[Samurai]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

These guys are definitely brilliant, just sheer bad luck of timing that they landed up in this state.

Is that really true? Thanks to Youtube Bhaiya/Didis they learned the art of cracking the Big Tech interviews. That is basically gaming the system. However, working in high tech cannot be gamed. You actually have to be what you managed to demo in the interview. Otherwise, soon you will soon have Ex-Google or Ex-Microsoft next to your name in Linkedin for the rest of your career.

[poloman]

LinkedIn titles are the most funny nowadays. Transformation Specialist, Seasoned leader. Brand builder, Ex Apple, Ex Google, Innovator, Mentor, Leader, Innovation specialist, Career coach, Life coach, Life transformer, Story teller, Entrepreneur in residence.. The list is endless. No one can quickly find out what these innovators/leaders do for a living. Some of these guys are so cringeworthy that your skin crawls listening to them. Some of them might have spent max 1-2 years in industry..

When some one put Ex Apple, Ex Google it is clear that they are insecure about current job and is living in past glory or using that as a leverage.

There are 'open to work' people who are still recruiting. People with no industrial experience at all, still deliver career and life lessons, random people serving moral and uplifting stories...The irony never dies here.

If Elon Musk is not entertaining enough you can spend some time in LinkedIn instead.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

In this case, she walked around running her mouth to everyone she met at the office; talking trash about the team and about the management and also about how some people on the client side aren’t good enough to run our team.

An example. We had a very smart HR guy. One fine day I hear that he got sacked because he along with some ex-colleagues had started their own staffing firm with which they were feeding our recruitment requirements without going to the open market for those resources and while charging our org hefty fees. This was blatant malfeasance and conflict of interest.

I’m curious about your organisation’s policy around NDA and what you are allowed to share about the company, their employees, clients, disciplinary actions etc. You share a lot of information in the public domain which might be helpful to prove the point you are trying to make but I doubt if the respective characters will be happy to read what’s said about them here.
If this is your current employer then, I’m surprised to be honest.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by poloman

When some one put Ex Apple, Ex Google it is clear that they are insecure about current job and is living in past glory or using that as a leverage.

If Elon Musk is not entertaining enough you can spend some time in LinkedIn instead.

Oh man, only yesterday I was discussing this with a friend. This new trend of flaunting ‘Ex’ is so weird. One person I know has worked for 5 firms in 9 years but his LinkedIn title mentions 2 EXs only. When I asked him what wrong has that service based firm done where he got his first break & spent majority of his career (3.5 years)? He was like only big brands matter and helps get more followers. Its like Linkedin also has become another Facebook/Instagram where people are doing all kinds of shenanigans to increase followers and even post their milestones related to that.

Posts like : Reached 10000 followers, would like to thank my parents, neighbors, Sharma uncle’s son for motivation. For more cringeworthy content please follow <link>. This followed by a totally unrelated picture modelling in IT park or some holiday destination

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by Samurai

..You actually have to be what you managed to demo in the interview. ..

All layoffs are due to change in economic winds. So they don’t necessarily reflect negatively on the capabilities of these young ‘uns who. This group will be good enough to work anywhere else and succeed. No problem. They just need to focus and figure out what they want.

To speak to your other point about gaming the system; in what way is that new? We all know that half the battle of graduating from our premier institutes is about getting in. So all the prep work goes into that. Once in, all the hard work has left you with a good base on which to build once your coursework actually starts. The Big Tech companies too are like that. Once in, as long the winds don’t change, you have access to the tools, materials and the networks to get yourself to the performance level needed on any given day.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

…my point was more about the ‘aspirational value’ these firms carry. I’m sure people will be careful before choosing them after this fiasco unlike pre 2022 scenario when these were 1st choices by default…

I think this sobering will happen to a small set of these youngsters who are self-aware and who take the time to reflect. But for most, it is unlikely to recalibrate their thinking. The lure of big brands and big moneys is just too strong to reject.

The recalibration only happens when you suffer a setback and then realise that the sphere of opportunity (and time) for you to recoup those losses has shrunk drastically.

