"happy to share..."

i need a better word for "linkedin-phobia"

hey all! for reasons that will become clear below, i’m a day late sending this week’s newsletter out. apologies and thanks for your patience!

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When you read this post, I’ll be halfway through my first week as a full-time lecturer! That’s right, rather than juggling teaching jobs at two universities, I’m now full-time at just one. It’s a big step up career-wise, and one I’ve been thrilled to share with those closest to me this past summer.

I signed my hiring paperwork in May, but the question a number of folks asked me over the summer was, so when are you going to post about this online? By which they mean LinkedIn.

To be clear, I’m really happy and proud of this new development. But the start date wasn’t until September, so it was nerve-wracking to announce it to the world. I have the kind of brain that says not to shout good news from the rooftops until everything is 1000% done and dusted. Because what if something goes awry? What if another pandemic shuts us all down? What if there was a huge mistake somewhere along the way and they fire me before I even spend a full official day on the job ? None of this is rational, it’s just how I operate.

Plus: I don’t like LinkedIn. And I don’t like going on there unless I have to.

illustration by Madeline McMahon (courtesy of New Hampshire Magazine)

As a preface: LinkedIn is a vital part of professional life now, for better or worse. I’ve benefitted from it, and others do too. I’m never against someone reaching out to me on there, truly. But it’s also an anxiety trigger for me.

Let me explain.