> Burning those bridges carries a cost to your career.
I don't think this is borne out in practice. I've done very well and very poorly over the decades. It would have to be a very specific situation (lot of events unluckily coinciding) where coworkers/previous position could influence an interview process today.
Not necessarily influence an interview process, but connect you with jobs of your caliber, ones you may not be able to find (or which would not find you) otherwise.
I know people (the aforementioned ex-govvies) who have no need of LinkedIn, because this is how they navigate their careers. As you get more and more established in your career, the jobs for someone of your level are less and harder to find.
While I keep in contact with most people I’ve worked with in the past, I’ve never used them for a job. I still just go through LinkedIn and normally get callbacks from every company I apply to. I think you can offset connections with big names on your resume.
I don't think this is borne out in practice. I've done very well and very poorly over the decades. It would have to be a very specific situation (lot of events unluckily coinciding) where coworkers/previous position could influence an interview process today.