I am on a career break, but still looking for opportunities should they come along. In the past 3 weeks, I have received 8 recruiter mails for job openings. Now in theory this should be a good thing however let me be clear, it is highly impersonal and at times downright offensive to receive mail from people who have not looked at my profile and who are not even prepared to respond to answer any questions I may have.
The cherry on top was to receive one of these highly personalised mails from a company I did not have an amicable relationship with and had already worked for. It seems the days of recruiters contacting you because they actually had a position you may be interested in are over.
Instead, it is far easier to spam people, presumably using key words as a search tool. I do enjoy the opening statement " I came across your profile" - No you didn't, because you haven't actually viewed my profile.
Contrary to the past on LinkedIn, it seems downright lazy to just spam a bunch of people to try and get a bite. On a personal level it can be quite insulting and takes that recruiter off my list for anything in the future. I certainly do not mind receiving emails from recruiters I have dealt with in the past seeing if I am looking for any new positions, however this is quite different to being directed to apply for a job that is completely unsuitable.
It has unfortunately changed the landscape of the platform into something less powerful and appealing. I have dealt with some incredible recruiters, people like Anna Pell from AA Appointments know how to to communicate with their base and they do it well. There are many many wonderful recruiters and companies out there and a small amount are spoiling it for the masses.
Whilst LinkedIn was previously a platform that encouraged collaboration, engagement and communication, times have clearly changed.
So to the recruiter who is about to send me an invitation to apply for a job I am not qualified for nor have any experience in the field, thanks but no thanks.