LinkedOut

Okay, so trigger warning incoming, a rant is ensuing... Yep, only took me until blog post numéro deux for that to occur, but here we are. Stay with me, though, because I want to talk about something that affects many of us in the writing community: namely, the labyrinth that is LinkedIn job postings.

Now, I'm sure that we all recognise the value of voluntary work in our world, and how people generously giving up their time for others helps to keep the cogs of society turning. For charities and non-profits, this is often a necessary aspect of their very survival, and I myself have more than one voluntary role. So far, so good.

The problem comes when a platform such as LinkedIn, where most of us hang out for actual work opportunities, spews forth a mix of both paid and voluntary roles. So, suddenly, you'll see what sounds like the perfect writing gig pop up - only to click through and discover it's unpaid. 

That conundrum was highlighted this week when an enterprise purporting to help people with their chronic trauma advertised for what sounded like a seriously scary, very grown-up position for, er no money. And here's the thing; no mention of the people going through the trauma of trying to find actual paid-for work on that platform - or, you know, who need to eat and pay their rent. Apparently, that doesn't come into it. 

I mean, I'm sure this enterprise has the best intentions and all, and I truly wish them well, but there's a certain irony in trying to help people with their trauma by asking a person to do what sounds suspiciously like a full-time job for no remuneration. Still, it's not them I blame really, but rather LinkedIn - who I can't help but feel should opt out of posting these unpaid roles, or at least put them in another place. 

Looking on the bright side, it did make me finally take the time to delve a bit deeper into the LinkedIn settings, and it seems that you can filter out voluntary roles in your actual job search. However, while I may be going full Scrooge here, it still feels to me like LinkedIn should have its own separate space for unpaid positions. Surely, that's got to be the best solution all round?