Matthew Kantor's Linkedin Analytics

Top-tier engineers are quietly miserable.  Stuck in “great jobs” they secretly hate. From the outside, it looks perfect.   Big brand. Good salary.   But inside? They’re drained.   Bored.   Disconnected from the work.  And when they try to leave… it gets worse. They open LinkedIn.   Every role has 500+ applicants.   Recruiters ghost or never reply.   They wonder if AI is replacing them But the truth is more brutal: AI will never replace the best of us. But the real problem: AI made it 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 to apply.   So now everyone looks the same. Even the best engineers.   The ones who can actually build. The ones who want to do something bigger They’re getting ignored.   Not because they’re unqualified —   Because they’re indistinguishable. One client - Amir - was struggling to stand out. After reworking his story, nailed the role in a week.   He told me, “𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 - 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥" Here’s the real issue:  If you don’t stand out, you stay stuck.   Scrolling.   Second-guessing.   Wondering if you missed your shot. But you didn’t.   You’re not done.   You just need a better strategy. Not louder.   Not more DMs.   Just sharper positioning.   Stronger storytelling.  Make companies say "we need to talk to this person" Make recruiters wish they had found you first. You don’t have to chase jobs.   You can attract them. Start here —   Free workshop: “The Obvious Choice.”   Learn to position yourself like the top 1%.  Links all over my profile. And in the comments.

Tired of being the "reliable one" — but never the promoted one? Here’s why companies box you in... and how to break out. I once worked with an engineer named D. He wasn’t flashy — but he was the one everyone leaned on. He built core systems from scratch. Handled customers without flinching. Pushed through 70–80 hour weeks for years. But when D wanted to move up, the company only saw him as “the engineer.” They tossed him a part-time project... and still expected him to carry his old workload. No backfill. No real plan. They waited for him to leave.. And D left. And outside the company's narrow view, he finally stepped into the role he deserved. No more 80 hour weeks.  Now hes doing a job he loves. "Leaving was scary," he told me, "but it’s the best decision I ever made." This isn’t rare. It’s the reality inside most companies today. If you don't reposition yourself before you ask for change, you stay stuck in their old version of you. I know because it happened to me once. I had the customer chops to lead — but got shoved in a box. If you’re feeling trapped, it’s not your fault. But it is your responsibility to reposition yourself. Waiting doesn’t work. Creating a new narrative does. Tired of feeling boxed in? Secure your spot — and start building your next chapter. https://lnkd.in/eFhjrCfk

Thought the big role was out of your league - So you didn’t even try. You didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. You weren’t sure if you were qualified. But when I asked you : "what does the job require?" You rattled off every skill. Every tool. Every outcome. Not hypothetically.... you had done it all. You even led a team doing the same thing just last year. But the job title was different. The department name was new. The salary was higher than anything you'd made before. So what did you do? You backed off. Started doubting. Started thinking, “they probably want someone flashier.” Maybe someone from FAANG. You started downplaying every win. "If I had only worked at Meta for 10 years" You thought “It just doesn’t feel like a match.” The reality of the situation: It didn’t feel like a match because it felt like a stretch. And stretches feel risky. Even when they aren’t. "We overestimate risk and underestimate opportunity" says Jeff Bezos. So ...test it out! Rewrite your story. And make it stupid obvious how you are the right person. Nail the interview. Get the offer the job. And a signing bonus. All for a role you almost didn’t try for. And here’s the ridiculous part. No new skills. No fancy referral. No magic. Just the courage to stop assuming 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺. And finally test the market with the truth. Get out of your workhorse role and get the learning role you deserve. Adopt that mindset and you'll stop aiming low and start getting what you actually deserve. Have this happen?  Drop a 💣  below . And please share ♻️ if you know people who got stuck in this.

