"Platform Engineer" is the new hot role: is your LinkedIn ready? 🔥
How to showcase the skills that companies now want.
Have you noticed a new job title popping up all over your LinkedIn feed and in high-level tech discussions? "Platform Engineer".
It might sound like just another buzzword, but it's not. It represents a major shift in how modern tech companies think about their own engineering efficiency. It’s one of the hottest, most in-demand roles for experienced developers right now, and it presents a huge career opportunity.
But what does a Platform Engineer actually do? And, more importantly, how do you position yourself on LinkedIn to show that you have the right skills and mindset for this new wave of high-impact roles?
This guide will break it down for you.
1. The trend: what is platform engineering (and why it's so hot)? 📈
First, let's be clear: this isn't just a fleeting trend. This is a strategic move that the entire industry is making.
So, what is Platform Engineering? In simple terms, it's the discipline of designing and building the internal tools and workflows that other developers in a company use to ship their code. Think of it as building a paved highway for your company's software engineers, so they don't have to build the road themselves every time they want to go somewhere.
Don't just take my word for it. The data is clear:
Industry analysts at Gartner have repeatedly named it a top strategic trend, predicting that 80% of large engineering organizations will have platform teams by 2026.
Major industry reports, like the latest State of DevOps Report from Puppet, now call it the logical "evolution of DevOps".
Companies are investing heavily in this because it's a massive productivity booster. And that's why these roles are so in-demand and often come with top-tier salaries.
2. The mindset: think of other developers as your "customers" 🧑🤝🧑
The biggest shift from a traditional software engineering or DevOps role to Platform Engineering is a change in mindset.
The focus moves from building a feature for an end-user to building an internal product where your customers are the other developers at your company.
This means you need to be obsessed with the Developer Experience (or "DevEx").
How can you reduce the cognitive load for your fellow engineers?
How can you create clear, easy-to-use "golden paths" for deploying and managing services?
How can you automate repetitive tasks to make everyone more productive?
Thinking like a product manager for an internal developer platform is the key to succeeding in this role.
3. Updating your profile: the language of platforms 🛠️
Your LinkedIn profile needs to speak this new language to attract the right recruiters.
Your headline: Go beyond "Software Engineer". Add the specialization.
Examples:
"Senior Software Engineer | Backend & Platform Engineering"or"DevOps Engineer passionate about building Internal Developer Platforms"
Your "About" section: Explicitly state your focus on the developer experience.
"I'm a software engineer who is passionate about improving developer productivity and experience. I specialize in building the robust, scalable internal platforms and tooling that engineering teams love to use to ship code faster and more reliably".
Your "Skills" section: Make sure you list the key skills associated with the role:
Platform EngineeringDeveloper Experience (DevEx)CI/CDKubernetesInfrastructure as Code (IaC)Internal Developer Platform (IDP)
4. Show your impact: from "built a feature" to "improved developer productivity" 🚀
To prove you have the platform mindset, you need to reframe your achievements in your "Experience" section. Focus on how your work made other developers more effective.
Instead of writing this:
"Managed our CI/CD pipeline".
"Wrote scripts for automation".
Write this:
"Re-architected the CI/CD pipeline, reducing average build times by 40% for 10+ engineering teams".
"Developed a suite of automation scripts that eliminated 5 hours of manual work per week for each developer on the team".
See the difference? The first version describes a task. The second version describes impact on other developers.
5. Content that proves your mindset: sharing your "platform thinking" ✍️
Your LinkedIn content is the perfect place to prove you understand the "why" behind Platform Engineering.
Just share your thoughts and learnings.
Post about a tool you admire: "Really impressed with how [Tool Name, e.g., Backstage or a specific CI tool] solves the problem of [X] for developers. The focus on a clean workflow is great".
Discuss a concept: "Thinking about the importance of good internal documentation this week. It's not just a 'nice to have'; it's a core feature of any good internal platform".
Share a relevant article (like the ones above!): Share one of the trend reports and add your own two cents. "This data from Gartner really highlights the shift towards treating internal platforms as products. I've seen the benefits of this firsthand".
This kind of content proves your strategic thinking about the modern engineering landscape.
🎁 Bonus tip: write your "DevEx" manifesto
Want a single, powerful way to stand out from 99% of other candidates? Go beyond posts and write a short LinkedIn Article titled something like "My philosophy on a great developer experience".
You don't need to be a world-class expert or write a perfect essay. Just share your thoughts. Your article could include:
What does a great developer experience feel like to you?
What are the biggest productivity blockers you've seen in engineering teams?
What's one small change (better documentation, a simple script, a clearer process) that you believe can have a huge impact on a team's workflow?
The act of writing and publishing this "manifesto" is a massive signal to recruiters. It shows a desire to make a real impact on how an engineering organization works, which is a key trait for senior and platform roles.
The rise of Platform Engineering is one of the biggest opportunities for experienced developers right now. It's a chance to move into a high-impact, strategic role that sits at the very heart of how a tech company operates.
By understanding the mindset and using these tips to signal your "platform thinking" on LinkedIn today, you can get ready for the opportunities that will follow.