Shenanigans on linkedin

9 July 2025

A year ago, I was applying for jobs because well.... I needed a job.

Particularly, after completing the leetcode gauntlet, I was grinding LinkedIn Jobs for XP.

Thankfully, LinkedIn has this thing called “Easy Apply.” Click, click, done. Minimal commitment, just the dopamine hit of productivity.

But then I noticed something strange. Right before hitting Submit, there's a neat little checkbox:
“Follow [Company Name] for updates.”
It's already checked. You didn't ask for it. But hey, you just followed a company.

The Feed Is the Product

Following a company means you start seeing its posts in your feed. Even more cleverly, your connections do too.

Your connections don't even need to interact with the company for you to see their posts.

I know, this can be maybe be turned off. But 99% of folks aren’t gonna do this.

The Phantom Job Board

Did you know companies can post jobs on LinkedIn for free?

But if they want reach, they need to boost the post — like promoting an Instagram reel, but sadder.

One thing always puzzled me: how do these companies have 10,000+ followers? My friend isn't exactly a Microsoft junkie (more of a meth-head tbh).

So I ran an experiment.

• Made a fake company with a cool-sounding "AI" name
• Free Canva logo
• Jargon-filled job post — “AI Data Strategist,” “Prompt Engineer”
• No website. No product. Just LinkedIn.

Result?

Real Tips from the Inside

• Applicants are default-sorted by relevance.
• Sell yourself a bit. There's often an auto-reject filter if basic criteria aren't met.
• Always answer the screening questions. Even if they seem optional.

Thanks for reading!!