Transitioning From LinkedIn To Medium
It’s The Natural Course Of Life
There’s one thing I’m not enjoying about retirement. You’re no longer relevant in the way you once were.
Lately, I’ve been spending more time scrolling on LinkedIn.
It’s the place to see and be seen if you’re working.
My career was in the travel industry—the airline business, to be specific. When I started in 1998 (my second career), the Internet was just coming of age. LinkedIn didn’t even begin operations until 2003.
Now, LinkedIn is an integral part of one’s workday. It’s where you find out about all things work, like the latest promotions and offerings from your network of contacts and their companies.
You learn about new jobs and career opportunities. You see people changing jobs. You hear about people with no job trying to make an appeal for their next opportunity.
There are congratulatory notes about people with new jobs. A lot of people are celebrating work anniversaries. Many are “proud” and “honored” about something. Some are retiring.
There aren’t a lot of politics on LinkedIn. At least of the governmental kind. But then, since I don’t run in political circles, maybe that’s why I don’t see it. So they must have a network, too. (Although since I follow Justin Trudeau, I do see what’s happening in Canada.)
There is at least one profile on our President. This “person” is referred to as Joe Bideñ. Since when is our President Hispanic or Latino? There are about 4,100 people in this network. Most look legitimate. Still, I can’t see Joe posting things on LinkedIn as Justin Trudeau does.
How do you pronounce Joe Bideñ?
LinkedIn can make you feel terrific about yourself (“YAY! I got a promotion!”), or really bad (“Why was I overlooked?”) Or maybe you’re in the doldrums, not sure what your next move should be.
The site can cause jealousy, anger, rage, frustration, and even fear and anxiety. (“I’m better than him/her, why am I stuck in this position?”) Joy in terms of zest is often mentioned. But for the most part, sadness is not an emotion that lives up to the LinkedIn credo. Nor is love. And don’t even speak of sex! This is a professional network!
We must be professional all the time!
What if the sex trade is your business? That is, selling yourself as a living. Do they have a network on LinkedIn? I’m guessing that much of this business is happening online, so the hookup sites probably make the most sense. But still, it’s a business. A big business.
For instance, IML (International Mister Leather) holds a “conference” every Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. It attracts thousands of leather enthusiasts from around the world, and they spend millions in the city. That’s a business you don’t see much of on LinkedIn.
What if you get a job as Vice President of Sales for a major sex toy company. Is that appropriate for LinkedIn, and do you post it?
But I digress.
I really don’t miss the workday world. Albeit, I am envious of those photographs of folks sitting in business class on a plane, even if it is for another business trip. When I worked, I flew in those cabins internationally more often than not.
I have enough miles on one airline to travel in international business class one-way. I can’t decide if I should use it on the way there or on the way back. Whenever I get where I’m going, I will likely no longer be staying in 5-star hotels. But at least the Crowne Plazas and the Doubletrees are better internationally than their U.S. counterparts.
Now that I’m a freelance writer, I can say that I’m self-employed, and like any business, I must generate revenue. That means finding readers on a domain like LinkedIn. I count on it to help build my following. I’ve chosen Medium as my “distributor” of choice. (Of course, to make money on Medium, your stories must be read by members. Here’s the link to that!)
Not all of my stories are appropriate for LinkedIn. My topics are disparate, but if nothing else, they’re honest.
Bottom line: LinkedIn can bum me out. I can become melancholy from seeing all of the swanky special events, dinners, and activities my former colleagues are involved in. But, on the other hand, I’m thrilled not to be in that world anymore.
However, I like seeing what my former colleagues are doing in their work lives. So I scroll through it to find out what is going on in the world of work, then I don’t feel as isolated. The life of a writer can get lonely if you let it.
But trolling LinkedIn is not an everyday thing for me anymore. Instead, I review many other media and apps daily, and, of course, Medium is number one on my reading list.
In the end, there is nothing I’d rather do more than to write. Thank you for reading.