Are Instagram career influencers actually helpful?

It is mostly just noise, beta. Everyone wants to sell a course these days. If they are pushing a link in their bio, stay away.

I find them quite useful for understanding new-age career options that weren't there in our time, like UX design or data analytics. But you must verify! I always cross-check their advice with official university websites or speak to someone in our extended family who is in that profession. Never take their 'roadmap' at face value.

Honestly, most of these influencers are just chasing engagement. My daughter was convinced she wanted to do digital marketing because of one reel, but it turned out to be just basic sales advice. I always tell her that real career guidance comes from people actually working in the field for 10+ years, not someone who just graduated and started making videos.

Have you tried looking at LinkedIn instead? I find the articles there much more grounded compared to Instagram. My advice is to follow senior professionals in the specific industry your child is interested in rather than generic 'career gurus'. That way, you get the real picture of the ground reality and the actual hard work involved.

I have seen so many kids getting stressed because these influencers set unrealistic expectations about 'passive income' or 'side hustles' before even finishing college. My son is in 11th grade and I have blocked all such accounts on his feed. Stick to the traditional career counseling sessions offered by our school; they are much more balanced and safer.