Is it absolutely necessary to have Linkedin?
For context, I am from Singapore and the workplace culture there is very bad. I have been in 2 companies, at least, both of which are small businesses and have a poison-pen culture. Let’s just say that the bosses and managers that I interacted and encountered with, who are actually very well-connected, have a habit of contacting the new employers of ex-subordinates and poison pen them. I know this because I have seen them contact the new employer of ex-staff to try and shit on them, and try to poison their employment with them. I also don’t trust HR to act reasonably; I have seen HR staff make people’s lives miserable just for the fun of it. One of the toxic bosses that made my life hell is now a deputy director at NUS.
The workplace was so toxic that I had to see a psychiatrist for mental trauma and was on psychiatric medication, from workplace-induced anxiety, for years. Mental illness still carries a stigma in Singapore.
It is Singapore, so workplace rights and workers’ protection is basically non-existent.
I used to have a Linkedin account but I scrubbed them all when I moved to my current job
My first job was 1 year, 10 months, the second job was 6 months and the third job was 2 years and 4 months. All three jobs, I encountered bad bosses, bad supervisor and I left on bad terms. I am now in my fourth job, for almost 10 years. I am currently upgrading myself with an MBA and taking various courses.
I recently found out that previous employers are often called by HR (without the candidate’s knowledge) to get a performance enquiry/reference and I actually knew someone who got a issued job offer withdrawn because of this.
Hence, I had put up with a lot of gaslighting and demeaning remarks in my current organisation. My current supervisors are great, kind and caring but it is the upper management that is the problem.
Everyone I spoke to said Linkedin is absolutely necessary in Singapore, even just to apply jobs. I just feel ill at the thought of having my toxic ex-bosses/ex-colleagues finding out where I am. I know once can block them but they can also get other people to view my profile on their behalf too.
I did speak to several HR experts, and most of them weren’t helpful in offering solutions to deal with this. They didn’t seem to take my concerns seriously and just recited the mantra “linkedin is absolutely necessary”.
I wanted to ask, does anyone here have a similar experience as mine?
I just feel lost and very sad.