I asked a LinkedIn insider how to actually stand out on LinkedIn in 2026

There's a moment a lot of professionals know well. You put real thought into a LinkedIn post, hit publish, and watch the likes trickle in. Five. Maybe six. One comment from a colleague you personally recruited into the thread.

Meanwhile, your feed has started to look like it was written by the same person. Polished, vaguely inspirational, and somehow saying nothing at all.

In this episode, I sit down with Jessi Hempel, senior editor-at-large at LinkedIn and host of the award-winning podcast Hello Monday, to get inside what's actually happening on the platform right now. Jessi has spent 25 years in tech journalism and eight years at LinkedIn, and she has a front-row seat to how AI is reshaping what it means to have a voice, both on the platform and in your career more broadly.

We talk about why your LinkedIn profile is doing more heavy lifting than any post you'll ever write, how to approach content in a way that builds real conversation rather than chasing reach, and what the rise of AI-generated posts actually means for anyone trying to show up as themselves online.

If you've been feeling like something's off with how your content is landing lately, this conversation will give you some much-needed clarity.

Jessi and I discuss:

• The part of your LinkedIn profile that matters far more than your posts (and that most people ignore)

• Why Jessi's posting advice runs counter to what most social media gurus will tell you

• The one habit that has made the biggest difference to how Jessi's own posts find reach

• What AI-generated content is doing to trust on LinkedIn, and where Jessi thinks it's all heading

• The creator who has built one of the most engaged communities on the platform, and what makes her strategy work

• Why Jessi thinks a major career shift is becoming the smarter move for mid-career professionals right now

• The skill that no bootcamp can teach you, and why it matters more than ever in the age of AI

Key quotes

"If I get off of this conversation and I jump onto LinkedIn and I read a post from you and it sounds like an LLM wrote it, I'm gonna really have distaste in my mouth."

"Success is being in real conversations that matter with people who have the potential to elevate the issues of concern for you in your career."

Connect with Jessi Hempel on Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out her newsletter and listen to her podcast Hello Monday.

My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

Credits:

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler

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