By Mohammad Owais
December 1, 2025
A viral video by a career-focused YouTuber recently stirred fresh debate over LinkedIn’s role in job screening, as the creator shared several examples of how an incomplete or non-visible profile could lead to immediate rejection-even for the highly qualified. The commentary also criticizes how easily the platform can be misused, questioning the reliability of LinkedIn as a hiring filter in 2025.
Candidate Rejected Due to “Ghost Town” LinkedIn Profile
The YouTuber’s key example features a senior data architect with over 12 years in the field, an “ex-Amazon” or “Amazon alumni” engineer who is proficient in Python and SQL.
According to the creator:
- A recruiter opened the candidate’s LinkedIn profile.
- Within seconds, they rejected the application.
- The rejection reportedly had nothing to do with the résumé, but with the profile’s emptiness.
The profile had :
- No photo
- A vague headline: “data at confidential”.
- An empty “About” section
- An experience section filled with “confidential” placeholders
The recruiter has allegedly explained this rejection, saying they “can’t sell a ghost to a hiring manager,” claiming that the profile looked “too mysterious to be credible.”
The YouTuber summarized the lesson rather bluntly:
“In 2025, experience doesn’t count if no one can see it.”
Critique of LinkedIn’s Credibility and Authenticity
The YouTuber also showed how easy it is to manipulate a profile on LinkedIn, poking fun at the grandiose titles and endorsements displayed on many profiles.
As the commentary says:
- Users can claim virtually any title, even simultaneously being the CEO of multiple major technology companies.
- People can also endorse themselves for skills “in having skills”.
- Fake accounts can leave recommendations for each other.
- People looking for jobs feel compelled to constantly update their profiles, optimize, and “sign up for things” just to avoid algorithmic rejection.
The creator framed these criticisms as a reflection of a bigger issue:
Both influential and deeply flawed, LinkedIn is a required credibility tool that does not invariably guarantee authenticity.
Job Market Commentary: Visibility Is Now a Requirement
In a broader discussion about hiring challenges, the YouTuber argued that most rejections today are for reasons unrelated to ability or experience. Examples included:
- “Dry” or low-energy phone calls
- Names that do not subconsciously appeal to recruiters.
- Lack of active social presence, especially on LinkedIn.
The message brought to the fore how contemporary job applications involve both qualification and presentation — and how the latter often dominates early decision-making.
Why the Conversation Matters
The viral commentary comes amid a period when:
- Employers increasingly rely on LinkedIn as a first screening layer.
- Automated filters and accelerated recruitment cycles don’t leave much space for nuance.
- The job seeker has to balance his career along with his online persona.
The YouTuber’s critique reflects a growing concern that sites like LinkedIn promote visibility over skill, and that the modern hiring process relies too heavily on social profiles.
Source: https://youtu.be/kSkfWZka9F0?si=bMlfg32dvz2XMIW6
