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LinkedIn influencers find fame with endless positivity and feel-good tales
Some call LinkedIn influencers motivators and accept their positive messages at face value, but others are not happy with what they are spreading.
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Career advice: More and more people turn to so-called LinkedIn influencers for career advice. (Unsplash/Courtesy of Souvik Banerjee) (Unsplash/Courtesy of Souvik Banerjee)
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inkedIn might not be a traditional social media network, but influencers still hold sway over its users. Some call these people motivators and accept their positive messages at face value, but others are not happy with what they are spreading.
LinkedIn influencers have their identities and workplace for everyone to see, and for one reason or another, people flock to them. Some people follow them hoping for higher visibility or career advice. But for others, these LinkedIn influencers are merely telling romanticized workplace tales that are heavy on sentimental value but ultimately worthless to one's career, such as stories of kindly recruiters taking chances with under-qualified job seekers in need.
Ang Harry Tjahjono, human capital and general affairs manager for a major Indonesian shipping and logistics company who uses LinkedIn to recruit people and share his insights on various topics regarding employment, is one of those influencers.
"They usually approach me to review their CVs [curriculum vitae], ask for salary negotiation techniques and help overcome job anxiety. Some don't even ask anything — they just want to pour their hearts out, to be heard," said Ang.
Ang is, of course, only one among many. Take Rangga Primanto, a supply chain and logistics manager for one of Indonesia's biggest food manufacturer companies who aims to dedicate his LinkedIn presence "to help, encourage and inspire people". To satisfy that aim, he actively posts anything related to careers, such as motivations, job interview tips and personal experiences dealing with the workforce.
Another LinkedIn influencer, Riffa Sancanti, an entrepreneur and book author, as well as founder and CEO of The Lens Story, frequently has people reaching out to her to discuss career planning, problems with their bosses, office politics and more.
Although recruitment isn't her forte, some also ask her for CV and interview tips. She even wrote a book titled The Little Handbook for a Big Career, which revolves around career development, after a former teammate encouraged her.