That isn’t the case here. Most of those currently getting laid off are all in their 20s. They likely don’t have any financial liabilities, and they are getting off, thankfully, with a good severance package of say 3 months. So if they interview hard, they are likely to land their next job in just a month or two and they can continue their career without a break in salary. Indeed, from what I hear it is not unlikely for some of them to have scheduled vacation plans in the next month or so before they see themselves onboarded elsewhere.

Originally Posted by kiku007

I’m curious ….

Thanks for asking this very good question, that I expected someone to ask long long ago.

The answer, as you rightly hinted, is that almost none of the stories are from my current role or from my current org. We have all had long careers and varied experiences and what we mention here is a small fraction of the actual experiences we have all had, I am sure.

I present them here as a way of giving back to others who can learn from our collective wisdom. Indeed I myself see the “Shifting Gears” section as a gold mine of information from which I regularly make withdrawals. In any case I doubt that I have said anything that is a tirade against an org, mine or anyone else’s, current or past. And I haven’t divulged any identification details of any individual or that of an org.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by poloman

When some one put Ex Apple, Ex Google it is clear that they are insecure about current job and is living in past glory or using that as a leverage.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

This new trend of flaunting ‘Ex’ is so weird.

I'm with you guys on this, in that I find it odd too. But I'm also wondering if it works. I think like the younger generation of job seekers, there's a younger generation of recruiters, middle-managers, hiring managers as well who share the same view about what is acceptable today.

I'm firmly previous gen myself (20 years+ in the IT industry), and I can't help observe that we're hearing very little from the younger folk here. To be brutally honest, there are a lot of posts from older employees like me who are dominating the discourse and throwing our collective years of 'wisdom' around. But perhaps times have changed and perhaps we are missing something?

(Again, before you guys jump on me- what you guys say about LinkedIn actually resonates with me, I too wonder what happened to what was supposed to be a professional network. But maybe the nature of discourse has changed? Would be good to hear from some younger job seekers. Surely we don't want to just become a echo chamber of middle-aged guys harking back to the 'good old days'.)

[poloman]

Originally Posted by am1m

(Again, before you guys jump on me- what you guys say about Linkedin actually resonates with me, I too wonder what happened to what was supposed to be a professional network. But maybe the nature of discourse has changed? Would be good to hear from some younger job seekers. Surely we don't want to just become a echo chamber of middle-aged guys harking back to the 'good old days'.)

Who is complaining..!! we are having some fun here. If there can be jokes on whatsapp uncles, we can return the favor..

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by am1m

But I'm also wondering if it works. I think like the younger generation of job seekers, there's a younger generation of recruiters, middle-managers, hiring managers as well who share the same view about what is acceptable today.

Yup it definitely works. I have seen some comments asking the same there and as per the influenzas adding a picture definitely helps gain more visibility. Just Gen-Z things you see.

Originally Posted by am1m

I'm firmly previous gen myself (20 years+ in the IT industry), and I can't help observe that we're hearing very little from the younger folk here. To be brutally honest, there are a lot of posts from older employees like me who are dominating the discourse and throwing our collective years of 'wisdom' around. But perhaps times have changed and perhaps we are missing something?

Shhh. Don’t say it out loud. Am sure youngsters in the forum keep away from these threads thinking the same. Let the uncles blab

Originally Posted by am1m

(Again, before you guys jump on me- what you guys say about LinkedIn actually resonates with me, I too wonder what happened to what was supposed to be a professional network. But maybe the nature of discourse has changed? Would be good to hear from some younger job seekers. Surely we don't want to just become a echo chamber of middle-aged guys harking back to the 'good old days'.)

Originally Posted by poloman

Who is complaining..!! we are having some fun here. If there can be jokes on whatsapp uncles, we can return the favor..

+1. Not complaining at all. I have started spending more time on linkedin thanks to the cringe content. Its fun watching people fighting over trivial things

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

The answer, as you rightly hinted, is that almost none of the stories are from my current role or from my current org.

Thanks for clarifying.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by poloman

LinkedIn titles are the most funny nowadays. Transformation Specialist, Seasoned leader. Brand builder, Ex Apple, Ex Google, Innovator, Mentor, Leader, Innovation specialist, Career coach, Life coach, Life transformer, Story teller, Entrepreneur in residence.. The list is endless. No one can quickly find out what these innovators/leaders do for a living.

