Why I Left LinkedIn — And Why I Came Back

I left LinkedIn because it became overwhelming.

Everyone I knew seemed to be facing redundancy. People I respected were suddenly “open to work”. Rejections were constant. And no matter how rational you try to be, it’s hard not to take that kind of environment personally.

Scrolling became uncomfortable. Confidence dipped. And I found myself lost among thousands of connections I didn’t really know.

So I stepped away.

When Redundancy Stops Feeling Abstract

Redundancy looks neat on paper. In reality, it chips away at how you see yourself.

Even when you know intellectually that:

• It’s not personal

• It’s structural

• It’s happening to thousands of capable people

…it still feels personal.

That’s the part we don’t talk about enough.

The silence after applications.
The polite rejections.
The sense that everyone else has figured something out that you haven’t.

It’s exhausting.

Why I Didn’t Need LinkedIn — Until I Did

While I was renovating The Lake House, I didn’t need LinkedIn.

My focus was elsewhere. My sense of purpose came from building something tangible. Progress was visible. Effort had a clear outcome.

But eventually, I needed LinkedIn again — not because I suddenly loved it, but because I understood its value.

Not as a popularity contest.
Not as a performance stage.
But as a tool.

And tools don’t care how you feel about them.

Rejection Feels Personal — Even When It Isn’t

One of the hardest parts of job searching is how easy it is to internalise rejection.

You start questioning:

• Your experience

• Your decisions

• Your confidence

And when that happens at scale, it can distort your thinking.

One piece of advice I give clients — and often have to remind myself of — is simple:

“What would you advise a friend to do in this situation?”

That question creates distance.
It introduces objectivity.
And it usually leads to far kinder, more rational answers.

You Can’t Eat an Elephant in One Go

Job searching is like eating an elephant.

If you try to do everything at once — CV, LinkedIn, applications, networking, confidence, motivation — you burn out.

Progress comes from breaking it into small, manageable steps:

• One CV improvement

• One conversation

• One application

• One honest check-in with yourself

Momentum builds quietly. Not dramatically.

Mind Your Mental Health — It Matters More Than Your CV

Confidence doesn’t disappear because you’re incapable. It disappears because you’re under sustained pressure.

Mind your mental health during a job search:

• Step away when needed

• Stop comparing yourself to highlight reels

• Talk to people you trust

• Ask for help earlier than you think you should

There is no prize for doing this alone.

Why I Care About Helping Others

I’ve experienced redundancy. Along with thousands of others.

And one thing that stands out is this: people are far more willing to help than we expect.

There’s strong research showing that helping others — and being helped — is linked to improved wellbeing for both sides. We’re not wired to succeed in isolation.

That’s why I do this work.

Not to polish people into something they’re not — but to help them step back, regain perspective, and communicate their value without performing.

Final Thought

If you’re feeling rejected, lost, or quietly overwhelmed, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It means you’re human — in a system that often forgets that.

Take it one step at a time.
Be objective where you can.
Be kind where you can’t.
And remember: asking for help is not a weakness.