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Comment by fweespee_ch | Hacker News Reader

Tbh, LinkedIn only has value if you are looking for a job. The majority of its features are nearly worthless to the general population of users.

This being the case I think there is an opportunity for a lean site with a narrow vertical [e.g. software devs which are heavily recruited by internal recruiters] to dislodge LinkedIn. Of course they'd have to solely sell your resume to recruiters. All the other revenue streams and related issues would have to be dropped.

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There's a couple sites specifically catering to the software dev for hire vertical, like Hired.

Though I think software devs have a unique view of Linkedin, in that we have many other avenues for professional networking AND we are heavily recruited at all levels of experience. When the only real way to network is via mutual acquaintances (as opposed to open source projects, chat rooms, etc.) and you aren't getting spammed with every "game changing startup" Linkedin can give you real value.

> There's a couple sites specifically catering to the software dev for hire vertical, like Hired.

Yeah but honestly they are all companies I'd personally avoid and haven't been happy with.

> Though I think software devs have a unique view of Linkedin, in that we have many other avenues for professional networking AND we are heavily recruited at all levels of experience. When the only real way to network is via mutual acquaintances (as opposed to open source projects, chat rooms, etc.) and you aren't getting spammed with every "game changing startup" Linkedin can give you real value.

Yes but what value do you get out of it besides access to a network for a job search?

Exactly. I've spoken to a number of people at large co's in non tech roles that use it daily. Apparently the feed is great for keeping up with what's going on in your industry, and what your coworkers are reading / liking / commenting on. One person I spoke to said she pretty much always has LinkedIn open as a tab during work hours.

It's a social network for the unemployed.

It’s not only unemployed that are looking for jobs...

I thought that demographic went to Reddit.

> Tbh, LinkedIn only has value if you are looking for a job.

And a farm only has value when there are potatoes to harvest. But you gotta plant and tend the potatoes.

So to the extent that LinkedIn can (or can't) support it, you should look at LinkedIn or wherever as something to maintain, for the day when you are looking for a job.

That doesn't sound right.

Why should a person maintain their LinkedIn profile, if they're not actively looking? Wouldn't it make more sense to only update it when they decide to actually look for a job, and not waste time/energy/spam-dealing-with before then?

You should always be aware of industry trends to stay employable, including learning what skills recruiters are looking for. You are always one management change away from a reshuffle.

Hmmm, on a surface level that sounds "ok"-ish.

As a person working in the IT industry for more than a decade, being intimately involved with several major Open Source projects in demand, it sounds debatable (perhaps even wrong), as many in demand skills last longer than fads (eg PostgreSQL clueful-ness).

So, what you're saying doesn't sound right to me. :(

Thoughts? :)

Or generating leads. It's not just job hunters who seek out people there.

For example?

Generating leads. My example was generating sales leads.

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