TCW #007 | The Not-so-Subtle Art of Job Searching in the Open
The value of eyeballs, how weak connections make magic for you, and
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(note: this post was updated in April 2024 to add more tactics and updated to reflect conditions on the ground in tech job hunting)
Job searching in tech right now is tough stuff. More than 488,000 tech workers have been laid off since 2022 (and counting). It’s April 2024, and 60,000 people have already been laid off year to date. For tech workers under 40 years old, this is the most crowded job market we’ve ever experienced.
In today's crowded job market, you can't just rely on cold applications. You need to cultivate inbound interest on LinkedIn by getting more eyeballs on your profile. I call this Job Searching in the Open.
Today I’ll teach you how to:
hardness LinkedIn algorithms and network effects
turn LinkedIn from where you search for jobs to where hiring managers find you
post daily updates and weekly reflections to reach your 2nd/3rd degree connections
use likely-to-get-reach post themes using data you own, things you know, and a touch of urgency
I'll teach you how to do it with power and confidence.
Let’s dive in ↓
Weak connections open doors
You may think your 1st degree connections (former colleagues and the like) are the key to getting referrals, inside information, and ultimately, a job offer. Wrong.
If you’re like most people, you’ll land referrals through weak connections (2nd and 3rd degree). A 2016 LinkedIn study explains this phenomenon:
This means you need to get your “I’m looking, and here’s what I’m good at” message out to your 2nd and 3rd-degree connections. But it would take a lifetime (and probably be offputting) for you to personally message every 2nd and 3rd degree connection in your network.
Instead, you’re going to reach them through your own LinkedIn posts.
“Building in public” is a Twitter meme that refers to being public about your wins and losses with your followers (to gain their trust and gain more followers).
…And it WORKS. People see your success and join in. You can use the same principles to get outsized reach in your job search on LinkedIn.
It starts with eyeballs
In the talent market, you are the head of Sales and Marketing, and every job search is essentially a marketing funnel. In any marketing funnel, you need robust top-of-funnel opportunities to land bottom-of-funnel results.
For a Job Search in the Open:
the top of your funnel is eyeballs on your resume or LinkedIn profile 👀
the bottom of your funnel is a job offer
Eyeballs → interest → referrals or conversations → interviews → offers.
Get eyeballs, profile views, and willingness to connect by Job Searching in the Open
It’s a two-step process. Here’s how it goes:
Post daily about your expertise areas, job search progress, or learnings. Post frequently. Only 5-10% of connections see each post initially.
Post a weekly reflection summarizing applications, interviews, offers, etc. Use data and an optimistic tone. Include relevant hashtags.
STEP 1: Daily reflection
Write one post daily. It can be a post about something you’ve done in your job search or what you’ve learned. Some topic ideas: what you’re reading, something that shows your expertise, something you’re tinkering with, and even family stuff — though be aware that others often find this cringe.
Why daily?
Only about 10% of your connections will see any post you write.
…This means you can post 10 times before everyone in your immediate network will see anything about your job search!
Tip: the most common hesitation I hear from candidates is that they don’t want to post every day and look desperate for attention. The truth is that most people won’t even see your posts UNTIL they get BIG and go semi-viral.
Understand the LinkedIn algorithms
You may be hesitant to post every day and fear looking desperate. The truth is that most people won’t even see your posts unless they get BIG and go semi-viral.
Here’s how LinkedIn content distribution actually works:
When you post, LinkedIn shows it to a small subset of your 1st-degree connections (5-10%). This is a canary, to see if the post is getting any engagement (and if it has a shot at going viral).
If your post gets some engagement, LinkedIn will show it to a larger set of your 1st-degree connections.
As posts get engagement from your 1st-degree connections, LinkedIn extends reach to 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.
This means that when people see your posts at any reasonable frequency, it’s because your posts have high engagement (where you look like a badass with lots of traction).
Even if only a small fraction of your weak connections click your profile, you’ve extended your job search reach into the target audience. That was the goal.
TLDR: Post daily, and don’t worry about blasting your LinkedIn 1st-degree connections and hoarding the mic — they’ll only see ~5-10% of your posts, and this isn’t really even for them anyway. You’re trying to reach weak connections.
2. On a weekly basis, post a longer “weekly reflection” on your job search.
This should summarize your job search for the week, including inputs (applications, networking, learning / skills refreshers) and outputs (coffee chats, interviews, certifications, offers).
Include data, ideally.
Lead with optimism. (People like optimistic posts, it’s human nature)
Use hashtags. (Some recruiters search with hashtags)
Fan the flames of engagement. (Inspire comments. Ask for a like.)
Don't be shy, peeps! If you want a job, tell the world. And then tell them again and again...until you have a job.
✨BONUS✨ Post themes that play
Theme 1: The Data Miner
I’m seeing traction for posts that share job search data (number of applications, number of 1st round interviews, number of onsites, number of offers).
This is probably because other 1st-degree connections are also job searching, so they find the data useful and then they like or comment on your post.
A couple of things that Andrew does well in his post:
#opentowork. He makes it clear that he’s actively looking.
Specific. He makes it clear exactly what he wants (UX Leadership)
Gives (data and intel) before asking for help.
Tip: Always give before you ask, and you'll find the world is a lot more generous.
Look how many people 💜 his post because he shared interesting data!
Theme 2: The Thinker / Learner / Tinkerer
You know I’m obsessed with a growth mindset!
We are all visual people, and we love seeing posts with interesting visuals.
A successful approach I’ve seen is people showing what they’re learning (and building) to sharpen their skills during a job search.
A couple of things that Alejandro does well in his post:
Growth mindset. “Passionate student of the tech field.”
Skill-based SEO juice. (REST API, Python, Flask, XCTest)
Speaks positively about his past roles and employer (optimism for the win)
Theme 3: Sense of Urgency
I’ve seen a few high-urgency, intimate posts recently with a TON of likes and comments.
If you’re getting to the edge of your savings and need an immediate opportunity, it’s worth considering an urgent and direct post like this one:
What Stephanie does well in her post:
So human. You can’t help but feel for her in this post (and want to help).
Direct. This post is much longer than the screenshot above. In her full post, she is specific about what she is looking for (and when she can start).
Leave nothing on the table. If you use this approach, go all in. You’ll likely only use this tactic once.
Update: Stephanie’s post got 710,000 views, 8090 likes, 854 reposts, and 773 comments. From this post alone, she got 100s of DMs and back-to-back interviews for 2 full weeks. She starts her new job soon.
Closing thoughts
You can turn LinkedIn into a powerful marketing channel for your job search. Find the approach that works for you, and start Job Searching in the Open today:
Post daily updates. Post weekly reflections.
Remember: Don't worry about oversharing. Posting frequently increases your discoverability for weak connections, and only 5-10% of your 1st degree network sees the posts that don’t take off.
🎉 That’s a wrap!
The Subtle Art of Networking (in the digital age) is a new multi-week series at The Career Whispers. In this series, I’ll explore clever and effective ways to network into your next tech gig. All posts in the series:
TCW #005: Networking with Hiring Managers, Part 1: Find Them (and Engage)
TCW #006: Networking with Hiring Managers, Part 2: How to Connect (+ What to Say)
TCW #007: The Not-so-Subtle Art of Job Searching in the Open
TCW #008: Online Communities: The Secret Sauce of a Modern Job Search
TCW #009: The Subtle Art of the Professional Blurb
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if anyone else is here in 2025 or after and you'd wanna read Stephanie's whole post, here's the direct link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stephaniebudin_hiring-activity-7025230780368834560-oOSR