By: Maria Baini, Editor.
If you’re a habitual social media user, chances are you have compared yourself to another person through social media one way or another. On Instagram, we compare other bodies to our own, we compare our lifestyle choices to others on Facebook, and we compare our wealth and success to those who are paid to make TikToks. Although these are examples of comparing ourselves to those on platforms that highlight physical appearance, lifestyle, and wealth, social media related insecurity does not stop there.
LinkedIn, like any other social media, contributes a fair share in generating personal comparison to others, especially in measure of success. Seeing others advance in their careers, posting about their new jobs and having a higher number of connections can easily interrupt your mindset while setting your own benchmark and focusing on your own personal improvements.
Although LinkedIn is a fantastic way to stay connected with other people in the professional world, it is also one way many tend to professionally compare themselves. Especially as a student eager to step their foot out the door, it can be very difficult to feel like you are actively advancing or starting your career. Many students are encouraged to use LinkedIn to build themselves a professional platform and make connections. Although this is a great way to demonstrate potential to future employers, it is important to keep in mind that you are your own competition. Everybody’s professional journey looks different, and that does not mean you are any less than someone else. Measuring your own success based on how others are doing is distracting you from being fully committed to moving forward.
If you are a student who struggles with LinkedIn insecurity, here are a few ways to overcome professional social comparison as you advance in your career:
Only you can set your own benchmark
There may be people who are advancing more in their careers and reaching their goals at a different pace than you are, but the fact is that everybody is on their own path. Do not let other people’s success determine where your path is leading to. Everybody must start somewhere, and everybody overcomes their own set of challenges. Focus on overcoming your own challenges and succeeding at your own pace and standards. Don’t believe everything you see on social media.
The way that you are struggling may not be just you after all. While it may seem like the people around you posting on their social medias are achieving all their goals and so easily getting to these goals—the truth is, they’re most likely struggling and comparing themselves, too. It is also so much harder to see the whole picture from what is put on social media. You are not always going to know how a person got to where they have gotten or what their own goals are and if they’re achieving them. It is important to understand that we are always showing our best selves on social media, and it’s not always an easy road to get to where we want to be.
Be patient
It’s definitely a lot easier said than done, but staying patient with yourself while working toward your goals is a crucial part of focusing on yourself and being able to achieve those goals. Again, it can be frustrating seeing people around you get to where you want to be before you. Patience will keep you in touch with your own self and guide you through your journey. Enjoy the ride!
Consider the reality of being a student
The reality is, if you are a student that hasn’t completed their undergraduate degree, it will be more difficult for employers to hire you. Be mindful of the circumstances of your own situation. Think about what you are comparing yourself to. You cannot compare yourself to a graduated individual for attaining your dream job while you are still in school.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, especially on social media. Even LinkedIn is not an exception. Professional social comparison can be frustrating and tricky to get out of, especially for ambitious students. When you set your own benchmark and understand that you are the only one who can make that benchmark, be mindful of other people’s closed doors, stay patient, and understand where you stand as a student, you will better be able to focus on your own journey to success without the LinkedIn insecurity.
