I follow the official LinkedIn pages of universities that I attended. This year, it seems that every recent college graduate posts a nearly identical personal statement about their recent graduation, their positive experience and the opportunities the university program made available to them.

The post are all nearly identical except for some personal details.

Many of the university’s official accounts then “Like” or “Share” these posts.

I asked an AI about this:

What you’re seeing is a phenomenon often called “LinkedIn broetry” or template-driven career signaling. It’s become a standardized script that many new graduates use because they’ve been advised—by career coaches, university career centers, or viral LinkedIn “gurus”—that this specific format is the key to visibility and engagement.

The Formula

The structure follows a proven engagement pattern:

• The Hook: “Just over two months ago…” (Sets a timeline)
• The Journey: “One month ago, I took the next step…” (Shows progression)
• The Grind: “Since then, I’ve had the incredible opportunity…” (Lists specific, impressive tasks)
• The Reflection: “It’s been exciting to combine…” (Shows passion and learning)
• The Gratitude: “I’m extremely grateful…” (Appeals to community and humility)
• The Cliffhanger: Often ends with “looking forward to…” (Encourages comments like “Good luck!”)

University and Career Center Pressure

Many universities encourage or even require students to post about their achievements. Career centers often provide exact templates or workshops teaching students how to “optimize” their LinkedIn presence. The goal is to get students to:

• Build a professional network before they graduate.
• Signal to recruiters that they are active and engaged.
• Create a digital footprint that looks like they are “working” even while studying.

3. The Algorithm Reward

LinkedIn’s algorithm favors posts with:

• Personal storytelling (even if formulaic).
• High engagement (likes, comments from peers and mentors). As these posts are shared to the wider community of followers of the university, many followers respond with a “Like” – which creates further visibility by The Algorithm.
• Keywords (e.g., “Kinesiology,” “Athletic Training,” “Clinical rotations”).
  When students see their peers getting dozens of likes and comments on these posts, they copy the format because it works for visibility, even if it feels inauthentic.

4. The “Coaching” Industry

A whole industry of LinkedIn “gurus” and career coaches has emerged, selling courses on “How to go viral on LinkedIn.” These courses often teach the exact script being used:

“Start with a timeline. List your achievements. Express gratitude. End with a forward-looking statement.”

This has created a homogenized feed where everyone sounds like they’re reading from the same playbook.

Is It a Bad Thing?

Not necessarily. For many students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds or without existing networks, these posts do work. They lead to:

• Job offers.
• Internships.
• Mentorship connections.

However, the downside is:

• Authenticity loss: The posts feel robotic and indistinguishable.
• Recruiter fatigue: Hiring managers may start to ignore them because they’re so common.
• Mental health impact: Students may feel pressure to perform “success” publicly, even when they’re struggling.

This is a cultural shift in how young professionals are taught to market themselves. It’s less about genuine storytelling and more about performing a version of success that the algorithm rewards. While it can be effective, it’s also created a sea of sameness that makes it harder for truly unique voices to stand out.