Working out what to use
Start here if you are trying to decide between platforms, or trying to work out whether to change anything at all.
Choosing between LinkedIn and its alternatives
A branching path from what you are trying to do to the platforms suited to it.
Start here if unsureLinkedIn and its alternatives by task
Grouped by the job you need done rather than by brand.
Task firstBy career stage
Early, mid, senior, executive and returning after a break.
Stage firstBy industry
What carries weight in your sector, including sectors most advice ignores.
Sector firstBy region
Where the global network leads, where a local platform does, and where it is absent.
Location firstQuestions to ask before leaving
Six questions that produce a clear answer, including the answer that no change is needed.
Before switchingUnderstanding what it costs
Money is the obvious cost. Time and attention are the ones that decide whether an arrangement lasts.
What they cost
Published prices, free tier coverage, and the charges that are easy to miss.
MoneyWhere the free tier ends
The exact point at which payment begins on each type of platform.
MoneyBudget scenarios
Worked examples for a job search, a freelance year and a single hire.
MoneyThe time cost
Setup effort against recurring upkeep, and what keeps working when you stop.
TimeManaging notifications
How much each platform asks of your attention, and what to switch off.
AttentionPosting a role, from the employer side
What advertising one vacancy involves, and where the money goes.
HiringChecking whether to believe any of it
This category is full of confident claims. These pages are about reading them, including the ones published here.
Claims, checked
Six repeated statements set against what the public record supports.
EvidenceReading the numbers
Why member counts, visit counts and active users are not interchangeable.
EvidenceWhere comparisons go wrong
Seven recurring errors and the tells that reveal them.
EvidenceA glossary
Definitions for the terms that carry more precision than they appear to.
ReferenceWho owns what
Why a list of four alternatives may involve fewer independent companies.
ContextSources and method
How this was compiled, what was excluded, and where the method is weakest.
About this siteLooking after what you build
The parts that matter later: your data, your visibility, and what survives if something changes.
Privacy and data controls
What you can export, hide and delete, and which rights come from law.
DataHow findable your profile is
Which platforms publish you to the open web and which keep everything behind a login.
VisibilityContinuity risk
What is exposed if a platform changes hands, changes model or leaves your market.
RiskMoving between platforms
A sequence that avoids losing contacts you meant to keep.
ProcessSpotting fake listings
Fraud patterns by platform type, and four checks that work everywhere.
SafetyWhen to re-check
What expires within months, and what holds for years.
Upkeep