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Here’s a quick question for you, Pandas: how many of you have an account on LinkedIn? With 830 million members in over 200 countries, LI is an utterly massive online professional network. Though ‘professional’ might be a bit of a misnomer. As anyone who has spent time on the network knows, things can get pretty darn ridiculous sometimes.

Posts about completely made-up situations. Posts so full to the brim with bragging that they make you gag. Posts that exaggerate the positive qualities of the author, as well as those of their company. And posts about how CEOs acted like total jerks but tried to pretend they were super deep and professional (and totally don’t have control and/or greed issues). The cringe is real. And it all ends up on the ‘The Best of LinkedIn’ Twitter page.

Run by JR Hickey, from California, the account shows the side of LinkedIn that many would prefer would remain hidden. He gently makes fun of all the “heroes and influencers brave enough to share their stories in an effort to inspire others.” Scroll down for his best featured posts, upvote your fave ones, and tell us all about the most bizarre things you’ve stumbled upon on LI yourselves, dear Pandas.

Bored Panda got in touch with JR, the founder of the entire project on Twitter, and he was kind enough to answer our questions. He told us about the history of 'The Best of LinkedIn' and shared his thoughts about the culture of the platform and its problems. He didn't beat around the bush and was brutally honest about just how ridiculous 'LinkedInfluencers' are and how they react to his content. You'll find his thoughts below.

JR shared the history of 'The Best of LinkedIn' account on Twitter with us. "Back in 2018, I was an Account Executive for a SaaS company in San Francisco. I had a boss who was a dinosaur—his idea of a good follow-up to a meeting was mailing laminated copies of the deck we presented to the prospect after the fact. The phrase, 'Stop by Kinko's' was uttered a few times in my short tenure there (Kinko's was dropped by FedEx in 2008, ten years prior)."

A large part of JR's job at the time was cold calling on LinkedIn. "I was already dissatisfied with my role, my career, and the company, so spending a few hours a day on LinkedIn just about pushed me over the edge," he was very candid. "I began seeing the first inklings of these so-called 'LinkedInfluencers' and started screenshotting their posts and sharing them on my personal Twitter account. Once those gained traction, I decided to create a dedicated Twitter account for it, and thus, @BestOfLinkedin was born."

Bored Panda was curious how JR would describe the professional network's culture. He told us that 'toxic' gets thrown around too often lately. "I would say the best way to describe LinkedIn's culture is 'downright demented.' It's just a giant back-patting circle/echo chamber where people aren't even telling a version of the truth anymore," he stressed that the amount of fiction on LI is utterly absurd these days.

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"It's unoriginal sellouts who regurgitate corporate buzzwords and stories of incredible business acumen in an effort to game the LinkedIn algorithm and try to hide the fact that there isn't a single thing that's interesting about them. And nobody will call them out, for fear of losing their job or it blowing back on them professionally. The entire platform lacks accountability, which is insane because its intention initially was to be just that," JR pointed out that very few people are willing to put their careers on the line for the sake of calling out downright lies.

That's not to say that LinkedIn doesn't have its upsides. The founder of 'The Best of LinkedIn' said that the professional network is a "terrific place to read business news, as well as to find jobs, recruit talent, and network with people in your industry.

"It's a valuable business development tool but sadly it's been watered down by these self-proclaimed 'Linkedinfluencers' and their BS success stories. LinkedIn could improve the user experience drastically by focusing on moderating these posts and suppressing them when they don't offer anything valuable," he suggested how the platform could change for the better.

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Chocolate llama
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder if they also have the lipstick requirement for the men they interview...

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Caro Caro
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Uhm Joseph .... maybe you should work on YOU first? Just a thought ...

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"If the only reason you're posting on LinkedIn is to show off a picture of yourself with a story about how you were called 'too pretty' to be in business then your post will be taken down. If you aren't sharing anything educational or valuable, and instead are attributing incredible management advice from your FIVE YEAR OLD, your account will be banned. Sadly, I wish this was an easy fix, but LinkedIn has replicated every other social media platform and become another runaway train of trash," he said that he's not holding on to much hope that LI will improve in the future.

"LinkedInfluencers, for how much 'expertise' they have, have some of the thinnest skins on the Internet. Because they 'create' their content strictly for LinkedIn, where nobody criticizes or calls them out, they lose their minds when an account like @BestOfLinkedin does. Personally, I've created content for over a decade now in the forms of comedy, podcasting videos, and articles," JR told Bored Panda.

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"When you create anything for the Internet, there's going to be 50% or more people who hate it. So you have to know that criticism comes with the territory. But when a LinkedInfluencer sees me poke fun at them for @BestofLinkedin? Oftentimes they don't know what to do with themselves. Usually, they'll try to doxx me or get me fired. Good luck, I'm a freelance Creative Director and don't have a boss. I get paid to write things for social media and more. So yeah, I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to. If you don't like what's being said about you on the Internet, the proper response isn't to take your ball and run home. Or worse, take your ball and run and tell your parents."

