Qualified?

There is no secret that it is a tough job market out there. The turmoil in the economy, coupled with the adoption of AI to do routine and entry level work, has combined to make companies skittish about adding new personnel, whether it be for expansion or just replacing existing positions. That doesn't mean there aren't jobs out there to be had, just that finding ones that fit your skillset for which you are a good match has become far more challenging than it has in years.

As always the best way of connecting with those opportunities is by, well, connecting. Networking is and as always has been the best way to at least get through the front door. While the original way to do that was to meet and greet friends, classmates and associates at parties, social events, and industry gatherings, it was inevitable that it would move online. Multiple platforms have sprung up such as Glassdoor, Monster and Indeed, but all are sandboxes compared to the big playground that is LinkedIn.

Preceding Facebook's predecessor by a year, the company was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman along with other buddies from his time at PayPal and Socialnet.com. The first major site devoted to professional interaction, it was acquired by Microsoft in 2016 for $26 billion. Like it or hate it, it has become a de facto job board and networking site for over a billion people.

While Facebook, Instagram, and other social media are optimized for the life side of that ever elusive work-life balance, LinkedIn is focused for other side of the teeter totter. People go there to see prospective employee qualifications, post accomplishments, as well as offer career and work advice. But while keeping abreast of others professional trajectories is nice, the most valuable feature for many is the "connections" listing. There you can see how many degrees of separation there are between you and a company or job of interest, and plot a path to make their acquaintance.

The site also seeks to keep you engaged by scanning your own qualifications, then matching them to opportunities that others post. Like Netflix's "if you liked this you might like that" algorithm, it purports to align your skillset with employers looking for people like you. And so to keep users engaged it sends out a steady stream of "you may be a fit for this one" notices. 

Indeed, as I type these words another has popped up on my own feed, with the headline "New recommended jobs based on your profile and activity." To a large extent they get it right. My background in media production matches me with job postings from such companies as Disney and Comcast, as well as other legacy and new media brands. In some cases it's a bit of stretch: I am a tech/production type, and design is not my forte. So "editor" or "producer" are in the 8-point match range, while "creative director" is in the zip code but a bit farther afield. (If you have doubt as to my design chops, one look at my office should convince you I am not droid you are looking for)

But one has to wonder if the site's matching criteria are as tight as they should be. While I am certainly the inquisitive sort, a potential match for me as a Special Agent with the FBI seems a bit of a miss. (I did have a "Get Smart" briefcase with spy tools as a kid, but it didn't really help me solve any crimes). And while I am pretty good at backing my car into the garage at home, a job as Ramp Operations Crew at the airport wouldn't seem to be based on any skills listed in my CV. Still, I've broken just one tail light over the years so perhaps I have potential with larger craft. And who wouldn't like to wave around those red wands?

Looked at another way, perhaps the site is trying to do me favor, by suggesting that my underlying talents would serve me well in branching out beyond my chosen career. Maybe I've been too parochial in my thinking, and not willing to consider the wider set of opportunities for which I might be suited. I used to do work for Kraft Foods, so maybe the job of "Cheese Associate" at a gourmet market in New York might be a good fit.  After all, it pays $23 an hour, and I know my cheddar.

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Marc Wollin of Bedford is not really looking for work anymore. His column appears weekly via email and online on Substack and Blogspot as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and X.