The LinkedIn Subheading Flex
Photo by Greg Bulla on Unsplash
LinkedIn is the professional network where it seems “professional” is getting lost in the void. Amongst the self-congratulatory, self-promotional and wellness posts there is another trend that stands out,
The obsession with where you used to work.
“Senior iOS Engineer, previously at Twitter.”
“Product Manager | Ex-Google, Ex-Meta.”
“CTO | Built X at Uber | Former Amazonian.”
We get it. You once graced the halls of a big-name tech company. But why are people so eager to cling to their past like the Combo Audio still mentioning that time they opened for U2? It’s a bad trend and consider how many of these ex-employees were let go from the behemoth in question.
Source: The Secret Developer’s LinkedIn timeline
The Power of Prestige
Tech companies have become modern-day nobility. Being “ex-Google” or “ex-Twitter” is the tech equivalent of saying you went to Oxford or Harvard. You buy instant credibility, even if you spent your time fetching Jira tickets instead of changing the world, and even if the quality of your work was in the bottom percentile.
I don’t want to unfairly call out developers who are following this trend, as it’s the whole system that is to blame. We are in an age where recruiters are more likely to skim (or use AI) than scrutinize applications, and brand-name recognition is a golden ticket. If a prestigious company thought you were worth hiring that’s validation of your talent and skill, and it doesn’t even matter if you were there for six months before a round of layoffs. The name sticks.
The New Job Security
Tech careers are volatile. Companies fold, pivot, and “restructure” employees out of existence faster than you can say “cost-cutting measures.” In a world where job stability is an illusion, past affiliations become a safety net that I guess we all need.
If you slap “ex-Twitter” on your profile, nobody thinks “why did you leave?”. It’s an unspoken badge of credibility in a world where getting into big tech can be a challenge in itself.
It does make me wonder how long you can milk an old employer for clout. At what point does “ex-Twitter” go from an impressive credential to a desperate plea for relevance? I mean the inspiration for this article is from the LinkedIn profile of an ex-colleague of mine and he genuinely has “ex-Twitter” rather than “ex-X” (as silly as that would seem to write).
So, your last day at Twitter was in 2015 and you’re still leading with it, will people start wondering if you’ve done anything interesting since? At what point are you that actor who still has to bill themselves as “Star of Friends”, Lisa Kudrow? LET IT GO.
The Pro-Move
This being LinkedIn, things get better (or worse) the deeper you dig. It becomes how many companies you can cram into a single line on LinkedIn. For example,
Senior Software Engineer | Ex-Netflix, Ex-Airbnb, Ex-Stripe
This reads less like a career history and more like an elite sports team swapping players every season. It implies ambition, experience, and, let’s be honest, an inability to hold down a job for an extended amount of time.
But don’t get me started on this particular subheading:
Source: The Secret Developer’s LinkedIn timeline
Cringe or Just Smart Marketing?
On one hand, the “Previously at Twitter” flex can be eye-roll-inducing. On the other, it’s just playing the game and winning. If you can leverage a past employer’s name to boost your credibility, why wouldn’t you?
Don’t blame the player, blame the game.
I think this is a sad situation where we live in a world where a blue-chip company on your CV matters more than actual skills.
Conclusion
Your past doesn’t define you, and clinging to an old employer like a lifeline only makes it look like you’ve peaked. If your biggest flex is “Previously at Twitter,” maybe it’s time to give your current self something worth bragging about and put that on your profile instead.