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blue1steven avatar
Donkey boi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The body language does not reflect someone 'searching and longing for a solution'. And why the heck would your dad be taking pictures of you while his other daughter is in intensive care?

keving87 avatar
Kevin Garren
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah that pose is totally not at all staged in the slightest an is hundo p natural. She probably isn't at a hospital and doesn't even have a sister.

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Lara Verne
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My sister is intubated in the ICU, better snap few instagram-worthy pictures. Wait, no, LinkedIn-worthy.

katy_malinowski avatar
Katy McMouse
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, for fuucks sake. Is she going for the "Lara Craft" vibe or the "I'm so obvious it hurts"?

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TheDivineMsM
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Hmmm.... how can I tell people about my tragedy and make them feel sympathy for me but ALSO show how great and insta-worthy I look in my active gear?" Give me a break.

alexlivingston avatar
ArodTheHorrible
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Soooo not a casual "snap" of a picture. Pose on, and continue to make the tragedy about YOU

omearamyles533 avatar
ThatRandomGuy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only thing that picture is saying "I'm rich and your not and feel bad for ME not my sister who is in the fricking ICU"

staphgirl79 avatar
Mistiekim
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It just looks like she is doing some light stretches before working out.

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Sergy Yeltsen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So, either you don't live in the USA, or you're one of the0.000002% that actually has good working conditions with leave. Either way, if it is true, it's a disgusting emotional mockery.

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Madeleine
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The sister was getting very poor healthcare if her doctors left the solution to her issue(s) on the ground outside, waiting for her family to spot it like children at an Easter egg hunt.

cjhumphreys251 avatar
Jonie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a parent of a child who has been intubated and on life support, this post from Emmy makes me sick.

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Syringa Wessels
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

there’s something that deeply enraged me about the prayer hands in this specific post

stephanejohnson1968 avatar
Stéphane Lussier Johnson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"It reflects how I'm feeling like flexing my butt and leg muscles to show what a terrific body I have with painted-on clothes."

anne_juergens avatar
I’m A Black Cat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also: what is going on with her hair? Is it a really bad case of mullet??

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LittleWombat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With the mental health awareness tag in this narcissist's selfie, plus her saying her dad took the pic, I can't help but wonder if the sister is in the ICU for harming herself after living with this toxic family.

h_vargas81 avatar
Bella V
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh yes when my dad was dying I too took a break and posed by a window over looking the city/s. No I went outside to cry and shove some food down my throat because they wouldn't let me eat in the room. with. my. dad. who was INTUBATED and not conscious. Super unbelievable.

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Ellie McGrath
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is it with people taking pics of people in hospital. Well at least they didn’t post a pic of the sister in her ICU bed and violate her privacy like so many people think it’s acceptable to do. To post pics of someone without their permission while they are in an induced coma at their most vulnerable. Some people have no morals, manners or common sense

kristenoxidine_1 avatar
Endi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's a recruiter. She is using this awful situation with a loved one to try and get more ppl interested in the company she works for... füçkīñg gross as hêłł

adyyadyy avatar
Mező Ádám
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a cool a*s looking pose....not so much the attitude tho -.-'

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Mark McCawley
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"So fortunate for my work, and my people team" as I stand majestically in the window. Oh, and my Sister. lol

benevolent_iconoclast avatar
Misty-Dawn Amayi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*Pushes Emmy through the window... Notes that medics won't entubate her.*

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Jacqueline Pie Francis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, “Dad” snapped this. It reminds me of that nurse on TikTok who filmed herself after she “lost a patient.”

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Makajha Banjjjak
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Picture is a one thing, but including your company in the post about intubated sister, wtf?

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Trish Smith
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep, your almost two year old had such an enlightened learning experience AND built that sandcastle?? You really expect someone to believe that??

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JR’s ‘The Best of LinkedIn’ social media project is a great archive showing how even the most seasoned professionals can feel insecure about themselves. It’s a slippery slope when you start making up stories for clicks.

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Don’t even get us started on how ridiculous it is to try and motivate people while humble-bragging in between the lines. Look, nobody says that LinkedIn has to be super serious all the time (we actually rather enjoy some of the fun, quirky, and artistic posts that fly across our feeds from time to time), however, it’s downright embarrassing when industry veterans go all out and think they’re the next big ‘self-help’ guru.

Now, that’s not to say that motivation and finding joy within and beyond the rat race aren’t important (they are!), but it all really comes down to how you try and motivate people. Copying someone else’s post, borrowing someone else’s ideas with a few small tweaks, downright faking entire experiences just so you have something to feed your followers doesn’t reflect well on you.

