My coworker is claiming credit for my entire team's work on LinkedIn

Anonymous

November 11,2023 at 9:44PM UTC

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My coworker is claiming credit for my entire team's work on LinkedIn

So, we just had a new project go live, and my coworker just wrote on LinkedIn how she was "glad to have written" the project as if she did it on her own and linked to it. The thing is, she was ONLY responsible for proofreading the UI text and was NOT the writer (or the coder, or the designer, or responsible for the content in any way). The spiteful little soul that I am wants to congratulate her for her effort and tag my boss and other coworkers as well so she knows we saw it. But I think the more mature response is to just ignore it. What should I do?

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AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 11:26AM UTC
I would 100% respond to that post (or even reshare it with your own comments) detailing the work you did with the tone of "It was so great to work with you on X, I really enjoyed our collaboration," etc. Is it petty? A little. Would I do it? YES.
AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 7:15PM UTC
Excellent idea!. I am experiencing similar these days. Sometimes petty is good too!
AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 2:28PM UTC
I think you have a great idea here and should tag your boss and coworkers so she knows you saw it.
AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 2:30PM UTC
Students get kicked out of college for plagiarizing….why shouldn’t she be put on blast for being dishonest? It’s not okay to take credit for someone else’s work.
GirlBossanova934974November 13,2023 at 1:52PM UTC
Two words? IGNORE IT! Having been a user of LinkedIn for over 15 years, LinkedIn profiles are nothing more than PR pitches. Those profiles are not even resumes as the person writing them is in the vast majority of cases is not using them for any future job applications. Have you ever read the language of most of these profiles? It's Corporate Speak aka Gobbledygook to the Nth Degree! The reviews of people are written by personal friends. Please keep in mind that recruiters do review these profiles BUT ALWAYS ask for a resume to be sent in if the person wants to apply for a position. AS SUCH, most people take these profiles with a grain of salt. At the end, all you will really know is that this person worked at such and such company for a few years.
AnonymousNovember 13,2023 at 1:59PM UTC
“aka Gobbledygook to the Nth Degree!” - I love it! Couldn’t agree more
GirlBossanova934974November 13,2023 at 11:18PM UTC
People on LinkedIn have been known to make up words and expressions to describe themselves. I have run across so much make believe stuff over the years that I no longer pay much mind. The fact that someone has grossly overexaggerated their work on a given project is hardly worth a mention!1
AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 11:16PM UTC
Yea it is a joke! Not to be taken seriously.
the way they way hang all their worth on titles and inflated accomplishments. It’s a self tooting horn
AnonymousNovember 13,2023 at 2:24PM UTC
Screenshots are wonderful things....just saying. Then ask if it is worth it to ask her what part did she really pay - or heck just revise and post on your LI.
QNovember 13,2023 at 7:03PM UTC
This is accurate. When I conduct an interview, I always review the individual's LinkedIn and resume carefully before hand. When I see statements similar to what the OP said were used by her colleague, I always prepare probing questions. This is especially true if there are key aspects to the job that relate directly to what is claimed. Many people write as if they did it all, but when you start getting into the questions, it falls apart. If they are waffling, I'll ask point blank, "Did you do x, y, or z or were part of a team? What was your role on the team?" People who lied always out themselves. I'm prepared to go deep on the knowledge required. If they actually did what they claimed, they'll be just as prepared.
Karen PatwaNovember 13,2023 at 7:09PM UTC
Ignore it publicly, speak to her about it privately to get some more information about her motives without making a big deal out of it, and ask her to be considerate next time about the work of other people.
Post your own Linkedin post about the project, with a thank you to her for proofreading and providing valuable feedback (or whatever she did). Tag your team. Keep a screenshot of her original post as another commenter said. Rather than focus on what she did and making a huge deal out of it, focus on doing your best to make sure it doesn't happen again.
AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 5:30PM UTC
Send a screen shot of this to your boss and let them know that as a part of the team (there is no I in team) you have concerns about it. Let them know that as your participation is diminished along with others by the post that you hope a private conversation with that person could remedy what you read. Then drop it and let your manager do their job.