The true merit, skill, and ability to execute should (in theory) always stand for themselves - in the end, what truly matters is whether one gets the shit done or not. But due to obvious asymmetries in information flow and the sheer size of the global job market, one has to put some effort into “selling out” their successes and accomplishments.
No surprise that the amount of exaggerated self-promotion online, e.g., on LinkedIn, is beyond recognition - people do whatever comes to their mind to somehow stand out positively. Opinions vary - where is the borderline of good taste: what is generally acceptable and what is too far-fetched?
I’m definitely not into a full-blown analysis of the full spectrum of social-media behaviors related to that. But there’s one specific activity that is ridiculed by some and enthusiastically nodded by others that I’d like to dive into - drawing the list of your most flashy ex-employers into one’s professional headline:
“ex-Google”, “ex-McKinsey”, “ex-Revolut”, “ex-Yanushex”, “ex-Facebook - worked on Llama 3, but not 4”, …, etc.
Is it cringe? Or maybe actually informative? Bragging about someone else’s success? Or does it help to at least preliminarily classify a person?
Frankly, I do think there are certain circumstances where it does make sense indeed. How come? Because we're all sums of our past experiences, and while experiences acquired across various organizations operating in a similar industrial space are usually quite similar (and honestly, not in an exceptional way), there were and are some organizations that truly stand out. They made a brand on something specific, and it may have left an imprint on us (as employees) as well.
OK, so where and when does it make sense to mark yourself as “ex-Something”?
First of all, the brand should be truly recognizable; otherwise, it looks a bit grotesque: “ex-Noname? What the hell is Noname?”). This is a necessary but not sufficient condition - the only one that is non-negotiable and an absolute must. The following scenarios are alternatives.
Scenario 1:
You were indeed there in a critical/(trans-)formative period, AND you have contributed to the area that was essential to the company's success (so can’t be considered an extra or a passenger…). E.g.:
- building Facebook during its massive growth period, versus maintaining a stable part of Meta's back-office apps now
- building and successfully launching a Falcon 9 at SpaceX, versus sweeping the warehouses at the SpaceX launch site
Scenario 2:
The brand is known for a strong culture and/or (more or less) unique ways of working (proven effective). But watch out for the “former glory” trap - you had to be there when the culture and widely recognized mental models were still present and in common use (at least in the perception of the masses). E.g.:
- Amazon, their Principles, and various mental models (”Day 1”, “1-way vs 2-way doors”, “building flywheels”, “two pizza teams”, “bar raisers”, “PRFAQs and narratives”, “working backward”, etc.)
- Zappos and its Holacracy, Slootman’s era Snowflake, Netflix Culture Deck
Scenario 3:
The brand has a very high entry bar for recruitment (and for keeping the job later …). So anyone who got there, worked there for a few years, and was in some way visibly appreciated (e.g., promoted) can be considered properly vetted & “validated” already. E.g.:
- Palantir with their “hackerrank gauntlet”
- OpenAI and its dual-track mastery expectations
Some parting words to wrap it up:
- If there’s a good justification to flash your ex-employers' brands (one of the scenarios above or some other one I’ve omitted) - don’t be afraid to do that (with taste and w/o exaggeration - ofc). There's nothing wrong with being PROUD of real, meaningful contribution. Quite the contrary.
- Good taste and a sense of proportion are actually important. There are very few things as pitiful as tagging your name on something you haven't accomplished. Even if people won’t tell you straight to your face, the smart ones will know.
- And just to clarify: "ex-something" in a headline is not a credential itself, it's an extension of your personal context: an invitation to a particular thread of discussion, an important detail to provide a better picture of yourself. Be ready to back it up with real, meaningful “war stories”, examples, and accomplishments.
