Reluctant Professional’s Primer to LinkedIn

I’ve spent years in cybersecurity doing the kind of work that rarely makes it into a post: incident response at 3 a.m., tracking infrastructure across five hops, writing detections that actually fire. What I haven’t spent time doing until now is playing the LinkedIn game.

But here’s the truth: like it or not, people look. Recruiters, collaborators, quiet professionals. And if your profile doesn’t speak clearly, the platform fills in the blanks with fluff.

So I wrote something for people like me and maybe you.
“The Reluctant Professional’s Primer to LinkedIn” is a no-BS guide to using the platform without selling your soul. It’s for those who operate, not perform. Who still believe that signal matters more than spin. Who want to be found, but not followed.

If you’re tired of humblebrag posts and influencer theater but still want to maintain a tactical presence this is for you.
It’s not about building a brand. It’s about not being invisible to the people who matter.

The Reluctant Professional’s Primer to LinkedIn
How to Survive and Extract Value Without Losing Your Integrity (or Mind)

1. Understand the Game — So You Don’t Have to Play It
LinkedIn isn’t built for truth. It’s built for optics.
It rewards visibility over substance, movement over mastery.

If you’re here to extract value and stay sharp without getting sucked into the corporate self-parody vortex, this is your guide.

2. Build a Profile That Works While You Sleep
This isn’t a résumé — it’s a filter.
You want the right people to find you, the wrong ones to bounce off, and the smart ones to know you’re real.

Essentials:

Headline: Make it blunt, useful, and not self-congratulatory.
Example: Threat Intel | Forensics | Adversary Tracking | Not a Thought Leader
About Section: Keep it tight and honest.
Example: Built threat programs. Led IR. Tracked actors. I don’t post much, but I do the work.
Experience: Use short, active statements. Skip the jargon.
Example: Led enterprise IR. Built CTI from scratch. Conducted forensic investigations. Tuned SIEM. Hunted quietly.

3. Post Less. Say More.
You don’t need to post weekly. Or monthly. Just post when you’ve got something real to say — and say it clearly.

Examples:

Detection is broken because we measure coverage, not effectiveness.
Most CTI reports are naming groups. I care more about how they think.

Write like you’d brief someone who doesn’t have time for bullshit.

4. Engage Like a Ghost With Opinions
Don’t “build your brand.” Just show up occasionally and say something worth hearing.

Instead of liking 100 posts or leaving generic praise, drop a single sentence that proves you’ve done the work.

Example:
We saw the same TTP, but it was post-exfil — not initial access. Curious if others caught that shift.

The right people will notice. The wrong ones will scroll past.

5. Tune Out the Noise
You’re not obligated to watch the circus.

Unfollow people who post fluff.
Follow people who say less but mean more.
Use mute often. Block if needed.

Turn LinkedIn into what it was never meant to be — a low-noise threat feed and professional radar.

6. Use DMs Like a Blade, Not a Blanket
Need a job? Insight? Connection?

Send one message. Keep it sharp.

Example:
Saw your team is hiring in IR. I’ve led real-world breach response and built detection workflows from scratch. If you’re looking for that skillset, I’m open to a conversation.

Don’t add your résumé. Don’t pitch. Don’t fluff. Just open a door.

7. Final Rule: Operate, Don’t Perform
LinkedIn is a stage. You’re not here to dance.

Say what’s true.
Share only what adds signal.
Let your silence speak for the depth of your experience.

Real professionals are busy solving problems, not posting about solving them.

Summary: The Stoic’s LinkedIn Code

Be discoverable, not marketable
Speak plainly, when necessary
Engage selectively, with precision
Cut the noise until value remains
Use DMs as tools, not megaphones
Post like it’s a field report, not a keynote
Do the work. Let the results speak.