Landed a new job? Got a promotion? Learned a new skill? The natural response: Share it on LinkedIn.
The career-based social network launched in 2003 and has since grown in popularity. There are over one billion LinkedIn accounts globally, with over 200 million in the United States alone.
College students in particular have been encouraged to begin documenting their professional journeys via LinkedIn. St. John’s University Career Services even has an entire page dedicated to assisting students with their profiles.
But does LinkedIn actually provide the potential for professional advancement? Or is it a meaningless app meant purely for overly polished updates? Students have had various experiences, ranging from enjoyment to finding it entirely pointless and even harmful.
Second year pharmacy student Adrianna Preiss told The Torch that LinkedIn is “a fun way to see what other people are up to and congratulate them on accomplishments.”
She jokingly added that “the games are fun,” referencing the logic-based mental exercises that are available.
The interactive aspect of LinkedIn is what connects it to other social media apps — users can like, comment and repost others’ content. This allows for community, support and, most importantly to LinkedIn users, networking opportunities.
Having countless resumes at the click of a button could be harmful for your mental health though, as junior Natasha Mungai suggests.
“When I scroll through other people’s profiles, I sometimes get imposter syndrome,” she revealed. Mungai views LinkedIn as an exacerbator of negative emotions that college students are already prone to.
A research article in the National Library of Medicine supports this idea; according to the study, young adults who visit LinkedIn more than once a week are at a higher risk for depression and anxiety.
Mungai acknowledges, however, that many of her peers find the app to be a useful career tool: “Most of the people I respect for their work ethic swear by [LinkedIn] though, so it must be valuable in ways I haven’t explored yet,” she explained.
It is true that high-achieving students gravitate towards LinkedIn; it allows for career advancement early on, making it an attractive platform for those who are looking to get ahead.
Sophomore Evan Abreu, an aspiring lawyer, believes that there are other avenues to lay the groundwork for professional success, however.
“One way I make connections is through family members that I have in the field. Or through one of the courses I’m taking which allows for work experience,” he suggested.
Abreu believes that real-world connections can be just as, if not more valuable than ones you can find on LinkedIn. It ties back to the clichè: it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.
Mungai reinforced the benefits of in-person interactions, citing career expos as a fruitful way to connect with employers. She also recommended Handshake, another job hunting platform, as a useful resource.
“It has a variety of job opportunities and internships. You can also easily get into contact with people you want to. It feels much more straightforward,” she emphasized.
This sentiment is shared by many, as an article by the Financial Review discusses a surge in AI posts and other filler content on LinkedIn. It is largely an algorithm game it appears; posting frequently, even if it is not substantial or intelligent, is what gets traction.
The insights of St. John’s students reveal that LinkedIn may not be the answer to career advancement — genuine connections are.