Whenever someone uses more than 1-2 titles, it starts looking suspicious. I get irritated about misuse of title like Co-founder, it is a tag you earn by actually starting a new company along with fellow entrepreneurs.

Yet, India is one country where someone can be promoted to the title of co-founder. Actually, promoter is a technical term for co-founder, so it is weird for the company to promote someone to the role of a promoter. It is totally backwards.

Today, The Ken has discussed this crazy phenomena: https://the-ken.com/the-nutgraf/the-...-the-building/

In the US, executives fight to decide who were actually the co-founders. It’s what happened back then.

In India, executives fight to become co-founders. It’s something you get now as a reward.

And maybe the people who get it see it as something that applies just… for now.

I imagine that if you make the co-founder title into a designation that anyone can get today, it obscures what it really took to be founders and co-founders in the past. Sure, there’s probably a thing called a co-founder mindset that dozens of executives in companies like Zomato may possess, and they deserve to be recognised and rewarded for that. But maybe there’s a difference between what it takes to start a company, and what it takes to build one. Perhaps a part of being a co-founder exists completely in the past, and can never truly be earned.

[Turbohead]

To all those who think multiple LinkedIn titles are cringe: Blame LinkedIn algorithms.

People put multiple titles on their LinkedIn profiles in order to have a better chance at being found by prospective recruiters. For example, I'm forced to keep 'Data Engineer', 'Big Data Developer' and 'AWS' in my title to ensure I get views from recruiters who might be looking for someone like me. Same thing with the guy who put 'ex-Deloitte' since some recruiters specifically hunt for Deloitte employees and would like to ride on the wave as they may be exactly what the recruiters might be looking for.

Yes, it's cringe. But it can be a very powerful tool if done properly.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

To all those who think multiple LinkedIn titles are cringe: Blame LinkedIn algorithms.

The LinkedIn algorithms can't look into the career history to figure out if the person worked as Data Engineer in Google previously?

I find that very surprising. Forcing everyone to clutter their current title with 10 different keywords is poor design.

Another strange habit I noticed today. Using made up title... Flag Bearer as the title in a WITCH company. I don't think that title was ever issued to that person.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by Samurai

The LinkedIn algorithms can't look into the career history to figure out if the person worked as Data Engineer in Google previously?

Well, if I'm not wrong, LinkedIn was originally intended to be a networking tool. Thus, the search results will only try to point at existing employees. For example, I maybe looking at getting into Amazon and would try to search for data engineers in Amazon in order to get a referral etc. If not for the current algorithm, I would have to scan through existing and ex employees (although a filter option is all that's required and could already exist)

But what pisses of non regular LinkedIn users is the cringe content promoted by the Social Selling Index algorithm. Basically, you need to post content every other day, engage with other users through comments, make new connections and so on. All of this is done to highlight your profile on any related search result. In fact, many entrepreneurs use it to get business opportunities.

More on the SSI, which is the reason why many people say LinkedIn is extremely powerful tool to get recruiters run after you, i.e if you have the time to sit and create content: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-f...arlyn-williams

[Samurai]

According to that link, my Industry SSI score is in top 56% and Network SSI is in top 55%. That means I do real work, and don't spend my day mopping around on LinkedIn.

I have heard of these people, who spend most of day hunting their next job. Linkedin is their real workplace.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Same thing with the guy who put 'ex-Deloitte' since some recruiters specifically hunt for Deloitte employees and would like to ride on the wave as they may be exactly what the recruiters might be looking for.

Originally Posted by Turbohead

If not for the current algorithm, I would have to scan through existing and ex employees

More on the SSI, which is the reason why many people say LinkedIn is extremely powerful tool to get recruiters run after you, i.e if you have the time to sit and create content: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-f...arlyn-williams

Thanks for this insight! This is the sort of useful information people like me are missing. I may not like the direction LinkedIn is taking (and if I'm being honest, that's only because I'm not used to it! And, in a similar vein, my grandfather thought that if I didn't wear a tie to work, there was no way I could be employed at a serious job! ), but if it works, it works. Glad to learn something that could help me use LinkedIn more effectively.