Same chair. Same problems. Month after month, engineers were shuffled — never promoted.   No title change. No path up. Just lateral moves and lip service. Same level. Same ceiling. And leadership?   They weren’t developing talent.   They were 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 it. Instead of growing people, they went logo shopping —   bringing in “senior” hires from big-name companies,   while ignoring the people already doing the work. It wasn’t a pipeline issue.   It was a leadership issue. They didn’t lack talent.   They lacked courage.   They couldn’t grow others — because they never grew themselves. One person told me:   “They’ve moved me three times, but every promotion goes to someone new.”   That’s when it clicked. Don’t just pick the company. Pick the leader.   Find someone who develops people — not just hires résumés. Because great leaders don’t keep you stuck.   They build you up. Ever been passed over for someone with a better logo?   Drop a 👎 if you’ve seen it happen.

You deliver every result. Still invisible in the room Hard work isnt growth. Performance isnt power. Trust isnt trajectory. you don't need to be louder. It’s about the safest bet in the room The one who "can't lose" Speak ROI. Follow the money. Frame your impact like strategy. Not like help. Your first move?  Reposition your value. You’re not under-qualified. You’re under-positioned. Ready to stop being overlooked? Drop a “🔥” if you're done waiting to be chosen. Stop waiting to be cast. Start directing the show.

Looking forward to this workshop - gonna share some really cool Ai hacks.

Not getting eng interviews? It's your LinkedIn (and maybe more). It's like the line at the customs - you are just another passport in a 2 hour wait. You're invisible.... and it's killing your chances. You are  getting ignored because of how you are 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱.  Your LinkedIn is working against you — not for you.  And it's costing you the roles you're more than qualified for.  Here are 7 silent mistakes you're probably making right now...  Swipe through to see what they are and how to fix them.  Then join the 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 and learn how to turn your profile into an opportunity magnet. https://lnkd.in/eFhjrCfk

Most people want two things from their careers: To be paid what they’re worth… And to do work that actually matters. But there’s a problem. They’re stuck in roles that don’t challenge them, Or they’re overlooked for roles they could thrive in It’s not because they’re unqualified. It’s because their positioning is invisible. That’s where I come in. I’m a expert who helps engineers become the obvious choice in their industry. I've been coaching since I was in college. I've been working in tech for over 20 years. Described in companies as "lets ask Matt he knows the people stuff" Not through gimmicks. Not through keyword stuffing. And definitely not with fake AI-generated content. I teach engineers how to position, present, and promote themselves the right way— So they show up where hiring managers already are, Say things that actually matter to those hiring decisions, And get conversations started before the job is posted. I teach them how to turn Linkedin into a giant attention magnet and get the right people looking at them.  Here’s how we do it: Optimize your profile so it instantly communicates your value Craft content that proves your thinking, not just your experience Build strategic connections that open doors Turn conversations into interviews—without begging or spamming I walk through this entire process inside my free “Obvious Choice” workshop. If you’re tired of getting passed over, And you're ready to finally be seen for the work you should be doing - Then don’t wait. You deserve better. This is your invitation. Seats are limited. Access is free. Join the workshop and position yourself as the obvious choice today. https://lnkd.in/eFhjrCfk

AI won’t take your job. But someone 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 will. On Wednesday, I ran an AI workshop for a room full of designers. Most were stuck in basic prompt land. By the end? They were automating sales, redesigning workflows, and doing image manipulation.  Clearing and decorating rooms. One designer said: > “This used to take us days and it was terrible. Now I see how this tool makes us 10x faster.” But AI isn’t the real threat. Mediocrity is. These tools are the calculators of tomorrow - powerful, but eventually, universal.  Learn Ai is becoming easier. The edge? That’s in how 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. Think bigger: * Used to stock shelves? Now you design the store. * Wrote code? Now you architect systems. * Designed screens? Now you scale personalized UX across clients. What's holding you back ? I can show you how to overcome what's stopping you and reach your biggest goals faster.  DM me if you want to see how.

