I never comment on LinkedIn.
Sure, I have a linked-in presence but I usually ignore it. I mostly use it as a means for my exceptional students to get some networking in, and sometimes headhunters will come asking if I recommend anyone.
So many people on there have a lot to say that I have no interest in participating in. I teach programming, and I program, and anything outside of teaching and programming is of no value to me or my career. Most everything posted is not about teaching or programming.
So “having a presence on LinkedIn” is not a universal truism. In my experience, it’s a slightly upmarket Facebook.
Design (aerospace) engineering. Most of my coworkers have been here their entire careers. 36 years for me.
Reading through this thread I was going to reply that the only political comments I make on LinkedIn are regarding Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity because it’s a big deal in the HR world right now. In my line of work I tend to only post positive things about DIE. Other than that I tend to steer clear of political issues as much as possible on LinkedIn. I don’t even post anything unless it’s directly related to HR.
I’m Christian, and I don’t like that either. It has no place unless it’s a faith-based business, like a Christian bookstore, or for that matter a kosher or halal butcher.
There’s an oil change place down the road that puts Bible verses on their marquee, and I don’t patronize them for that reason. Not totally unrelated, I also had the misfortune to cross paths years ago with a veterinarian who had militia magazines in his waiting room. Nope, nope, nope.
When Facebook took off, I was still working at the big hospital, and one of our technicians almost lost her job because she was going onto Facebook and posting things like “My boss is a real bitch sometimes.” She assumed that said boss wouldn’t read it because she wasn’t on Facebook, and didn’t realize that someone else could sign on and show it to her.
Well that explains it. Great job you will likely retire from. If I were you and your friends I wouldn’t care about LinkedIn either unless I was maybe a officer in some aerospace society.
Same here. IT professional, I plan to retire with my current job. My resume, references, and interview skills seem to have gotten me pretty far without having to lean on social media.
I’ve also been a hiring manager and never looked at anyone’s online profile, nor have I needed to. That’s far from ubiquitous in the professional world.
I set up a LinkedIn account when I was laid off five years ago. It is probably still there. I did not find it to be of any use on my job hunt (20 years health IT experience in case you are wondering).
I used it for employment leads and never read the posts.
Just quoting this so I can read it again and chuckle again…
(Me neither, nearwildheaven. I mean, getting up on Sunday mornings, having to sing hymns… I don’t like that either.)
Anyhow…
I’m very proud of the fact that pretty much no one at my work or teaching gig ever knew what I believed (whoops, the head of HR did, because I had Youth Pastor on my resume…). But if people were talking God or Trump, I’d usually just listen. As long as I could, then I’d leave.
When I taught, I told my students that the classroom would be a religion- and politics-free zone… “So it’s a safe space for everyone, even rednecks in their camo undies. Ooh, sorry, Brian.” (Okay, that was the semester that my friend Brian took my class and we made fun of each other. He wore camouflage overalls almost every day…)
LinkedIn can be useful, but don’t think of it as Facebook or usual social media. It’s not a place to post your thoughts. You wouldn’t post your thoughts on your resume or in your cover letter, so don’t think of it on LinkedIn.
I’ll add that LinkedIn, like the resume itself, can’t do anything special for you; it can only dress up what you’ve accomplished and tell others about what your accomplishments are. If you just put up a profile expecting leads, hits, whatever…you’re gonna be disappointed. I’ve known people who’ve been recruited off of LinkedIn. It can work. Just don’t have unrealistic expectations
What - not up for a little “Soldier of Fortune”? “Unarmed Grappler”? “Warrior Untainted, Inc.”?
ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM
Oh I keed, I keed, honestown. 
Wonder which one of these 13 targets alt-righters might glom onto next if the big L loses its ‘thing’.
(well, other than, of course, 8, 9, and 11)
I don’t know any of that other shit from a pig’s-whistle of a fanny-hoot. Whatever that meant.
I think you guys are assuming you’ll never have to deal with someone like me, who expects to see a Linked In profile. Maybe you’re right. But you might be wrong.
This happened to a coworker of my sister. Really dumb.
I can’t even remember setting up my LinkedIn page. But I retired 5 years ago from a company I worked for for 34 years, so I didn’t really need it. The only thing I found it useful for was getting in touch with an old friend. We caught up over a few days and that was it.
LinkedIn has been great post-retirement for seeing what my company & old co-workers are up to. And when I was still working, it was invaluable for some things (I had reasons, for many years, to need to identify & contact people to speak at conferences).
That said, I am frequently dumbfounded, to the OPs point, by people who treat it like their personal FB page (or like the online comments section of a newspaper).
On the bright side, it does surely help identify people too dumb to hire or recruit.
…and hope I never do.
If my work history and knowledge of the job isn’t sufficient, but a Linked In presence is a requirement, then I don’t think I’d want to work for you anyway. Slavish devotion to some arbritary requirement signals a narrow perspective.
What next - I get an account, but it doesn’t have enough “flair” for you?
You might not be in a position to work with me, but you might be putting yourself forward as an expert on an issue. If I can’t access your basic education and work experience information on a commonly used public platform like Linked In, I’ll probably not bother to consult you as an expert.
I have zero online activity on LinkedIn other than just updating my profile (which reminds me that I’m a little behind on that front).
I just do not understand how people can think that LindkedIn is the place to go to marry your innermost unpleasant thoughts with your professional network – the people who will probably have a lot to do with helping you get future employment. Consider my mind boggled.
If you’re 70 and you’re confident your bank account enables you to stop giving a shit, more power to you. But to the OP’s point, many who blither away on LinkedIn are not in that position.
I suspect many who blather on politically on LinkedIn both live and work in such a monoculture that they cannot imagine anyone and everyone who sees their profile isn’t mentally giving them a high five and shouting “F*** Yeah! What he said!”.
Or at least that anyone who sees their profile and doesn’t think that is no loss to them.
In a QZ thread someone posted a story in the last couple of days of their loudly obnoxiously anti-vax / “COVID is a hoax” brother. Who secretly got the vaccine last month and had to jump the queue to get it.
Per the post, bro spews that crap because all his friends, neighbors, and most importantly, his customers spew that crap and consider it a litmus test of who they’ll associate with or do business with.
IOW when in (burning) Rome always carry a flaming torch and some accelerant to throw around.
I almost find myself wishing for the later Planet of the Apes movies to come true. They can’t be much worse than we are and at least they’d live up to my low expectations for them. Unlike Humanity which is thoroughly flunking what I think it means to be human.
You know who has really useful insights in what job hunting is like in 2021?
People who haven’t needed to look for work since the Reagan administration.