The 8 Annoying People You Meet on LinkedIn

LinkedIn might be a great place to find jobs and look for new talent, but as social media platforms go, it’s pretty insufferable. I think I can speak for most regular human beings when I say that there’s only so much humblebragging we can take before we start questioning our life choices.

Everyone talks about how Instagram is bad for self-esteem. But do you know where the real danger is? LinkedIn.

— debo🤎 (@bonanzabih) August 1, 2022

But some LinkedIn users are worse than others. They’re not just bad for our self-esteem, they’re just obnoxious. Here are just 8 kinds of annoying people you’re bound to find on LinkedIn:

8. The humblebragger

The most common obnoxious behavior on LinkedIn is humblebragging, or just downright bragging. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating your achievements every now and then, but if you’re consistently patting yourself on the back, then it’s safe to say that your posts are probably more eye-roll-inducing than awe-inspiring.

7. The person with imaginary job titles

We get it. Why stick to your actual job title when it can’t even begin to encapsulate just how much of a visionary leader/manager/creator/connector/etc. you are? Because the alternative is exhausting, that’s why.

Can we all agree to put an end to crafting overinflated LinkedIn personas and, instead, normalize keeping things short and sweet? You’re not fooling anyone with that mumbo-jumbo, anyway.

6. The self-appointed guru

Spend just two minutes scrolling through LinkedIn and you’re bound to see some aspiring thought leader preaching from their virtual soapbox, sharing their realizations on success, productivity, and the meaning of life. Sure, you might come across some actually helpful and inspiring gems now and then, but most of them can be summed up to the following messages:

• Work hard to achieve success like me.
• To be a better leader, lead better. And achieve success like me.
• All you need is the right attitude to be successful. Like me.
• Money isn’t everything. Success is. I am very successful.

You get the picture.

But who is this person and why are they giving unsolicited life advice? Why are their posts getting thousands of reactions? Are they really as successful as they say they are? Your guess is as good as mine.

5. The smug hustler who hates fun

This kind of LinkedIn influencer is always going on about how hard they hustle. They shudder at the thought of wasting time on trivial things like Netflix, fiction, getting eight hours of sleep, and people who can’t contribute to their career growth. And they’re proud that they relate to every single item on this list: 8 Signs You’ve Transformed Into The Workaholic You Promised You’ll Never Be

(Don’t be this person. Repeat after me: Your career doesn’t dictate your value.)

4. The loud and proud slavedriver

There are many great bosses on LinkedIn. But there are also a lot of guys like this dude:

And this guy:

Thankfully, many millennials and Gen Zs already know that they shouldn’t put up with exploitative bosses like the above examples, but just in case you need some help dealing with them, read this:

3. The out of touch

These LinkedIn influencers will post lengthy paragraphs on the secrets of their success: passion, creativity, and the right attitude (all cool things to have, don’t get me wrong). But these guys often ignore the fact that they also had a lot of help along the way — their connections, their parents’ wealth, or even their genes.

Though these people are often highly educated and very intelligent, they can’t seem to wrap their minds around the fact that people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck don’t have money to invest because — again — they’re living paycheck-to-paycheck. Or that depressed people sometimes just can’t muster up the willpower to get out of bed. Or that some people experience discrimination because of their race/sex/gender/social class.

And even though people may attempt to educate them, they’ll stubbornly stand their ground. Because who needs empathy, amirite?

2. The dude who thinks this is Tinder

This should be self-explanatory.

Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s.

1. And finally, the worst offender:
The guy who brings LinkedIn energy to other platforms

Make Twitter, Twitter again! Get these LinkedIn migrants outta here! 🍅🍅🍅 https://t.co/LrrWUZ9ybr

— Ash (@theashrb) August 1, 2022

Let’s get this straightened out once and for all:

• Instagram: For your aesthetic vacation/cafe photos and mirror selfies.
• Twitter: For your hot takes, messy ramblings, and fan wars.
• Facebook: For your family-focused content (i.e. the stuff you’re comfortable having your mom’s friends seeing)

Keep the self-congratulatory every-day-I’m-hustling energy on LinkedIn, because we shouldn’t have to subject ourselves to that anywhere else.

In closing, here’s something to consider:

Thoughts?