Trying to find a job overseas, and LinkedIn is harder than it looks

I’ve been trying to figure out how to expand my job search beyond Korea, and a lot of advice, especially for international roles, kept mentioning LinkedIn. I figured it was pretty straightforward, just another place to put my resume online. But man, it’s kind of a whole different beast.

H2: What I thought LinkedIn was for

Honestly, I mostly thought of it as a fancier, more professional version of Facebook. People post updates, connect with colleagues, maybe share some industry news. I even saw some articles mentioning how companies use it for marketing and finding buyers, like that stuff about Chungju City using it for overseas sales. They mentioned things like discovering buyers and target marketing using LinkedIn. Sounds useful, right? I assumed I’d just upload my CV, maybe write a little summary, and then companies looking for people with my skills would magically find me. Like that guy, Jung Ki-sun, the HD Hyundai chairman, sharing stuff on his LinkedIn. That made it seem like a place where important people hang out and share things. And some people even use it to share about job cuts, like the CEOs from DeepL and Cloudflare talking about restructuring because of AI. It all seemed very official and significant.

H2: The reality of building a profile

Getting started, I realized it’s not just about uploading your resume. You have to actively build out your profile. It asks for recommendations, endorsements for skills, and you’re supposed to list out your projects and achievements in detail. It felt like a lot more work than just sending out applications. I spent hours trying to phrase my experience in a way that sounded professional and impactful, but also truthful. It’s easy to see how people use it for networking, like in the US job search examples where they said connections and LinkedIn are key. But if you don’t already have a massive network, it feels a bit like being on the outside looking in. There’s this whole unspoken etiquette about connecting with strangers, sending messages, and following companies. I tried connecting with a few people in the industry I’m interested in, and sometimes it felt awkward. Some people accept, some don’t, and some ignore it completely. It’s not like just adding a friend on other platforms.

H2: Navigating job postings and applications

The job postings themselves are also different. Some are straightforward, but others are really vague, or they expect you to have a very specific set of skills that they might list out in a way that feels overwhelming. I saw some mentions of AI in marketing education, and that kind of tech-savvy approach seems to be what a lot of overseas companies are looking for. It’s not just about what you did, but what you can do with new tools like AI for market research or targeting. So, I had to really think about how to present my skills in that context, even if my direct experience wasn’t exactly with an AI chatbot for market research. It’s more about showing you understand the direction things are going.

H2: The hidden costs of building a digital legacy

It also got me thinking about the digital footprint in general. I read this piece about sorting out digital legacies after death, and it pointed out how much of our lives – contacts, finances, relationships – are now online, in places like LinkedIn, KakaoTalk, and other social media. It made me realize that a LinkedIn profile isn’t just for getting a job now; it’s part of this whole digital identity we’re creating. And keeping it updated and professional is something you have to keep doing. It’s not a one-and-done thing. It’s an ongoing effort to maintain this online persona.

H2: Still figuring out how to make it work

Overall, I haven’t landed an international job through LinkedIn yet. It feels like a crucial tool, especially if you’re looking at places like the US where networking is a big deal, as the articles about US job searching pointed out. But it requires a level of strategic effort and networking that I’m still trying to get the hang of. It’s more than just a job board; it’s a professional networking platform that you have to actively manage. I’m still not sure if I’m using it effectively, or if I should be spending more time trying to get people to endorse my skills or requesting recommendations. It’s a constant learning process, and sometimes I just feel a bit lost in the sheer amount of information and expectations on there.