This week I write about how the job market is shifting into a diamond shape with the most competition in the middle, professionals can no longer rely on quiet execution alone and must become more active in building visibility, relationships, and a personal brand through social platforms like LinkedIn.

For a long time, careers followed a pretty predictable pattern. A lot of people started at the bottom, fewer moved into management, and a small group eventually made it to the top. That shape influenced how careers were built and how people expected progress to happen. Today, that structure is shifting. As teams get leaner and technology takes on more routine work, the job market is starting to look less like a triangle and more like a diamond.

There are fewer true entry-level roles than there used to be, and senior leadership positions are still limited. The biggest part of the market now sits in the middle, made up of experienced professionals who do the day-to-day work that keeps organizations running. This group is larger, more competitive, and often under more pressure than either end of the spectrum.

In this kind of environment, doing good work isn’t always enough on its own. Flatter organizations mean fewer layers and fewer natural moments for visibility. It’s easier to do important work and still be overlooked. For people in the middle, staying heads-down and hoping things work out can slow momentum.

That’s why marketing yourself has become part of the job, whether people like that idea or not. Networking can’t be something you only do when you need a new role. It works best when it’s consistent and based on real relationships. Staying connected to peers, former colleagues, and people in your industry keeps you closer to where opportunities are forming.

Being more active on LinkedIn fits into this in a practical way. It doesn’t mean posting constantly or trying to sound like a thought leader. It can be as simple as sharing lessons from your work, reacting to ideas you agree or disagree with, or adding a useful comment to someone else’s post. Those small moments add up. They help people understand how you think and what you bring to the table.

Over time, that kind of visibility builds a reputation. People start to associate your name with a point of view, an area of expertise, or a way of approaching problems. In a crowded middle layer, that familiarity can matter more than a title change or a bullet point on a resume.

Careers don’t move in straight lines the way they used to. Progress often comes through exposure, relationships, and being known for something specific. For professionals in the middle of the market, staying active, visible, and engaged, especially online, is less about self-promotion and more about staying relevant and creating options as the landscape keeps changing.