I have a LinkedIn, and it feels apocalyptic.
For those who don’t know, LinkedIn is the social networking website for professional development. Unlike other social media platforms like Facebook or X, LinkedIn unpretentiously admits in its vision statement that it seeks to provide economic opportunity for its users—not social utility. Thankfully, this means LinkedIn doesn’t leave room for self-aggrandizement, petty internet drama, or a cottage industry of “influencers” … or does it?
It does.
Self-employed influencers on LinkedIn adopt a variety of titles that are often misleading, such as marketing specialists, brand managers, and talent coaches. But they typically have the same job: posting and generating drama on LinkedIn for clicks and attention, only to funnel job-seekers toward their own pricey online “career development” courses and one-on-one coaching sessions. In effect, they degrade modern-day career development by flooding America’s flagship career platform with petty arguments and engagement farming. Allow me to provide an example.
Around a year ago, controversy broke out on LinkedIn over the platform’s “#OpenToWork” banner. For context, LinkedIn lets users attach a banner to their profile picture with the #OpenToWork hashtag to indicate that they are, well, seeking a job. Some users believed that applying this banner to a profile makes a person appear desperate, so they advised job-seekers not to avoid it for strategic reasons. Others respectfully disagreed. But, unfortunately, this candid dialogue did not reflect much of the discussion I saw.
Instead, using this drama as a launchpad, many “LinkedInfluencers” launched into a moral crusade. I can’t find the exact post, but here’s one take I read from the discussion, paraphrased:
“Fly high, #OpenToWork banner! Don’t let people calling it ‘desperate’ stop you from #speakingyourtruth. Employers should be respectful of aspiring employees on LinkedIn, so you should not let the detractors get to you. Be your authentic self! #careerdevelopment #careergoals #gethiredhonestly #authenticwork”
Reading this felt like sinking into a boring cyber-dystopia—a sedated version of The Matrix, if you will.
To recap, this user made a normative argument—expressing how things should be—about a purely tactical question: whether using a banner PNG on a job board website gets you hired quicker. This user’s post is, obviously, a dumb overreaction. But the worst part of this—and LinkedInfluencer culture in general—is its weaponization of a powerful word: authenticity.
Being authentic means being “true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you’re under to act otherwise.” Yet, many of the LinkedIn users who promote and flaunt “authenticity” are blatantly inauthentic.
Banners and badges adorn LinkedInfluencers’ pages like meaningless tributes to the career God. They exaggerate accomplishments in their profiles, humble-brag on posts, and appoint themselves as online leaders for high ideals, all to build their paramount “personal brand.” Are many of them burnt-out ex-HR reps with diminished hopes of screenwriting careers? No, no. They’re high-performing social capital allocators with thousands of hours of experience helping #fellowhumans flourish. Despite commodifying themselves as much as possible, they use “authenticity” as their calling card—and effectively mock the word in the process.
When everyone labels themselves a “high performer,” “team player,” and “dynamic learner,” those terms lose their meaning. Still, I can’t blame anyone—including myself—for using this language to get hired. Rather, I take issue with those who use this language and lambast others for not being “authentic” enough.
By now, you may assume I think career development is a scam. But—surprise!—I actually worked at the Boston College Career Center for two years, editing resumes, cover letters, and even LinkedIn profiles.
Importantly, I speak for myself here, not the Career Center. Still, I am thankful for the training I received there. When students ask what the purpose of a resume is, I was taught to tell them the right answer. Much to the chagrin of LinkedInfluencers, that answer is not “ to display your authentic self to employers.” In reality, the goal of a resume is to get you a job interview. Full stop.
LinkedIn is still valuable as a tool for your professional online presence. But the deeper LinkedInfluencer “culture” besmirches what should be a pragmatic website dedicated to hiring and networking. If you want help meaningfully thinking about your career goals, I recommend visiting BC’s Career Center and avoiding said “authentic” LinkedIn advisors. In the meantime, if you see someone post on LinkedIn to “join the culture,” “make an impact,” or “promote authenticity,” proceed with caution.
