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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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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?

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

"We shared a small laugh and a smile..." meanwhile, the barista behind her was spitting in my iced whatever drink and licking that on-the-house pumpkin loaf.

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

how does he type, and masturbate to pictures of himself at the same time?????

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

How does he know he shared a smile with the lady BEFORE he made it to the window? Are there two windows at a Starbucks drive-through that are manned by the same person?

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

considering how condescending jokes like that feel, and how tiring they are when a million customers before you have repeated them, i would definitely say so. very obvious justin has never worked retail a day in his life if he thinks niceties aren't purely bc we aren't allowed to batter customers over the head for taking up valuable time during rush hours like he was in, trying out his stand up comedy. he's also clearly never interacted w a woman before, if he thinks tired, boring one liners from men make us drop our panties and throw out pumpkin loaves. like we don't deliberately avoid giving any positive reception in case it's misread and we now have a stalking harasser screaming that the pumpkin loaf was an invitation into our bed and we're playing games

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

The Starbucks server didn't smile or laugh. She's heard that lame a*s joke and the other 150 just like it, and probably considered murder/suicide before sighing and going into work mode.

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Matt Ronald Slater
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is no way an overworked Starbucks barista laughed at THAT joke during morning rush. Even if I kept a positive outlook during the shift, the most you would get out of me would be a polite chuckle. I'm skeptical about the free stuff, too. Is that really enough to warrant freebies? I wouldn't think so. I'm sorry, but that's what I think. And I'm NOT the type of person who would spit in a drink/plate, no matter how bad the customer was... But it's darkly fun to think about.

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Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Little did Justin know that the barista spit in that Grande Ice Coffee and surprisingly moist pumpkin loaf.

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

i can see justin took his nightly masturbation fantasy about making women drop their panties w his over-used, run of the mill one liners retail workers heard a trillion times before he rehashed it, and feeling like the corporate michael jordan, and decided to share it w the world on this day. we all wish he'd kept it in the recesses of his mind and masturbated in private

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

That pumpkin bread was probably on-the-floor before it was on-the-house... appropriate payment for condescending attitude and idiotic joke.

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

Anyone else notice every one of these guys have that same creepy smile in their photo? I mean yeah, everyone smiles, but all these wack-tards share the same creepy "Confident, yet completely out of touch with reality" smile.

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

"never see this woman again" are you gonna get her fired? seems like a threat

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

And then his fairy Maserati changed back into a dumpster dive rescued pumpkin loaf; the tall tea turned back into a bottle of pee, and he changed back into a shoeless addict hunting for cigarette butts in the Starbucks parking lot.

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

To be fair, this could happen. I was in the drive thru at McDonalds and I could hear the driver in the car in front of me yelling at the workers about something (can't remember what, just remember they were borderline screaming). When I pulled up, I said I was sorry they had to deal with that. They upgraded my small soda to a large for being "polite". Was very confused due to lack of sleep and tried said I only ordered a small, but they insisted that I take it.

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

Good for him that he could even hear what the drive through lady said, with the noise of literally everyone else around clapping around them.

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

Justin looks like someone who thinks he’s too good for a dating site.

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

I'm sure she was overwhelmed at your clever and timely statement (that didn't actually happen). She'd probably ask to date you if you went back. -eye roll-

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

I bet he got a "23" face tattoo after posting this just to remind everyone how he's linked to Jordan.

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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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