10 years ago, I would not have imagined that in my late 30s, I’d be hooked on a platform that started as a way to find that elusive “dream job” (whatever that even means). Yet, here I am, like so many others, logging into LinkedIn more out of habit than necessity.
The thing is, LinkedIn used to be the place you went to when you were ready to jump on the corporate ship, move on with your career, or at least take a step up the ladder. But the COVID Pandemic and the mass layoffs that followed only accelerated a trend that has been quietly evolving for more than a decade - we all became our own brands.
And LinkedIn reflects that better than anything else. Post-pandemic, what was once a website that connected people to companies and brands has turned into a stage for self-promotion and wisdom-spreading. The exaggerated titles, the cringeworthy photos and humble brags, the endless stream of “inspirational” posts (many of which, AI-generated) —you’ve certainly seen the hundreds of memes mocking that trend.
But those memes point to a deeper reality. Jobs aren’t the endgame anymore. We are no longer gears in someone else’s machine; we’re brands with stories, wisdom, and, of course, life lessons to share. The irony is, what annoys us most about LinkedIn—those self-aggrandizing posts—reflects a deeper truth: we’re no longer content to be defined by our job titles. We want to be seen and heard for who we are.
So, next time you laugh at yet another LinkedIn meme, remember that it’s not just the platform that’s changed. It’s us.
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