I got expelled from high school when I was 16. I skipped too many classes. When teachers met my sister, they always rolled their eyes. "Oh you're HIS sister". Got in a knock-down fight. They told me not to come back. I shrugged.  I was bored anyway. I wasn’t sure what to do next. Picked up a bunch of jobs. Started in restaurants.  Then autoparts. Then I was a movie usher.  Projectionist. Then managed the 6 screen operation. Managed a high-end power tool store. Then managed luxury luggage store. I was managing by the time I turned 19. With little idea on what that meant. Eventually, I found my way into university. Got a physics degree. Landed a software job. Then another. And another. I kept thinking someone would notice I didn’t belong. That they’d ask for my high school transcript. Find out where I came from. Kick me out again. But no one did. Because I just kept learning and tweaking. I had results. I got shit done. No perfect path. And here’s what I want to tell you. Your career doesn’t need to be linear. Your setbacks don't define you. They give your comeback better shape. Engineers think they’re stuck. But they’re just stuck thinking like engineers. Trying to optimize inside a broken system. Where they like you right where you are. But you can build a better one. The one you want and need. Not by following the rules. But by rewriting them. I help other engineers do the same. Not with another certification. Not with more job boards. But by becoming the obvious choice. Unleashing that leader, waiting to get out Showing you the road ahead And seeing the obstacles as a classroom So you stop settling. And finally get roles that challenge you And even pay  well. Don’t let your path define your ceiling. Let it define your edge. It's time to become the leader you've been waiting to meet. Without playing the broken game. or pretending to be someone you’re not. Want to know more?  I'll show you next Wednesday. Live.

My friend’s been out of work for almost a year. I had a coffee with him yesterday. We talked about his background and what he wanted to do. I suggested he try shifting more to marketing I took a sip of my too-small Cortado when he said "I don't know anything about marketing". He was selling himself short - Shorter than my coffee. After 20 years in corporate communications, you know something about marketing. I'm sorry, its true. You often don't give yourself credit -  as if you can only know something if you've done it as a job. But its just not true. Your experiences your background and your lens bring perspective to others that they have been lacking for years. I told him - you know marketing plenty.  I made him say it back. He realized it was true. Sometimes all we need is someone to give you that extra perspective and push that you have missed for years. Are you ready to try something new?

Three engineers. Same mistake. Zero traction. Their LinkedIn profiles screamed: “Don’t hire me.” One hadn’t touched his profile in 4 years. One listed 37 tools. One looked like a ghost.  No photo, no banner, boring tag line.  👻👻👻 It was a horror show. Maybe they blamed the market. Or bad timing. Or recruiters ghosting. But I asked: Would a hiring manager want to talk to you based on what’s here? Nope. Your photo should say “I’m ready to work” — not “I love Metallica” Your headline is your positioning — not your job title. Your About section reads like a death certificate. And your “open to work” badge? It signals panic, not power. What's worse -  you haven’t posted. You haven’t made it obvious why someone should hire you. We fix that. You don't need to be Stephen King. You need to know how to position yourself. We start by taking a step back.  Going deep. Making the decision on the most important thing: What did they want to do?  There are tons of possibilities WHAT THEY WANT THEIR WORK TO MEAN TO THEM. Then rewrote their stories. We cut the noise and positioned them "in-demand" and not "unemployed". What we did not do: No job postings with 1000 applications.. No sending your resume to the depths of a career page. and definitely no begging to stay live in the market. Ready to stop being invisible? Join the free “Obvious Choice” workshop and flip how hiring managers see you. Link in the comments - so the Linkedin Gods don't throttle this post.

Burned out. Overlooked. One step from quitting. That was Thomas.   A brilliant engineer drowning in false promises. He was working 70-hour weeks. Some days it felt like he was a one man fire department in an apartment complex. Everyone told him he was "next in line" for a leadership role. He trusted them. He believed that if he just worked harder, they would notice. So he skipped vacations. Missed family birthdays. Pulled all-nighters to "show commitment." But the promotion never came.  Instead, they hired someone from the outside. Someone who hadn’t "paid dues" the way thomas had. Someone who didn't "grind it out" the way he did. Someone who just knew how to play the game better.  He was crushed.  He started doubting if he was even good enough to keep going. He questioned - "is engineering still the right path?" I got to talk with him a bit during that time. It was clear he was good. "I thought solving all these problems was enough. But it’s not. Not anymore." (It never was, really.) But we all need to remember the truth about your job Working hard will only get you so far. Sometimes nowhere. The best person doesn’t always get the job. No one owes you a promotion, raise, or even a job. A company is not your family. Sometimes it’s easier to level up using the backdoor. Your real competition is with yourself. That's the truth. Tom stayed in engineering.  But he changed some things.  It took time. He started working less and focusing on doing the job he wanted, not the one he had.  But he wasn't the soccer ball anymore.  He was the captain. He taught himself how to present himself as the only one - instead of hoping someone would notice.  He moved on eventually and got the role he was right for. If you’re an engineer stuck in the cycle, you don't have to stay stuck. You have choices. Start changing it today. Learn how to rethink, position, and present yourself as the obvious choice. Do it Faster than Thomas.  Work with me.

The resume is dead. Applying for jobs is dead. Getting a job is on life support. There are ways that work Most engineers think they’re missing a secret keyword. Or the right resume format. Or a better LinkedIn headline. So they tweak. And apply. And wait. Some use Ai to generate custom resumes. But so do 1000 others. They all get ghosted. Again. And again. And again. Until they begin to wonder if they’re even qualified. They start doubting the skills that got them this far. Start questioning the years they put into school. Into projects. Into fixing systems and solving problems no one else could. They don’t know this yet… But they’re not being rejected because they’re unqualified. They’re being ignored because they’re invisible. They’re not positioned as obvious choices. They’re positioned as desperate applicants. The type recruiters sift through with glazed eyes. I've had that job - sifting through resumes (It's easiest to randomly delete 90% of them.  ) Here’s the twist. When I work with you I don't start with the resume. I start with reputation and desire  Because when you know how to present yourself as a problem-solver instead of a job seeker… The rules change. The process changes. The roles that once felt out of reach… Now feel like the only natural fit. No more applying into the void. No more hoping someone finally reads your bullet points. and your "99% success  blah bah blah" that they told you to add to look like you can deliver. No more wondering why lesser candidates keep getting interviews you never even heard about. Just sharp, specific, undeniable positioning that makes a hiring manager say: “We need them in the room.” That’s when the good jobs start calling you. That’s when you stop asking for a shot—because you already feel like the standard. No resume hacks. No job board spreadsheets. No 200-application weeks. Just precision. The right Positioning. A Process that isn't spammy And the belief - rightly so -  that you are the best choice. You’ll stop applying for jobs and start attracting the ones that want you. Want to get the playbook? DM Me for more.

He wanted startup chaos —   And corporate calm.  That’s how he became…   The Human LinkedIn Paradox. He told me,   “I want a role at a big insurance firm. I like the structure and job security.”  Then sipped his paused and added,   Also there’s this AI startup. They’re wild. Fast. Using tech that is super cool. I blinked.   “You want both?” He nodded like that made sense. That’s when I knew why he was stuck. Two résumés.   Two vibes.   Zero clarity. He didn’t realize it, but his applications were screaming:   “I have no idea who I am but please hire me.” And recruiters?   They don’t swipe right on identity crises. Even if you’re brilliant.   Even if your GitHub is basically magic. They’ll ghost you.   Because if you don’t know what you want —   They sure as hell won’t guess. I’ve been there. Stuck between two dreams, both half-assed.   And wondering why mid-tier roles keep showing up like bad exes. Here’s the truth: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲. Pick your path.   Pick your story.   Pick the version of you that actually 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 the job. One client finally did.   He said:  “Once I got clear, companies stopped ghosting me.” He cleaned up the brand split.   Turned the chaos into clarity.   And landed the kind of role people 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 brag about on LinkedIn. So if you’re out here trying to be two people… Don’t be surprised when nobody picks either. Fix the split.  Want to become the obvious choice for companies?  I'll show you how.  Get the free playbook. https://lnkd.in/giRju7xX

We just had our fourth kid.  And someone said it again.  “Just wait till they turn two.”  “Say goodbye to sleep.”  “You have no idea what's coming.”  Always the same thing.  Never about the joy.  Never about the gift.  Never about the good stuff.  And I realized something.  That's how people talk finding a job.   We only hear the bad.  “This market is brutal.”  “You’re lucky to have anything.”  “No one’s hiring right now.” That kind of talk is scary. We have enough going on.  Not everyone likes uncertainty. Not everyone is free of anxiety. We don't all live stress free But here's what nobody says:  You get to build again.  You get to try new things.  New teams. New tools. New problems.  You get to ask yourself:  “What do I actually enjoy doing?”  And then go do that.  I’ve been fired more than once.  Laid off. Let go.  Call it whatever you want.  But each time came with something else.  I found a boss I truly admired.  I finally left a job I had grown to hate - and got one I loved. I tried out a role I had no business qualifying for - lasted a week.   And none of that would’ve happened if I stayed still.  Or stayed scared.  Or believed the doom-talk.  That's the side of job-hunting no one talks about.  The growth.  The adventure.  The second chance.  No one is “starting over.”  They’re just building from a better blueprint.  Let the market say what it wants.  You’re not looking for 𝘢𝘯𝘺 job.  You’re targeting the right one.  You’re becoming the obvious choice. And when you do... The anxiety fades. The inside voice quiets. And just like bringing a new child into the world — You realize the hard part was never an issue. It was just a part of something beautiful. Start by learning how to create a new life... for yourself.

I’ve been fired more times than I like to admit. Auto parts store. Fired while reading the help wanted ads. I stayed too long. Big consulting firm. Fired again. I stopped caring. Did the bare minimum. Showed up late. Left early. Startup job. Toxic culture. But I was waiting for an exit. Told myself I could outlast it. But I was wrong. Again. Every time I got fired, I blamed the company. The leadership. The manager. The politics. And yes.  Those things mattered. But you know what? I saw it coming. I felt it coming. My spark was dying. My standards were slipping. And still I stayed.  Waiting for something. I told myself: “It’s not that bad.” “I just want to get one more thing done.” “At least I'm getting paid.” What’s worse than getting fired? Forgetting what great work even feels like. Drifting away from your edge. Letting the job define you. Instead of you defining the job. Over time, I stopped blaming. And started making decisions. Because sometimes… You’re not in the wrong for feeling off. You’re just in the wrong room. And it’s time to leave. Not with fear. But with strategy. No random applications. No praying for interviews. No “maybe I’ll figure it out.” Just a clear, controlled, proven, well-run... process. Own the process and you’ll find the role you were designed for. How do I think about interviewing? Get the playbook - in the comments.

One time I applied for a job. Remember that? 2001: Booz Allen.   Hired by former boss 2002: Rohm & Haas Connection again.  2006: Discovery Channel.   Friend of a friend.  2008: Syncapse.   The only time I applied cold (I was living in another country) Then came the side gigs.   All through my network.  2015: XPrize team at CloudDX (winning team) Someone invited me.  2017: CBC.   Tight referral.  2018: Tripstack.   They reached out.  2019: GuestLogix.   Executive tech recruiter.  2021: GrowthLoop. Connection on a slack. Zero endless online portals.  But that’s not because I’m special.  Its because I asked . I didn’t just look for jobs.   I was positioned as the obvious choice.  I presented my value like it 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 in the room.  I didn’t “hope” to get lucky.   I engineered my career path.  Times may have changed. Sending a resume to a job posting is like building a house while it's on fire. But making friends is still the same. The best roles?   They’re not on LinkedIn.   Not on Indeed.   Not on Monster.  They live in conversations and credibility. And they only show up when you do.  Stop sending 1000 Ai Resumes to "beat the ATS". Stop hoping someone “finds” you.  Just deliberate, confident, repeatable, relationship-driven, principle-rooted, trust-building, impact-presenting, quiet-storm, no-fluff, signal-over-noise, head-turning, reputation-first, strategic, undeniable... work. And if you’re ready to become the obvious choice… Want to see how - in 5 emails? Get it:  https://lnkd.in/gUAP3xNU