to never again believe a word written on "linked-in"

I work with someone & her Linkedin BIO is basically the opposite of what she is. 🤣

My BIL is on linked in claiming to be a neurologist (among other specialities).

He's in tele-sales.

The former colleagues I see being very active on LinkedIn aren’t the ones I thought were in any way exceptional. Far more often I think, really, you’re a Head Of? It’s for bullshit merchants and people with no self awareness.

I was forced to join in the course of my work. It's excruciating. There's something off about that type of self promotion. Probably why I had a nervous breakdown and no longer work. Yeah, I blame LinkedIn. Lol.

This has always been the case though. I've read interviews over the years with well known people admitting they bullshitted their way into the role that started them on their way.
I had a reference for doing a non existent job written by a friend, as I couldn't get a foot on the ladder, this was a few decades ago, I got the job and did a good job too.
Lots of CVs are couched in phrases that make the applicant sound far more experienced than they are. Not exactly lying, but certainly economical with the truth.
In the same vein employers frequently aren't honest about the jobs or salaries that they are advertising.
None of it is morally right, but desperate times and all that.

I thought for years I was the only person totally sceptical about LinkedIn. I would only hear from distant contacts when they had updated LinkedIn and were job hunting!

I never trust anything on LinkedIn: I can't believe anyone uses it. The outright lies I've seen on there are astonishing.

Problem is, I want to use it as a professional network. IMHO it was all about employment. I don't really care about what anyone thinks.

I agree though, of my connections, it is always the usual suspects posting.

There are since great fights discussions under some posts. However it is always the same idiots winding people up.

My resume on linked in is true but I had dressed it in such complicated language that it appears that I am a super high flyer and I am running the country as a sideline.
Have had so many enquiries from agencies and consultancy firms.
Also have a laugh reading reading other people's stuff which I know is also total bollocks

This 👆

It didn't start this way, but it is what it has become. People wanting to connect who you've never met, jobs that don't exist and are just collecting data, and mindless outpouring of bullshit from people as it might land them another job. Completely useless now.

I was hiring and a guy I used to work with sent me, personally, his LinkedIn CV, knowing it would be me reading it, and it was all bullshit about how he'd had a senior tech engineer role for 20 years. He was a salesman, he knew I knew he was just a salesman for that company, I sat in the same room as him for 5 years! Zero engineer experience whatsoever.

not in mine either.

again: all these companies that aren't doing their due diligence on employees are asking for trouble and almost deserve going to the wall.

It is easy enough to check a) references and b) qualifications and c) conduct proper interviews. So I'm guessing from the pp here that 95% work for idiot companies, and some of us use LinkedIn as a resource, and because we are careful about connections etc, it is useful for us.

Easy to avoid the liars - but you have to invest a tiny bit of time.

that's still on them. Honestly, employing people before seeing the confirmations and references? tbh i wouldn't work for a company that didn't check.

Not in my field.

If you saw my profile you would probably think I’m making it up 🤣

I am in a lowliest position part time (similar to a cleaner). I do also consult for the executive leadership and build strategy and programmes for the overall group. I often get phone calls from the owners in an organisation of thousands. I keep the lowly job because I love it, and also it allows me to keep in touch with the realities of the work on the ground and the day to day struggles teams are facing. Some of the team know about my other role but most don’t (not that I’m hiding it but I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging so I don’t mention it unless someone finds out and asks).

LinkedIn is what I call "Facebook for Suits".

Nothing at all should be believed on there.

my old manager left and put herself down as “deputy director”… nope, band 7 manager (nhs). I got her job after she left so I joked to the director should I change my job title on be email. He asked why and I showed him -he was livid with her (usually super chilled) and messaged her to change it immediately. Said a lot about her personality to be honest.

I joined years ago, saw some of the utter bullshit some people I worked with had written, then deleted my account.

If that's the way people get jobs either now or in the future, then I guess I'll just be unemployed.

Yeah it's mad, someone I worked with years ago at one of the big 5 consulting firms and left after less than 2 years to a job they lied their way into and were dismissed from during probation has a linkedin history claiming to have been at the firm we worked at for like 10 years and to have been quite senior, then another job that I am pretty sure is a lie moved to the states and has recently had some pretty big head of sales type roles for short periods.
I think it's good when they make you verify your jobs with a work email but 1. Not all firms enforce this. 2. Doesn't stop you claiming to have been a Director when you were an Analyst!

Certificates can be faked. Lots of employers now contact the institution directly for anything that is degree level.

Remember that poo Dr who was always on TV? Journalists found out her qualifications including her doctorate were all fakes.

@Brefugee

”didn't they check? it's on the employer to get the documentation checked, references checked etc etc.

Lying is not on, but people lie. That is why we check their qualifications and references.

Has the world gone mad?”

The woman is in Australia. I worked there for nine months without a permit in a government department. I said my passport was with my landlady because I was behind with my rent!

Nothing would surprise me there! 😂

I dont use linked in at all. And I have still risen really rapidly in my career by building meaningful real life networks

I find LinkedIn to be incredibly cringe-inducing. I am on it but deleted the app a long time ago and limit my use considerably (less than 10 minutes a month).

Hasn't done me any harm in my career so far.