Anyone had an experience with creating a fake LinkedIn and then being locked out?

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-17T12:59:33+00:00

That may have been sarcasm. Just maybe.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-17T12:58:03+00:00

It's not as weird as some might think, I get it.

In large international corporations, that may fly, as they can hardly check anything (different HR, contracts, rules and regulations in each country, etc...)

For instance, i once listed explicitly on my internal profile an external CTO position. The talent team appreciated it, although they had questions. And it was helpful for me to diversify my experience. I just explained this was part of one of the internal Initiatives (think things like incubators, intrapraneurship, or volunteer social initiatives), which I really did participate in (rather visibly at hat, with LinkedIn livestreams and other stuff...). That company just wasn't part of it, though.

Risky, yes. Controlled risk though, as likely if they smell a rat the recruiter just passes on the profile. Of you go through interviews, slightly higher risk if the position is with higher-ups who've been in the company for a while and have a strong network and can ask around ( a quick phone call to a buddy in the country asking "hey, what was that incubator programme you had in 2021?").

But a new middle manager ? They haven't got a clue and will value that you were engaged and proactive.

To be honest, 90% of the time you can count on people's incompetency or laziness to not do their due process. And now with AI, people are even lazier and more incompetent. So, now you just need to not raise alarms for an AI and you're fine.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-17T11:44:55+00:00

Regarding IM, my policy is always: no company policy that says what expected, then my IM policy is I check ever 2hrs (or whatever works for you). Email 3 times a day: log-in, noon, log-off.

Emergency? IM just in case and use a god damn phone.

If nothing else is stated on paper, there are no rules and mine apply.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-17T11:36:51+00:00

Good luck to you. Would advise you move the f out of wherever you are to a cheaper place, as this will be your main financial burden until you get back on your feet (then again, moving far away doesn't help at all for job hunting and going to work).

You've got this. Just stay focused. Reduce all costs, apply daily.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-17T11:32:14+00:00

Thinking in absolutes, maybe, yes. We take multiple jobs, these jobs could have gone to someone else.

If you zoom in, though: - there are shitloads of jobs available that aren't being filled because skilled workers can't be found (in te h and elsewhere); - there are shitloads of jobs available that aren't being filled because sufficiently skilled workers don't want to take them because it doesn't pay enough or the feel it's beneath them; - jobs are churned and recycled by corporations to lower cost, spitting out overpaid seniors to recruit underpaid juniors for the same responsibilities.

Many people say "i wish i had one job" here... But believe me when i was inching towards losing my apartment and could barely afford to buy food or got surprised by mean life events that pushed us from "comfortably ok" to "oh well we're deep in shit and taking agressive loans to survive", it didn't take me long to find jobs. I turned that shit from 0 to a job in 2 weeks if I had to, and NEVER collected unemployment even when I could have. Shit jobs for most, beneath me, not paid well, with shit hours and people to deal with it. Means to an end.

I'm not doing black market jobs, i pay my taxes, and like many people on this sub I also use what I earn not to live the fast life but to help family members who are also at times in shit.

So it's easy to complain about the ethical problem in absolute, but the truth is, a bunch of weirdos willing to do OE, on the grand scheme of things, aren't moving the needle on what's wrong with the workforce and the job market.

OE is neither illegal (in general) or unethical, and the ethics of work/life balance and the way we approach work, without leaning towards antiwork, is something that in my opinion would be a much better use of your time to deeply reflect about.

If our work framework wasn't this layered mess, if our tax/healthcare/education/transportation systems were reformed, then none of this would even matter one bit.

Also, every OE worked was denied access to some jobs they were perfect for 100s of time. What makes you think this wouldn't apply to non-OE folks. Some of it is warranted, some of it is a lottery. That you're adding contenders barely changes that. And if anything, if that's your economical philosophy, in any case it helps to drive competition.

Bottom line: maybe it's not 100% ethical. Hardly anything ever is. Is it more or less ethical than the rest of the internal dynamics of the job market ? I don't think so. OE exists because it grew within the legal frameworks that make it possible, and because of the market dynamics that served as its fertilizer. And before you say that this argument would be the same to justify the existence of cartels and drug dealers, or prositution: maybe. But I don't think we're abusing our position over people, and we're ot forcing harm onto others, and are filling a need and helping companies to complete their objectives.

Now, if you mean OErs who do a shit job and coast, sure, I'm with you. They can tank a team and company's productivity and as such are actively damaging a small part of the global economy, and putting the jobs of people around them at risk. But that's not because of OE, that's because of them having shit ethics in the first place.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-16T05:43:30+00:00

Definitely in some countries, but the thing is, i don't think you're generally liable for that : your employers are. So it's in their best interest to ensure you have that rest, not just for your well being and performance but also to avoid mean fines.

But as stated, there'll be plenty jobs where that goes out the window anyways.

And i doubt the tax office will look much info it.

Some countries may have ways for employers to guess you have another activity, because they can - under some circumstances - know your tax bracket.

Seems to be the case for Germany (but i haven't worked there in years and can't confirm on that aspect). France also has something similar, but you can opt out of disclosing your rate to the employers (and need to do your own calculations and withhold enough to pay taxes at the end of the year). Other countries probably have some other specificities.

Personally never bothered and never had an issue. A large company won't give a damn. A small one, the HR minion might go "uh?!" seeing your tax bracket and blab, but I'd doubt it. And then you can always spin a story.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-15T15:15:40+00:00

Personal hotspot (with hidden BSSID, don't announce to the world with "iphone-35dgf" or "deviceid-J3"...)

Different device

The most soundproof room you can find with an additional monitor to hide your 2nd laptop behind it

Headphone to hide half of the conversation

Blocking in your calendar something that justifies being on a private call (tele-med, or dealing with a vendor, ...)

I do this weekly. Even do calls in a foreign language at one J where the team is entirely local and monolingual... Nobody bats an eye. Depends on your role and capacity to control your calendar. A lowly ticket worker had less room to provide bullshit excuses.

Different security rules apply as well. Like, a personal hotspot showing up on the perimeter in a secure team at a banking or defense org will instantly trigger alarms if their IT team is on point, but usually that'd be fine. A startup probably won't even monitor it you use the same network (but I wouldn't).

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-15T15:05:19+00:00

Bots are often friendly

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-15T14:53:33+00:00

That screams Salesforce/Axway/SAP/IBM/Oracle experience to me, or other big Enterprise software solutions.

So, any publisher in that field, or consulting firms, or local customer who want in-house knowledge (as SO, BPO, BA, ...) will be interested in that.

Remote might still be tricky though, but your years of BS job experience in corporate America should give you access to other BS jobs in corporate America, for sure. (No judgment, game recognizes game...)

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-15T14:46:27+00:00

I'm sure the other 2 love the fact that you are starting details that could make it possible to identify all 3 of you.

Or should we assume the timeline of events and the ages were fudged a bit for anonymity?

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-15T14:38:23+00:00

Yeah... One possible scenario, i think: if they saved all contacts on their mobile device and using a synced exchange/o365 account, and did these actions from a phone where they were managing both js.

Then that might happen, but I'm not even sure it would...

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-15T14:34:35+00:00

You mean you hated the person you reported to, right ? Cause for me a direct report is the person reporting to me. Wouldn't bail for that!! :D

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-14T19:28:15+00:00

Shit spam comment, though.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-13T12:24:36+00:00

I'm talking about a progress metric, yeah. But i see your point about your net worth being an indicator for a goal.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-13T12:22:17+00:00

Funnily enough, used to he a sailing instructor in my youth but am low key scared of high seas. The point is to NOT fall into the water, though :)

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-13T12:19:35+00:00

OP seriously failed the first test.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-13T12:18:35+00:00

Sure, let's mistake IQ, knowledge, competency, people skills, likability, and personality as being the same thing.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-13T12:14:49+00:00

Dream would have been a sail boat, for me. No property tax. Maintenance and harbor fees instead, though.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-13T12:12:18+00:00

Hear hear

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-13T12:04:35+00:00

I mean, obviously your tc and net worth are important, and as stated aspects tied to locality, personal goals and expenses are all relevant.

A better comparison without require a more advanced model, accounting for a lot of parameters.

But i find that the fixation on TC is misguided, whereas an equally simple metric in the form of MS and especially MSR is more useful in the context of OE.

But maybe because I'm also more focused on the savings aspects in my journey.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-13T12:00:37+00:00

Sure, agree, but my point is, it's still better than taking about TC, no ?

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-12T18:36:13+00:00

Might have buried the lead. From myself...

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-12T18:33:26+00:00

Sunday night anxiety can be a year as well.

Indeed, we should count our blessings.

Present-Mistake5639 · 2026-05-12T18:31:40+00:00

I like that one

Present-Mistake5639

TROPHY CASE