Scrolling through LinkedIn can feel like everyone in your network is getting promoted, landing a new role or achieving something more than you are. For tech professionals, where the industry is constantly changing, they can feel even more pressure to keep up.
But LinkedIn often only shows the highlights of someone else’s career. Comparing your career to someone else on LinkedIn can make you feel left behind even when you are making progress of your own.
So, how can you break the comparison cycle and focus on your own career? Read on to learn why so many people face this issue and how to overcome it.
Why LinkedIn makes comparison so easy
LinkedIn is a platform built around professional success, so it’s easy to be surrounded by updates about promotions, new jobs, achievements and certifications. While these posts can be inspiring, seeing them every day can also make you question your own career and whether you are on the right path to help you grow and develop professionally.
The reality is that LinkedIn rarely reflects the full picture of someone’s career journey. What often goes unseen are the challenges, setbacks and periods of uncertainty that happen along the way.
The impact of comparing your career to others
Comparing your career to other people can have a negative impact on your confidence, motivation and mental wellbeing. Seeing others achieve promotions, earn more money or reach different milestones can make you feel like you're falling behind, even though everyone is on a different career journey.
Constant comparison can cause stress, self-doubt and disappointment and makes you focus more on what you haven’t achieved rather than recognise your own progress. However, comparing yourself to others can sometimes be motivating if you use it positively, such as learning from their experience and setting realistic goals for yourself. It is important to focus on your own development and remember success happens at different stages for different people.
Why tech professionals feel the pressure
The fast-paced nature of the technology industry can create pressure for professionals to constantly improve and adapt. New software, tools, programming languages and technologies are introduced regularly, meaning skills that are valuable may not be as important in the future. This can create a fear of becoming outdated or not having the right skills to secure future roles.
There is also the pressure to keep learning new skills, which makes it difficult to switch off sometimes. For some professionals, this can lead to stress, burnout and the feeling that they are never doing enough. Remembering that career development is a long-term process can help tech professionals manage these expectations and focus on developing skills relevant to their main career goals.
How to overcome the comparison trap
To break the comparison cycle on LinkedIn, start by limiting how often you check LinkedIn, especially if you're having negative thoughts about your own career while scrolling. You can also mute or unfollow accounts that make you feel pressured without having to remove the person from your network. Another useful step is to set up your own career goals and review them regularly, so you can measure your progress against where you want to be in your career.
Taking these small steps can help you use LinkedIn more positively while keeping focus on your own career journey. Ultimately, your career is not a race, and success should be measured by your own progress, goals and achievements, not by how quickly someone else gets there.
Written by Amy Goodwin