I realized I was wasting hours applying to “dead” LinkedIn jobs — so I built a tiny fix
Source: Dev.to
The Problem
For weeks I thought I was just bad at job searching. I was applying to tons of roles on LinkedIn every day and getting… nothing.
Patterns I Noticed
- The same jobs kept showing up again and again.
- Roles I’d already applied to were still in my feed.
- “Urgent hiring” posts already had hundreds or thousands of applicants.
- Promoted listings dominated everything.
It started to feel less like job searching and more like fighting the interface.
The Moment It Clicked
A recruiter friend said something simple that stuck with me:
A lot of LinkedIn jobs are reposted endlessly, promoted for visibility, or already flooded with applicants. You’re not competing — you’re just burning energy.
That insight changed my approach. Instead of trying to apply to more jobs, I started trying to remove the noise.
Manual Workarounds
At first I did it manually:
- Skipping promoted listings.
- Ignoring jobs I’d already applied to.
- Avoiding listings I’d already opened.
- Skipping posts with massive applicant counts.
It helped, but it was tedious.
Building a Tiny Fix: LinkedIn JobLens
I built a small Chrome extension for myself—not a startup, just a personal tool. The extension:
- Hides promoted jobs.
- Hides jobs I already applied to.
- Hides Easy Apply spam.
- Hides jobs I’ve already viewed.
- Makes it easier to focus on newer, less crowded roles.
There is no automation of applications; it simply cleans up the feed.
Results
After sharing it with a few friends, I saw tangible benefits:
- Saved me hours every week.
- Reduced burnout.
- Made the process feel less hopeless.
- Helped me focus on higher‑signal opportunities.
Those improvements mattered more than I expected.
Extension Link
If you’re curious, you can try the extension here: