A glossary for comparing LinkedIn with its alternatives

A

Applicant tracking system noun, short form ATS

Software employers use to collect applications and move candidates through a hiring process. Job posts on LinkedIn and on job boards often feed into one.See also Easy Apply.

AT Protocol noun

The open networking protocol behind Bluesky, designed so accounts and followers can move between providers.Where Bluesky stops: it offers open posting but no job listings or recruiting tools, and its professional audience varies by field.

B

Boolean search noun

A search using AND, OR, NOT and quotation marks to combine terms. Recruiters use it on LinkedIn, on résumé databases and in general search engines.

C

Connection degree noun

On LinkedIn, a first-degree connection is someone you are connected to, second-degree is a connection of theirs, and third-degree is one step further. Most alternatives show followers rather than degrees.

Contact export noun

A file listing your connections. LinkedIn's export includes names, employer and title, and email addresses only where the connection allows it.See also Data portability.

D

Data portability noun

The ability to take your data from one service and use it in another. In some places, such as the EU and UK, it is also a legal right with conditions. This entry is a definition, not legal advice; your data protection authority can explain how the right applies to you.

E

Easy Apply noun

A LinkedIn feature for applying to a job using your profile and a stored résumé, without leaving the site. Many job boards have a similar quick-apply option.

Endorsement noun

A one-click confirmation by a connection that you have a listed skill. It is different from a written recommendation and does not usually transfer to other services.

F

Fediverse noun

A group of independent social servers that can exchange posts. Mastodon is the most widely used service in it, and some servers are run for specific professions.Where Mastodon stops: discovery across servers is harder than on a single network, and it has no job or recruiting features.

I

InMail noun

A paid LinkedIn message to someone you are not connected with, using credits included in some plans. Elsewhere, the nearest equivalent is a cold email.

Intent data noun

Signals that a company may be researching a purchase, sold by some sales data providers. How it is gathered varies, so its accuracy is hard to judge from outside.

O

Open to Work noun

A LinkedIn setting that signals you are looking for a job, either to recruiters only or publicly with a photo frame. Job boards usually rely on résumé visibility settings instead.

P

Passive candidate noun

Someone who is employed and not applying for jobs, but might consider an offer. Network-based tools reach them more than job boards, which mostly reach active applicants.

Premium noun

LinkedIn's paid subscriptions for individuals, separate from business products such as Sales Navigator and Recruiter.

R

Recommendation noun

A written statement about your work, posted by a LinkedIn connection to your profile. It is included in LinkedIn's data export as text, but the context and link to the writer's profile do not move with it.

S

Sales Navigator noun

A paid LinkedIn product for finding and tracking sales leads among members and companies.

Social selling noun

Building relationships with potential buyers through posts and conversations on social platforms, rather than cold outreach.

Sourcing noun

Searching for potential candidates who have not applied, using networks, databases and search engines.

Subscriber list noun

The email addresses of people who chose to receive your newsletter. Substack lets writers export theirs.Where Substack stops: it publishes and distributes writing but has no job search, recruiting or contact graph features.

V

Verification noun

A check that confirms an identity, workplace or email domain on a profile. LinkedIn offers several kinds, and some alternatives offer domain-based verification instead.

W

Warm introduction noun

An introduction made by someone who knows both people. Connection degrees on LinkedIn help you see who could make one. Elsewhere, you find this out by asking.