While being a great place to expand oneâs professional network, learn about new job opportunities and attend workshops, LinkedIn can also be an extremely anxiety-inducing platform..
Entering the workforce can be scary, especially for those who have spent most of their lives as students. LinkedIn is designed to make the transition easier by enabling users to build professional connections online. On the platform, users also have the ability to display their professional experience for current and potential employers or recruiters.
Similar to Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn is increasingly becoming yet another social media platform that highlights only the accomplishments of our lives. From a university perspective, everyday students log on to see their peers posting about their âamazingâ interviews and even more âamazingâ upcoming internship or business projects. With remote learning and an unsteady job market, it is only natural to try to stand out and actively engage in job searching . Yet, in the process, we are constantly evaluating each other and ourselves.
When I spend too much time on LinkedIn, I feel inadequate and stressed. In todayâs hustle culture, the only way to measure success seems to be based on how busy a person isâmaking self worth seam quantifiable. Ultimately LinkedIn becomes a platform designed to compare usersâ professional accomplishments and compete for job security.
The fluff of the business world is reproduced online where people are âpleased to connect with one anotherâ and âare looking forward to starting a new chapter.â Seeing a feed full of achievements can cause anyone to start questioning their self-worth and ability to get a job or internship.
A big part of LinkedIn is creating relationships, but these relationships often feel transactional, And fueled by the need to climb the corporate ladder and get hired rather than a genuine connection. As Adam Grant, a contributing writer, in a New York Times article said, âNetworking makes us feel dirty, to the point that one study found that people rate soap and toothpaste 19% more positively after imagining themselves angling to make professional contacts at a cocktail party.â
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for connecting and exploring new career opportunities. Yet, like any other social media it can also cause users to devalue their work experience and feel inadequate.
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