Social media has undoubtedly contributed to an excessive urge to compare ourselves to others. It’s no wonder many of us feel insecure, as though we’re falling short or running behind in life. Whether it’s a strong dislike for our appearance, driving us to seek cosmetic procedures like Botox, or a deep-seated feeling of failure due to financial struggles, many of us are trying to meet unrealistic expectations set by “influencers” or others’ highlight reels.
One less discussed yet common example of this is career envy—which runs rampant on LinkedIn. It seems everyone is sharing their promotions, new job announcements, success stories, and other public wins, likely in an attempt to find security in their careers. What we don’t see is the behind-the-scenes reality of a poor work-life balance, financial woes, and dwindling mental health, which many of us battle in silence.
Still, when all you see online is someone else thriving, it’s easy to feel like you’re the problem—like you’re the only one falling behind.
Connar Luckford, the Student Success Lead at targetjobs, noted that career comparison fatigue is especially common during this time of the year, as LinkedIn users begin sharing their end-of-year wins and updates.
To protect your peace during this time, here are five tips for avoiding or calming career envy.
1. Treat LinkedIn Like a Work Tool, Not a Life Scoreboard
Like any social media platform, LinkedIn can become an unhealthy, addictive app that stirs up insecurities—especially when it comes to your professional life.
“LinkedIn is made to encourage you to scroll aimlessly—liking, browsing, and comparing,” says Luckford. “Instead, change your mindset and think of it as a professional tool, something you use with intention, not a platform where you just consume what others are doing.”
He recommends setting boundaries for your LinkedIn usage, such as only logging on for certain intentions (to reply to messages or network), setting a time limit per use, and turning off notifications.
“When you change your mindset from ‘What are people doing?’ to ‘What am I here to do?’, the comparison power gets lost,” he says.
2. Reframe Success Posts as Insights, Not Pressure
We only envy people who have something we want. If channeled correctly, we can use our jealousy to shed light on our own unfulfilled desires and inspire aligned action.
“When someone shares their new job move or promotion, your brain instantly jumps to comparison mode,” Luckford says. “But instead of thinking ‘I’m behind,’ try thinking ‘Is this path relevant to me?’ ‘What can I learn from their moves?’, and ‘Do I even want what they have?’”
3. Do a Proper ‘Private Progress Review’ Before Scrolling
Before getting lost in career comparison, hype yourself up by noting all your wins, from skills learned to challenges overcome.
“For new workers, these personal wins matter more than formal titles, but they rarely make it onto LinkedIn,” Luckford says. “Comparisons will fade away when you’re grounded in your own progress.”
4. Curate Your LinkedIn Feed Like You Curate Your Life
Like on any other social media platform, you contribute to your own LinkedIn algorithm. Luckford recommends muting certain accounts, connecting with inspiring industry experts, adding creators who share the good and the bad, and removing anyone who triggers self-doubt.
“This strategy can be extremely helpful for graduates and career changers who are still forming or changing their identity and can be heavily influenced by the posts they read,” he says. “You start to see the realistic, healthy spread of content, not just the polished 1% of perfectionism.”
5. Remember: LinkedIn Shows Milestones, Not the Middle
It’s essential to remember that most people only post the positive updates. For example, you might see someone’s new job announcement, but you don’t see the months of doubt, uncertainty, and financial insecurity that got them there.
“These updates are often made to impress employers or connections and not to show the truth, but instead to make it look easy,” Luckford says. “For those just starting out, it’s easy to believe these milestones are a reflection of their own worth, but modern careers are not straight paths; they can be messy and unpredictable. Comparing your everyday growth to someone else’s carefully thought-out post is not only unrealistic, but deeply unfair [to] yourself.”
The post 5 Tips for Calming Your End-of-Year LinkedIn Career Envy appeared first on VICE.
