Let’s start with a scroll.
You open LinkedIn, expecting the usual: job updates, polite “I’m honored to announce” posts, and maybe a few recruitment ads. But in between the press releases and promotion announcements, something else is happening.
A Gen Z creator is holding their phone selfie-style, casually unpacking how they got ghosted after a final-round interview.
Another is sharing their daily routine—complete with outfit changes, oat milk lattes, and voiceovers about burnout.
A third is lip-syncing to audio that’s more likely to trend on TikTok than in any office… but the caption is about resume gaps and career pivots.
And it hits you: this isn’t the LinkedIn you knew.
Because Gen Z isn’t just “on” LinkedIn anymore. They’re reshaping it—using it like TikTok. And in doing so, they’re rewriting the unspoken rules of how we talk about work, identity, and success.
It’s easy to laugh at first glance. But what they’re doing isn’t just performative. It’s revealing. And it says more about today’s workplace than a thousand HR panels ever could.
From Buttoned-Up to Broadcasted: A Generational Shift
Older generations used LinkedIn like a business card: formal, clean, respectable. Every word was proof of competence. Every post, a humblebrag in disguise.
But Gen Z? They’re treating LinkedIn more like a living vlog.
They’re posting about rejection. About crying in stairwells. About leaving jobs that looked amazing on paper but felt soul-crushing in practice. They’re mixing memes with resumes, and dropping hot takes about hustle culture in the same breath as salary transparency tips.
And the reason is simple: they don’t see work as separate from life—because it never has been.
This is a generation raised during economic instability, mental health crises, and constant digital connection. They’ve watched their parents burn out from jobs that promised security and delivered little more than stress.
So now, when Gen Z steps into the workforce, they’re not just asking what the job is.
They’re asking:
- “How does this job make me feel?”
- “Who am I becoming in this environment?”
- “And if I’m building a career, what’s the cost to my life?”
When those questions aren’t answered clearly inside their company, they take them online—often to LinkedIn, where the algorithm now rewards authenticity just as much as achievement.
When Professionalism Meets Personality
A typical viral Gen Z post could read like a diary entry: “I cried in the bathroom today because I felt useless at work. I know I’m not. But that’s how it felt.”
That could rack up over ten thousand likes. Thousands of comments replying “Same.” “You’re not alone.” “Thank you for saying this out loud.”
In traditional workplace circles, that would’ve been seen as oversharing. Unprofessional. Risky.
But to Gen Z, it’s strategic vulnerability. It’s networking through being human.
And that scares people.
Not because it’s bad—but because it’s disruptive. The old corporate language of “value-adds” and “cross-functional collaboration” doesn’t quite work in a post-pandemic world where people are re-evaluating everything.
We used to think professionalism meant keeping your “real self” hidden. But Gen Z is asking: Why? Why should I pretend I’m okay when I’m not? Why should I filter out my personality just to look hireable?
They’re not rejecting professionalism. They’re redefining it.
To them, being professional means:
- Being emotionally aware.
- Being honest about struggles, not just wins.
- Using your voice, not hiding behind jargon.
And LinkedIn has become the surprising stage for that evolution.
LinkedIn’s Algorithm Is Playing Along
There’s something important happening behind the scenes, too: LinkedIn’s own algorithm is starting to reward personal storytelling.
According to data from platform analysts, posts that share personal narratives—especially those with vulnerability, lessons, or behind-the-scenes reflections—often perform better than those that just list achievements or company milestones.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s the market responding.
And Gen Z? They’re native to this game. They grew up navigating Instagram’s visual language, TikTok’s short-form storytelling, and YouTube’s intimate vlogs.
They understand that work and self-expression don’t have to be mutually exclusive. And if anything, blending them can make you more visible, more relatable, and more respected.
So while some may scoff at Gen Z’s “LinkedTok” approach, the metrics tell a different story: it’s working.
What This Says About Work Culture Right Now
This shift on LinkedIn isn’t just about aesthetics or generational preference.
It’s a signal.
A signal that our old frameworks for “career success” are breaking down.
People—especially young people—don’t just want a title or a paycheck. They want:
- Belonging.
- Clarity.
- Emotional sustainability.
- The right to be a full human being at work, not just after hours.
Gen Z’s LinkedIn behavior reflects a broader cultural push: make work real again.
Not perfect. Not polished. Just honest.
They’re using the platform not just to find jobs—but to build visibility, find each other, and hold space for conversations many older professionals were taught to avoid.
They’re saying, “This happened to me. Here’s how it felt. Here’s what I learned.” And they’re saying it where hiring managers, recruiters, and CEOs can see it.
That takes guts.
It also forces us to confront a tough question:
If people feel safer talking about their emotional well-being on LinkedIn than inside their own workplace—what does that say about your workplace?
The Backlash (and What It Misses)
Of course, there’s backlash.
“LinkedIn isn’t Facebook.”
“Where’s the line between professional and personal?”
“This generation overshares too much.”
But here’s the thing: most of that criticism comes from a framework where professionalism meant repression.
And for decades, that model excluded so many people—especially women, people of color, neurodivergent folks, and anyone who didn’t fit the mold.
Gen Z isn’t oversharing. They’re recalibrating.
They’re asking workplaces to meet them where they are. To create environments where people don’t have to disassociate from their own experience just to fit in.
They’re not lowering the bar. They’re widening the lens.
And platforms like LinkedIn—surprisingly—are becoming the mirrors.
Final Thought
If you want to know what’s really going on in the workforce today, skip the whitepapers and scroll LinkedIn.
Not the banner posts from VPs. Scroll the Gen Z creators. The 24-year-olds writing about imposter syndrome. The interns talking about crying on the subway. The junior designers posting about getting laid off and figuring out what to do next.
They’re not influencers. They’re indicators.
Their posts reflect a workforce that is exhausted by performative corporate culture and hungry for something more real.
So yes, Gen Z is using LinkedIn like TikTok.
But maybe the better question is: why did LinkedIn feel like it had to be so uptight in the first place?