Remember that iconic mid 1960s TV sci-fi/fantasy/psychodrama “The Twilight Zone”?

Rod Serling used to enter the screen and starkly define the titled concept as:

It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone. 

Now think of how you come across to a first-time reader of your profile, either from the search function on LinkedIn or, better, referred by a colleague. They crave a solution that you may just be able to provide but first you have to earn it in their mind.

Is your LinkedIn Twilight Zone:

  • Between light (the ideal goal of excellent self-presentation) and shadow (the antithesis)?
  • Between science (well-developed deductive reasoning, pointing to your best attributes) and superstition (too much to the imagination)?
  • Between the pit of fears (cleaned up for a 2020’s audience, but a place to avoid no matter the reader’s gender) and the summit of your expressing “why you” for your accumulated knowledge
  • No room for spiraling imagination, beyond how the reader can envision their expectation of contacting you to pursue the opportunity, engage cerebrally and emotionally with you as THE candidate, and sign with you for your expertise to enhance theirs.

So make the reader enter the best of the best in your zone. Fully lit, no eerie music or pulse racing unless they are so excited to get started with you that they know they HAVE TO make you an offer.

Thank you, Rod Serling, (whose 100th birthday occurred October 2nd), for being so far ahead of your time, reminding us to be in our own moment in time.

Never a jolting surprise ending as the TV show was known for, but a happy linear conclusion that hopefully leads to ancillary business, a recommendation, and/or a referral to another opportunity.

I imagine Rod would be so proud of you.