What if Linkedin Was a Jovial Chat Rather Than Self-Promotion

Years ago I saw that a UN organisation were looking for an archivist on Twitter so I got in touch and within two days I had signed a contract for work. In another spontaneous act of curiousity I saw that Adecco Geneva was looking for people that weren’t afraid of heights, so, out of curiousity I got in touch. I was then offered an interview and worked as a deicer.

With Linkedin, an online social site it is hard to find such opportunities for a very simple reason. People use it to highlight their successes, or to offer work, but in a formal, rigid manner. It is a challenge to establish person to person connections, and for informal conversations to take place. Due to this reality Linkedin is something you keep updated, when you have a new job, but barely touch otherwise.

If you’re transparent about your life, it might tarnish your reputation. If you’re struggling with things, and you see that everyone else is euphoric about their own situation in life, then it becomes a place that reminds you of what you are failing to achieve for yourself.

For a time I was on Linkedin Learning (formerly Mandy.com when I signed up) and I was studying for at least an hour per day, if not more. WHen I completed courses head hunters contacted me but if I tried to initiate a conversation they simply ghosted me. That is frustrating.

I want to switch from one type of work to another. If I could dialogue with someone, such as a head hunter, then I could get help and advice, and encouragement.

Over a decade ago Twitter was a fantastic back channel ahead of tweetups. Between meetups we’d chat and converse with each other, so that when we met, face to face, we were already friends. In so doing meetups, especially for textroverts like me, were great, because we didn’t need to break the ice.

When I went to AI meetups in Nyon, Azure, Infomaniak and other conversations in Geneva conversations were much harder to begin, as an introvert so I would go, listen to the talk, and then vanish. Having Twitter as a back channel really helped.

In theory a Whatsapp group would achieve the same thing, without being open to the world to comment and join in. In this day and age a Whatsapp chat would be more convivial, and more useful. It would provide a place to share what we have recently studied, but also see what opportunities are coming up in the near future.

I have a rule, not to watch television until I’m eating dinner. With Facebook and Instagram reels I keep breaking that habit, due to so much content now being video. This is content by influeners, rather than friends. This is content that wants to use me, rather than reward me. It is for that reason that I call these sites and apps antisocial media. They’re utlilitarian. They don’t connect us to others. They don’t lead to friendships or collaborations. They just lead to us wasting our time, and attention.

At least by using Linkedin or other sites I see new opportunities for collaboration and more. I also see the ephemeral opportunities that appear for a day or two before being filled.

And finally, I’m not saying that I want to have long winded, distracting conversations on Linkedin or similar sites. I’m saying that because there are no more human connections to be made on mainstream social media sites now is the time to amend our habits, towards sites that other a higher return on investment, especially for people between contracts.