Showing Up Anyway: When you feel invisible on LinkedIn

I don’t feel seen on this platform.

You try to engage with people. You try to tag them, comment on their posts, like their wins, support their work — just so they know: Hey, I see you.

But when you don’t get responses — not even a “like” — and you’re someone who’s spent most of your life battling rejection, it starts to weigh on you.

I deal with rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD), so silence doesn’t feel neutral.

It feels like rejection. It feels like dismissal.

Most times, It feels personal.

That’s how it feels sometimes being on LinkedIn — like I’m not worth being seen or heard.

I rarely get responses to comments I leave on posts.

And when people message me to sell something without even looking at my profile, it stings.

“Did you actually check my profile first?”

“Did you see the post you’re responding to?”

“Did you even read what I offer or who I am?”

Especially when someone messages me and says, “What kind of work are you looking for?” — and I’m like, it’s all right there.

I’m a creative professional. I’ve been building something for over 2 decades.

Recently, I saw a post from a Black woman sharing her experience looking for work for over a year. It really inspired me. I commented and tagged her, told her how powerful her story was and how I truly believe she’ll get hired soon.

And maybe she didn’t see it.

But still — I feel like I’m underneath here.

Even when I’m the same age as many people on this platform.

Even when I’ve been consistently creating, teaching, mentoring, building a brand, wearing every hat for over 10+ years.

But I haven’t done a TED Talk.

I haven’t worked for Essence or Google or WNBA or some big-name nonprofit.

And even though what I’ve built is real, I can’t help but wonder: does it not count if your name isn’t attached to a corporation or a major brand?

Because I show up. I’ve shown up over and over again — posting, sharing, supporting, commenting.

Still, the visibility I give doesn’t come back to me.

And I want to say something else that’s been sitting heavy with me.

The community I grew up in — back home in Chicago — I had to separate myself from a lot of people and spaces in that environment, due to mistreatment in the workplace and my self-advocacy not being valued either. But there are still a few folks and organizations I’ve continued to support. There’s a mental health nonprofit I really admire — one therapist took great care of me when I was deeply experiencing my depressive episodes + minor illness diagnosis, years ago. And there’s also a Black dance company that has done incredible work and continues to, in my hometown. Two in particular that I go out of my way to uplift and support: I’ve been reposting their content, commenting on their posts, showing love… and still, no response.

It makes me wonder: Was my reputation tainted back home?

Am I being overlooked on purpose, or just forgotten?

Because if nobody else saw me, I thought at least they would.

But even they don’t acknowledge me on this platform.

And I’ve thought about this a lot — because I’ve also written before about what it’s like to “look like” you have it all together on the outside.

**The Middle Ground: A mental health toll**

And this? This is the continuation of that.

Because here’s what I’m wrestling with now:

Do I keep showing up as my full self on LinkedIn?

Or do I dim who I am so people won’t feel intimidated or uninterested?

Should I hide how much I’ve done because it’s not tied to the “right” institutions?

This is the kind of mental spiral that happens when you don’t feel seen.

This is a workplace mental health concern.

Because LinkedIn is a workplace — a virtual one, yes, but one where we’re all hoping to connect, get hired, build, collaborate, be valued.

And for me, it’s been years of applying to jobs on this platform with no leads.

Meanwhile, on other platforms like Indeed, I’ve heard back.

Has anyone actually gotten a job from LinkedIn?

Do you ever feel invisible here too?

Do you keep showing up anyway?

Even when I feel like I’m not enough.

Even when I feel like people are looking right past me.

How are you showing up for yourself and for others . . . in this season?

~deeply

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.