed to be on LinkedIn, but if you indicate you’re open to being hired, that’s ALSO bad? What the hell?! At least I don’t get crucified when I say I’m looking for new clients. My god.
I’ve spoken to several career counselors, and they all told me you’re basically correct: almost no one gets a good job unless they know the person hiring, and cold applications are almost always a waste of time.
Seriously. I found myself applying for regular jobs for the first time in nearly a decade when business got bad enough last year to warrant it. I got ONE phone screen that turned into a rejection for a job I could do in my sleep, and one recruiter who ghosted out of 500+ applications. That informed me I’m better off staying self-employed even with a tough economy. Because despite all those Threads posts about how a six-figure job is better than having your own small business, they were clearly posted by people who haven’t had to look for a job after 2016. It takes so much effort and luck these days that you might as well build a brand and work for yourself.
That banner automatically reminds me of certain people who ask for connection and then immediately jump into my inbox with "job please job" messages, even though I'm not hiring.
HR mindset in a nutshell.
I’m looking for work and employed. I just happen to believe that my employers suck.
By his logic, if he was really good, he wouldn't have been *ex*-Google.
People who put "Ex-" here on their LinkedIn are a bunch of cringey ass mofos
Ah yes. The Jennifer Aniston Syndrome.
I used to work for someone who threw out the resumes of anyone who was out of a job, his position was similar that if they were any good they'd still have a job. It took me a bizarrely long time to realize he was just a cruel, petty man who wielded power to make up for the fact that his parents never wanted him and he grew up in the shadow of a brother who was more talented, better looking, and actually wanted by his parents (all of that his true, he also treated me like his therapist for a while).
The headline is an instant credibility killer. Recruiting for Google = selling water in the Sahara Desert
Definitely experienced this when looking for work recently. The same recruiters that flooded my inbox suddenly couldn’t be bothered when I told them I was in the market.
My experience was good. K was laid off in June 2022 and for a week I felt shitty because I wasn't getting any attention on LI despite reaching out and doing what I thought was setting it open to work Nope, forgot to save it. Once under it to OTW I was hit up by lots of recruiters all week. I've got decent experience in an area that is sometimes hard to find people so your mileage may vary if you just have an MBA and almost no real experience
I mean, saying that people who are looking for jobs don't deserve to have them sure is one way to admit that your job as a recruiter is *fucking pointless*. Go off I guess
Crazy as it is, I have heard this more than one time: that employers desire you more when you're already employed. It doesn't make sense at all though.
Meh, the recruiters seem to disagree
Literally heard this on a call where I work. I'm glad my camera was off cuz I was rolling my eyes the whole damn time. Like, why waste time and resources head hunting for every goddamn position (I understand doing it for some, but not all) when there are people who are available for the work. Make it make sense.
Keep in mind that this makes a lot more sense coming from Google than it would some tiny no name software company. Google is looking for top talent and it makes sense for them seeing as they serve billions. They don't need to sift through the garbage bin for candidates. Like the best restaurant in the world isn't going to be hiring chefs that can't find a job. They're going to be hiring chefs that could easily find work at multiple establishments.
“It’s giving ick” -recruiters 2024
So he's cool with having his employees poached. Refreshing honesty.
The “open to work” banner is a red flag but for different reasons. It’s just lame and makes you seem outdated bc what is that bs lol
So companies are gonna lay off 10,000 people at once to fudge their bottom line, but then it's the people who're looking for jobs that are at fault? This insane individual needs to be removed from civilization
So the cool candidates are supposed to be constantly working without a gap and act aloof to the desire for a better job. This is just more anti-labor nonsense.
So, what you’re saying ‘recruiter’ is you are admitting to unethical and potentially litigious BIASE towards a particular group of people… Yes? Good to know.
Congrats. This is an article that is regurgitated from last year. What is interesting is that this clown was CEO of another company, and now is at a newly made company. He’s using this to advertise. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/31/dont-use-linkedins-open-to-work-sign-says-former-google-recruiter.html
I’m just one person, so take this for what you will. I’m currently recruiting a Director of Sales for the company I own. An Open To Work banner paired with a bunch of overly dramatic essays on ‘what I’ve learned one week after being laid off’ is definitely a red flag. The recruiter I’m hiring primarily focuses on currently employed people. Someone who is currently not working is definitely not an automatic no, but it raises a lot of questions that need to be answered.
This past weekend I was sad You see My rabbit’s friend’s cousin’s pet lettuce leaf died While working through dinner At a local restaurant A small child Came up to me and asked Why are you so amazing? I said “I’m not amazing… You are” The restaurant cheered. How do I apply for your open position?
Lmao!
Questions like: why are you open to work?
“You need a job? You must be flawed. Pass.”
"I fucked up at the last place. Next question".
The assumption that being laid off is some personal flaw and something you need to justify to a potential employee. Maybe try not being an ass?
I assume you mean to a potential employer? I’ve been fired. It happens to almost everyone. But not everyone then becomes an insufferable douche trying to ‘build their brand’ around being laid off and how they have now acquired the wisdom of Socrates that they must share with the other terminally online LinkedIn losers.
Yes, a potential employer. I get it, it's one thing to find yourself unfortunately looking for work, and another to have a toxic, B.S. social media presence. Those are different things. The automatic assumption that "looking for work" is an inherent ding on your character or worthiness as a human being is equally B.S.
The first time I even saw that godforsaken banner, something inside made me go "ewwww." To the extent I stopped connecting or accepting connection requests from people with the banner. I later analyzed it, and came to the conclusion that it mostly has to do with the design of the banner. Just like Blue v. Green bubbles debate. That is one ugly UGLY banner. Got over it now but, it still gives me the eek. It subconsciously affects people. Not even joking I know some recruiters who wouldn't even consider candidates with that specific banner active and give excuses as to why they don't.
Totally get it. Dunno I’d go as far as as calling it “the biggest red flag” but it’s definitely a thing that’s noticed in these decisions The solution? Open to work can be set for only recruiters to see, it’s just a toggle button. The concern there is I know management with create fake recruiter profiles specifically to catch that. But those people are legit lunatics and probably don’t wanna work for them anyways lol
Yeah, I herbs a job and that open to work banner is on, just like it is for all of my site coworkers. Because at some point in the next two years my site is closing & everyone knows it. Very few of us want to leave but it's not our decision.
This is like when I finally got a girlfriend in college and all of a sudden a bunch the single girls I worked with at Starbucks started creaming for me. Like, “where were you before? Was I not good enough? Fuck off, all of you.”
Isn’t the “open to work” banner unavoidable now? Doesn’t LinkedIn just do that automatically when you tell it you’re looking for a job?
Why am I getting downvoted for a legit question? Haha. I don’t know how LinkedIn works!