I have discovered that LinkedIn is an amazing new absurdist medium for creative expression.
I started to realize the potential of LinkedIn as Artist’s Medium in February, 2014, when I retired from Wall Street. After updating my end-date for my old job, on a whim I added a new position:
MY NEW LINKEDIN POSITION ENTERED FEBRUARY, 2014:
Title: Rat
Company: Rat Race
Dates: July, 1968 – February, 2014.
I was just having fun. I didn’t expect anything to happen. Who looks at anything anyone writes on their LinkedIn profile anyway? The modal message is, “See how great I am.” That is only slightly less annoying than Facebook, where everyone is screaming “Look at me (and what I ate for lunch).” Yuck.
But after I officially retired as Rat from The Rat Race I immediately began receiving the most charming notes from people. I reconnected with some people I hadn’t talked to in a long time and made some new friends.
It was wonderful for a while, But, then it died down.
Then I added a new entry called Human at Human Race, that runs from October, 1952, to present.
I got a new flurry of new messages, and it was all good again.
For a while.
Then I forgot all about it.
Until, the following October, when I got a HUGE blast of messages congratulating me on my work anniversary as Human at Human Race.
WOW! It was like getting a love letter addressed to occupant.
So, I have been adding various projects to my profile as I think of them. I make sure to make up an absurd title and appropriate organization name.
Now I get notes telling from amazing people telling me how much they enjoy reading my profile.
And every month people congratulate my on my work Anniversary.
To illustrate the point for this article, I just gave myself a new job.
Title: Chief Inanity Officer (CIO) at CardsAgainstInanity.com
Start date: March, 2011
I’m bracing for the next onslaught of messages congratulating me on the new job.
In the meantime, this is what I want you to do: If you’ve read this far then send me a quick note saying “Congratulations on your work anniversary.”
I promise I will respond, thanking you for reading this article. Maybe we can get to know each other better. If you got this far then I know I’ll like you, and I’ll try to give you reason to like me.
Deal?
Brooke
P. S. I am an “open networker.” That means that I will accept connection requests from most people as long as they don’t give me a reason not to. If you go to my LinkedIn profile and you like what you read, and you would like me to be a contact of yours, then send me a personal note telling me that you do. You might want to also tell me why.
Brooke Allen 