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Hawkmoon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then I realized that the water on my nightstand had turned into wine. Or the opposite, I don't remember the timing well.

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Marcel Beisel
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

you learned how to abuse people and try to make the same s**t now they did to you. wow.

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It speaks less about you as a ‘leader’ and more about your insecurities and desire for attention. If you’re feeling creatively bankrupt, it’s perfectly fine to take some time off: get off social media. Take a break. Fight that burnout! It’s way better than flooding LinkedIn with trite stories and ‘inspirational’ stories that make people’s eyes roll. And yes, we might be low-key judging anyone who writes, “So true!!!” in the comments.

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If you genuinely enjoy a post, good for you. But like it or not, there’s just way too much pretense online. Especially on LinkedIn where you pretty much are what you say you are.

LinkedIn does have its upsides, though. When you make an account and polish up your profile, you’re putting yourself out there for recruiters to see. You become far more visible. You can find jobs that you like way more easily. And (probably best of all) you can actually connect with professionals from all around the world.

Need some advice on publishing a book, learning to program, or how to raise your EQ stats? Well, there are tons of people who’d be happy to help you, as long as you’re polite and genuine. Of course, there are some pros who would ignore or even look down on someone asking for advice, but hey, those are the rules of social networks, right

You’re bound to get some jerks in every community. In our experience, the vast majority of people using LinkedIn have been phenomenal and super friendly. Then again, we haven’t chatted with many folks who thrive on bragging.

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Kevin Garren
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All this BS has caused me to throw up in my mouth. Also, "Keillor" isn't a name, it sounds like a hipster low fat liquor. But hey, at least he didn't pretend the scan was real lol

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Career coach Jermaine Murray, from JupiterHR, previously told Bored Panda that ‘turbo-charging’ your LinkedIn profile can lead to greater visibility and success. In his opinion, first impressions matter. However, they might not be overly long-lasting. That means that if you make a mistake on your LI profile, it’s not the end of the world: you can recover from this.

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Ange Marsden
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Confirm for us school teachers - that does not look like a kid's handwriting or vocabulary...

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“You can always improve your profile and show up in a Recruiter’s future search based on the SEO algorithms on LinkedIn. Also, if someone is a good Recruiter, they wouldn’t discount someone’s profile in the future because good people make bad resumes on LinkedIn all the time,” Jermaine told us during an earlier interview.

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Ange Marsden
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You'll get more value out saying the word Harvard than connecting with Jonathan. Think about that for a second.

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Lizzy Crit
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My handwriting looks like a chicken with a seizure disorder wrote it. I'm better off sending an email

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From the career coach’s perspective, LinkedIn is a “super powerful and useful tool for surfacing and connecting” with other people. LI can handle most of your professional needs. However, interactions elsewhere, on the net and in real-life, can also be useful for your career.

“I’ve found LinkedIn to be more effective after I’ve built rapport with people on a different platform (like Twitter) or at a networking event (pre-Covid), as it’s a great way to stay in touch,” the career expert said.

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Brandon Marlowe
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Shortly after the restaurant "went silent" they all burst into applause. The restaurant owner then shouted, "drinks on the house!" and loaded them all up in a fleet of limousines to drive everyone to his palatial estate where they all lived happily ever after.

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KJ
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because nobody needs downtime to recharge, honest!

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According to Jermaine, people usually don’t give themselves enough credit for their skills. They need to be less modest about themselves and the value that they bring.

“When I have sessions with clients, the first exercise we do is a Success/Failure log where they can beat their chest a bit but also dissect and really understand that ‘failure’ because, more often than not, that Failure can actually lead to a win/success further down the line,” he shared.

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Nathaniel
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

-Cold call at their house at 10pm at night. -Show up at their kids school at the end of the school day. -Install 24 hour monitoring in their house secretly so you know when they are not busy and can take your call.

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Caro Caro
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gary states he helps build an engaged audience ... This was NOT engaging Gary.

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Mixed Reality Portal
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"I tried multiple communication channels" ... "Procurement was being difficult" ...You mean you hassled her until you wore her down...

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Donkey boi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I eat mine slathered in so much butter it dribbles all over my chin. I attack the cob like a feral dog, getting little flecks of yellow all over my face. By the time I'm done I look like a demented person. Actual phot of me after eating corn on the cob attached: Me-eating-...d749f1.jpg Me-eating-62eb82ed749f1.jpg

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Gul Dukat
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if you really think parenting will be similar to marketing and business, you're in for a rude awakening, smh

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$cagsy
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nice sentiment, emotions are for everyone. But. He's 'crying on the phone to his wife'. There is no phone and this chap probably went to the 'Amber Heard School of Crying'. #sadfacenotears

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Kevin Garren
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is having a home less important to him? Also, best thing about working at home should be using your own bathroom. Let's be real.

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