riyagohalblog

Deep breaths.

I gather the courage to open LinkedIn.

I tell myself it’ll be a quick scroll. Secretly hoping to find my dream job.

Five minutes later, I’m somehow questioning every career decision I’ve ever made.

Instagram used to make me compare my life to people holidaying in the Maldives, getting engaged or buying their first home.

Now LinkedIn has found its own way of doing exactly the same thing.

Every other post starts with, “I’m thrilled to announce…”

Someone’s landed their dream job.

Someone’s been promoted.

Someone’s completed another degree.

Someone’s celebrating another milestone.

LinkedIn was supposed to be a professional networking platform. Somewhere along the way, it became another highlight reel.

You open the app hoping to browse a few opportunities or connect with people.

Instead, you leave wondering if you’re the only person whose career isn’t moving at lightning speed.

So let’s say you come across a job posting.

Perfect.

Exactly what you’re looking for.

It was posted ten minutes ago.

You click on it.

100+ applicants.

HOW

Seriously…. HOW?

Did everyone collectively decide to apply before the rest of us even finished reading the job description?

At this point, it feels like the competition starts before you’ve even uploaded your resume.

And if you’re lucky enough to hear back, the real marathon begins…..

Initial Screenings.

HR rounds.

Technical interviews.

Final interviews.

Days of preparation.

Hours spent researching the company.

Practising answers in front of the mirror.

Convincing yourself, “Maybe this is the one.”

Then…

Silence.

No rejection.

No feedback.

No update.

Just complete radio silence.

After a few follow-up emails, you finally receive the classic response.

“We’re still evaluating candidates.”

Weeks pass.

Nothing.

Rejection is disappointing.

Being ignored somehow feels worse.

The funny thing is, this isn’t just one person’s experience.

Talk to your friends.

Your siblings.

Your classmates.

People with years of experience.

People with international degrees.

People who seem incredibly qualified.

Almost everyone has a story about being ghosted, rejected or feeling like they’re competing in an impossible race.

The job market has become brutally competitive.

But that’s not even the part that bothers me the most.

What bothers me is how we’ve turned LinkedIn into another place to compare ourselves.

Instagram made us compare holidays.

LinkedIn makes us compare careers.

Instagram made us compare our bodies.

LinkedIn makes us compare our resumes.

Instagram made us count likes.

LinkedIn makes us count promotions.

We celebrate the offer letters.

The promotions.

The big career announcements.

What we rarely see are the hundreds of applications that went unanswered.

The interviews that led nowhere.

The rejection emails.

The self-doubt.

The days people questioned whether they were good enough.

Those stories don’t usually make it onto our feeds.

Maybe LinkedIn isn’t trying to be the new Instagram.

But somewhere along the way, that’s exactly what it became.

A place where we don’t just network.

We compare.

And maybe if we started talking about the setbacks as openly as we celebrate the successes, opening the app wouldn’t feel so intimidating.

Until then…

I’ll continue opening LinkedIn with a deep breath. LOL.