Jobs.Linux.Com: When Job Boards Go Bad

khess 0 852 Views

Last week, The Linux Foundation it's new Linux Jobs board and normally, I applaud anything that The Linux Foundation (TLF) does but not this time. And I think it's great that TLF has a on Linux.com, however, the execution lacks the luster I've come to expect from these guys. So, what's my beef with something so positive as a job board? What would make anyone, much less me, irritable at a Linux job board's implementation and launch? It's simple, really. To call something a Linux Jobs Board, what would you expect to see there? Linux jobs, perhaps? Yes, they have those. So, what, you ask, do I have a problem with?

The "Linux" Jobs Board also has truck driving jobs, nursing jobs, AIX jobs, Solaris jobs and more jobs that have nothing to do with Linux.

Now, I do realize that the businesses that post to the job board pay a fee for their postings to the board. There are two options. Option 1, which I don't really understand, costs 49 cents per matching view--not sure exactly how that works but the second option is clearer: $99 for a 15 day posting and $199 for a 30 day posting. With Option 1, your posts are also placed on the .

To be completely fair to TLF, the jobs that don't relate to Linux aren't explicitly part of Linux.com's job board but are shown to you when you perform a job search. They are "sponsored" links from another job site called LinkUp.com.

Would you, as a job poster, have a problem with these "sponsored" links appearing along with your paid job postings? I would. I don't think it's fair to the paid job poster to associate these distracting, non-Linux jobs with the ones that we want to see--the Linux jobs.
I also saw a few jobs listed that have to do with AIX, Solaris and even Data Architecture.
I know that no environment is 100% Linux but my problem is that, if you're looking for an AIX administrator with Linux experience, you could look elsewhere. If you're looking for a Linux administrator with AIX experience, then this is the place to use.

The Linux Foundation is a top-notch organization. I am glad that they chose to post Linux jobs on their linux.com site. But, I'm a little taken aback at the way in which it's done. I also understand that there's probably some monetary benefit to having those non-Linux jobs on the linux.com jobs site but it's distracting and, in my humble opinion, not fair to the paying companies who're looking for candidates.

I might be fighting windmills here but do people actually ever get jobs from job boards? I've never done it. I've never sucessfully secured employment through a headhunter, professional search firm, outplacement company or job board. Does anyone ever get a job via Craigslist?
In my experience, though lots of people will dispute it, newspaper ads and networking through friends and family are the best methods of getting a job.

To my friends at The Linux Foundation: I appreciate your job board effort. I think it's a good thing and there are some very cool jobs on there (none geographically close to me but that's another story). Unfortunately, the alien job postings bother me.

Is anyone else bothered by those other postings or is it just me?

Dani AI

Generated

Good point from about off‑topic listings diluting a niche board, and useful followup from about the sponsored module. That pattern — an aggregator or ad module showing unrelated roles — is common. It frustrates both candidates and paying employers because it reduces signal-to-noise. Below are practical, low-effort steps for candidates and hirers to get around the problem and make listings actually work.

For candidates:

  • Search with tight keywords and simple Boolean. Example: "Linux" AND (sysadmin OR "systems administrator") -AIX -Solaris
  • Use title and skill filters first. Scan the first two lines of the description for distro names or kernel/packaging experience.
  • Save searches and enable alerts where possible so you’re only notified of truly relevant posts.
  • Combine boards with community channels: distro mailing lists, meetup groups, project issue trackers and contributor activity often surface better-fit roles than generic boards.

For employers posting Linux roles:

  • Put the word “Linux” and the primary distro/toolchain in the job title and first sentence (e.g., “Senior Linux Systems Engineer — RHEL/CentOS”).
  • Add short, explicit screening items: required years on Linux, kernel/admin tasks, and must-have tool names.
  • Ask the board for placement guarantees or a refund/credit if your paid post appears next to clearly unrelated sponsored content.
  • Track quality: measure qualified applicants per posting and switch vendors if noise outweighs value.

A final note: job boards are one channel. For mid-to-senior Linux hires, targeted outreach and referrals usually return better matches and faster hires than broad boards alone. If the site’s moderation or ad model keeps producing noise, escalate with the site or move to more curated venues.

Member Avatar for time123
time123 0 Newbie Poster

The off-topic jobs you mentioned were in the separate Sponsored Jobs module that appears at the bottom of the page and were from an external provider. That Sponsored Jobs area doesn't appear any more.

Member Avatar for khess
khess 95 Practically a Master Poster

:
I know...see my paragraph from above:

To be completely fair to TLF, the jobs that don't relate to Linux aren't explicitly part of Linux.com's job board but are shown to you when you perform a job search. They are "sponsored" links from another job site called LinkUp.com.

I will check the site again to see...that would be great if it's really gone. Thanks for the note.

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