After 12 years of contracting, I’ve decided it’s time to go permanent. This isn’t about the state of the market or personal burnout; it’s that my career has changed. I’ve gone from hands-on delivery to shaping systems, mentoring teams, and driving long-term strategy. That kind of work needs continuity, and contracting just doesn’t make as much sense for it anymore.

You’re told to post daily, engage constantly, and craft a personal brand to stand out on LinkedIn. But between spam bots, content farming, and the creeping suspicion that half your audience isn’t even human, the whole thing starts to feel hollow. Welcome to the absurd reality of job hunting on LinkedIn in 2025.

Development recruitment is broken and not suitable for the current era. It focuses on the ability to regurgitate memorised facts under pressure and does not focus on things that actually matter. Here's how to do it better.