Two hours. That’s all it took for our QA job post at Proudcloud to hit 51 applicants and force LinkedIn to pause it.
No ads. No boosts. Just one honest job post that said what we’re looking for — and what we’re not.
I Broke LinkedIn (And I Didn’t Even Pay for It)
I posted a QA job on LinkedIn.
Two hours later, LinkedIn paused it.
Not because it was spammy, not because it broke a rule — but because it worked too well. Too many views, too fast. And I wasn’t paying for premium reach.
So I got the message:
“Want to keep reaching candidates? Upgrade your plan.”
But here’s the thing:
I didn’t need to advertise. I didn’t use a recruiter template.
I just posted the role like a real human being. And that made all the difference.
The post ended with a simple line:
“Want in? Send your resume and a short note on how you found your worst bug to hi@proudcloud.io.”
That was it.
That was the entire vetting process.
And the irony? It worked better than any expensive ATS funnel.
Most Clicked “Apply.” Few Actually Read.
Dozens clicked “Easy Apply.”
But only a handful followed the one line that actually mattered.
Those who did? They stood out immediately.
They followed directions. Wrote thoughtful bug stories.
And showed the kind of QA instinct you can’t teach through certifications — just real-world curiosity, attention to detail, and follow-through.
Our QA Hiring Process Is Simple (Because It Should Be)
No five-round circus. No abstract puzzles. No ego traps.
Here’s how we actually hire:
- HR Intro Call
Expectation alignment and the basic formalities. - Skills Test (Google Form)
A custom-built test I made to see how you think, what you catch, and whether I need to mentor or just get out of your way. - Interview With Me
A real conversation. We walk through your test. I ask about bugs, mindset, and how you actually test—not how well you memorized acronyms. - Final Decision
If you’re a fit, HR will send an offer. No ghosting. No dragging things out.
We’re Rebuilding QA the Way It Should Be
At Proudcloud, we’re not just filling seats — we’re rebuilding a QA team that actually owns product quality. That means:
- Starting from fundamentals, not tools
- Valuing testers who think like users and break like hackers
- Actively developing playground.qajourney.net as a training environment for real-world QA scenarios
(Yes, it’s still under construction — like most good test environments.) - Prioritizing curiosity, communication, and context over blind automation worship
Want to Know How We Interview People?
If you’re curious how we run actual interviews—and how we flipped the script to make them human again—I wrote about that too:
👉 I Broke LinkedIn — And It Taught Me How to Actually Interview People
(Read this over at Remote Work Haven)
That one digs into the personal side of hiring: how I treat interviews as conversations, not performances.
If You’re Reading This, You’re Already Ahead
Even if that round closed fast, this post still stands as a blueprint.
If you care about QA, read instructions, ask good questions, and want to be part of a team that actually gives a damn about what ships?
Stick around. We’re not done building.
—
Your QA Overlord
Chief Bug Whisperer, Regression Report Evangelist
https://qajourney.net