Hello there Reader,

If you followed last week’s post, your LinkedIn profile will be set for the job search.

But that’s only part of the game.

I was overwhelmed by how many of you told me you want direct help, so I’m going to put that workshop together—stay tuned for more.

Until that’s ready, below are the most common questions I get, including some you sent since last week’s email.

Hi there! If you’re new to my newsletter, let me just take a few moments to highlight what I’m up to.

I’m in the process of documenting all of the work I’ve done with PMs around the world, helping them land their next roles faster, and with more money, and putting all the advice into my newsletter.

It’s a ton of content, and it’s filled with what works.

I may sprinkle in some other updates along the way, but what I’m building will be the most comprehensive guide anywhere, and I’m giving it to the community.

It’s just one part of how I’ll achieve my mission to help PMs build better products for the world.

If at any time you want to move faster, reach out and let’s talk about how I can help you.

If you have any feedback or questions, just reply and I’ll get back to you.

Now back to this week’s newsletter!

LinkedIn FAQs

I’ve spent thousands of hours on LinkedIn as a former PM job seeker.

I’ve also helped 100s of PMs land their next role.

Here are the most common questions, and answers I strongly stand by:

I’m thinking about posting regularly, will this help?

This is the biggest trap people fall into.

I can understand why.

We’re inundated with LinkedInfluencers talking about personal brand or giving the low-value-but-easy-to-recommend advice to “just start posting.”

99% of people on LinkedIn don’t post, so it should be easy to stand out, right?

That’s how the thinking goes.

But here’s the first question I ask people:

Will you keep posting on LinkedIn after you get a job?

If the answer is NO, then don’t waste your time posting on LinkedIn.

Why?

Simple: Impact.

If you’re measuring the time you invest against the impact on your job search (e.g., more recruiter inbound, more interviews, better interview conversion) then it should be obvious.

Writing a meaningful post can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour.

But what do you write about?

Who are you writing to?

How often do you write?

How do you build a following?

How consistent should you be?

…I could write another 20 questions that will swirl in your mind (if they haven’t already) and none of the answers directly relate to getting you a job.

And for what?

The chance that a hiring manager sees your post among 100 others that day, and that just magically happens to be the difference between interviewing you and not?

I don’t like those odds.

Neither should you.

Now, if you want to build a following and are going to keep writing and publishing after your job search ends, by all means—go at it.

Most people I ask that clarifying question don’t want to post on LinkedIn.

So don’t.

Should I use #OpentoWork?

This is the spiciest question and the one I struggle most to bite my tongue about.

Why?

Because of assholes.

They’re out there. They judge you.

Not going to lie to you, I’ve met them.

I’ve engaged in debates with other people about it, too.

Here’s how and why you should use #OpentoWork (OTW).

First, if you’re currently working, you should have OTW on privately—make sure the right job titles and locations are set.

Recruiters configure searches to people who are OTW as they’re more likely to respond to outreach.

Poor response rates lead to their accounts getting limited, so they’re incentivised to be targeted in their outreach.

Second, you should use OTW publicly (the green ring) to signal to your network you are looking for opportunities.

LinkedIn’s own research has shown:

People with the #OpentoWork banner are 20% more likely to receive messages from their network
Profiles are 2x as likely to get messages from recruiters with the frame turned on
Including the frame serves as a reminder for your network and they will lean in to help you

But I know what that voice inside might be saying.

Because you’ve heard others plant their 🚩when saying “it makes you look desperate.”

But listen, that kind of bias is ill-informed at best, and malicious at worst.

Don’t handcuff yourself because of what assholes think.

If you’re not working, anyone who would judge you because of it is going to find out anyway when you’re interviewing—so why should their opinions preclude you from getting the benefits of this feature?

I’ve worked with Product Management VPs who used it and would do it again if they needed to.

So, when you decide to use it, make sure you invest proper time to write an actionable post to get the most value out of the reach that post will get.

I’m no longer working, how do I address this on my profile?

It is true that recruiters will sometimes search for candidates who are “currently” employed.

Not having an active position will prevent you from showing up in those searches.

I’ve seen people work around this in a couple of ways:

Add a consulting position
Add a Stealth Startup position
Add a “Seeking opportunities” position with your targeted job titles

I don’t have data to substantiate how much this helps, but it’s a strategy I’ve seen used to help combat the search exclusion described above.

But look, if you’re not working, don’t be discouraged.

I’ve worked with candidates who have been out of work for over a year.

They still get interviews.

They still get offers.

I’m not saying it is easy, but if you’ve been out of work a month, or two, or even six, it’s okay—the hiring managers and recruiters in this market are well aware we’re not in ‘normal times’.

Those are the top questions I get. Did you have any others?

Next week I’ll be publishing the monthly PM Jobs deep dive.

Following that, I’ve got one more post lined up for LinkedIn and then we’ll move on to interviewing.

Thanks for reading.

Wishing you success,
James