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The LinkedIn mistake costing engineers opportunities

Most engineers write their LinkedIn like a CV. That's the mistake. Here's the difference between a CV and a positioning document.

A CV is a historical record of what you did. A positioning document is an argument for what you can solve next.

When you write your LinkedIn profile like a CV, you list every technology you've touched since university. You write bullet points like "Collaborated with cross-functional teams" or "Implemented API endpoints."

Why This Doesn't Work Online

CVs are requested when someone is already interested. LinkedIn is where people go to discover you. If your profile reads like a generic laundry list, you look identical to every other Software Engineer with React and Node.js on their profile.

"Generics don't command premium rates. If you look like everyone else, the only way to compete is on price or volume of applications."

Moving from CV to Positioning

To position yourself correctly, you must pick a lane. You don't need to specialize forever, but you need to specialize for the person you want to attract right now.

  • CV approach: "React, React Native, Node.js, Express, Postgres, Docker, AWS."
  • Positioning approach: "I build responsive, offline-first mobile applications for logistics startups using React Native."

The second statement immediately tells a founder of a logistics startup that you are the exact answer to their current problem. The first statement forces them to guess.

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