Hence the 'per se'. Some people go out of their way to groom a network of people specifically for their careers, I was just trying to articulate that difference.

Eh, I find work "friends" to be even more ephemeral than school friends. Nobody I've ever worked with in the past has ever contacted me after I left the company we worked for. At least school friends are around for a more or less guaranteed period of several years.

Edit to add: I have initiated contact before and been well received. Nobody contacts me. It's tiring to have to do 100% of the work to maintain these relationships.

I think that's a little strange. You haven't maintained a single relationship after having been coworkers?

Try messaging someone you used to work with to check in - you may enjoy catching up or even stumble into being able to give or receive help.

Can confirm. I've seen at previous jobs that some cliques do form, especially among high-rising careerist or very social folks. Other people just don't intermingle that much and are sidelined.

Maintaining contact happens rarely. And no, a linkedin add doesn't count at maintaining contact if the last private message was exchanged on the last day of work.

I suspect there's a sort of introvert / extrovert miss match.

Sounds like it’s on you for either not being someone they liked working with or not putting any effort at maintaining contacts. Can’t always expect other people to pull all the weight.

I've had the same experience. I have no idea how this advice is working for people in most job markets - it certainly doesn't seem to be a thing in Australia.

I get it. I'm definitely not an asshole; even my ex will tell you that. People seem to like me. I’ve never gotten any feedback from any manager or team member of mine saying anything about bein difficult or anything. I try to help people out when I can.

The times when I have contacted people, it's been about as well received as I'd expect a contact from a former coworker to be. It's just that nobody ever initiates. I'm not getting anything out of trying to maintain these relationships except stress, so, why bother?

And, now, someone (actually 3 someones, because I was at +3, now at 0) has gone and downvoted my original comment for whatever reason. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm in my second role in Australia. Can't say whether it's a thing but people from my previous role (people still there and people who have moved on) definitely keep in touch with each other.