On a lighter note...

Today is World Laughter Day (1st May) and I decided to share a light post as a reminder to myself to not take life too seriously, even on LinkedIn. Being a movie buff, it is dedicated to 17 types of LinkedIn folks (which includes yours truly!) who could make perfect protagonists in the below movie titles. I hope the post resonates with you and at the least delivers a chuckle.

 1.     The Prestige – The ones who humblebrag their new badge of honor (read: certification/courses completed) on LinkedIn. In a covert manner, trying to convey, “Kind attention Current Employer/Potential employer: Look at me, I am a life-long learner”.

 2.    The Incredibles – Their ‘moving’ story is about their journey from rags to riches. Their accomplishments will make you wonder where they get their superpowers from and literally inspire you to take action.

 3.    12 Angry Men – These are arm-chair critics who may not have many worthy posts to share but get immense pleasure in jumping to conclusions (sitting in their chair) and harshly judging others' posts. They are the jury we want out (of LinkedIn).

 4.    Vertigo – They are that rare breed whose meteoric rise on the career ladder is so heady, that it can give anyone an attack of vertigo.

 5.    Gladiator – These are the swashbuckling advocates who passionately promote whatever is on their agenda. It could be their organization, ideas, or personal achievements. They will actively crusade as if their life depends on it. Without a doubt, this is the most active tribe on LinkedIn.

 6.    Miss Congeniality – She is the likable personality on LinkedIn and her (and her ilk’s) posts are about encouragement and niceties and always seeing the good in others, come what may.

 7.     Life is beautiful – These are the glass-half-full type of people who are hopeless optimists even in the face of adversity. Despite personal setbacks and challenges, they share utopian posts that can make even super-achievers doubt themselves.

 8.    Jurassic Park – These folks are late to the Tech party (read: new apps/media/ trends). Moreover, no one has missed their presence yet.

 9.    Avatar – These LinkedIn citizens are out there to make a difference but only to their own “Avatar”. They want to save humanity from the clutches of climate change, pollution, overpopulation, hunger crisis, and many pressing global problems with their posts. Yes, just their posts. These are the armchair activists of the LinkedIn world.

 10. The Return of the Living Dead - They were invisible on LinkedIn, but certain compulsions have made them go ballistic in recent times. Possibly, the merits of being active on LinkedIn may have just dawned upon them.

 11. The Invisible Man -Their profile is not yet uploaded with their photo. You don't know them and then you see their LinkedIn request. Apprehensive to accept their request?

 12. Parasite-With content creation getting prominence this breed is spawning fast. They lift content and put it out as an original post uninhibitedly; without giving due credit to the original content creator/source.

 13. Die Hard- This group is your die-hard and loyal following who will like, comment, and share your post. They are the ones who raise your spirits when no one ‘gets’ your posts. They are the ones who make you want to continue posting on LinkedIn.

 14. “Good Will” Hunting - They are the overtly obliging ones who are commenting on others’ posts only “for better reach”. They are on LinkedIn to increase their goodwill and in a covert way, they are expecting the same return of favor for their future posts.

 15. Catch Me If You Can - It feels like it was just yesterday they posted about their new job and now again? The resume of this tribe reeks of a long list of companies they have been part of but not for more than two years in one company. When it’s time to show up and deliver, they move on to their next target for greener pastures (or For a Few Dollars More).

16. The Lion King - They are the ones who have left their cushy job to follow their dream of either launching a startup venture or promoting a social cause or just looking after their family. A hat tip to them!

17. The Social Network - You possibly met them briefly in a meeting or a get-together and the next day you see their LinkedIn request waiting for your acceptance. You don’t somehow recall their face or name.

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P.S: Today is World Laughter Day, a reminder to self that in today's times, being able to take things lightly and laugh at oneself and life situations is important. So I hope no one from the "12 Angry Men" category judges me for this post and also, those who complain about LinkedIn turning into Facebook.

Finally, a quote...

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person.” - Audrey Hepburn

Disclaimer - The categories are based on movie titles and not the movie content/outline.