LinkedIn vs Alternatives · 2026

Opening Moves: Which Pieces Are Free to Leave LinkedIn

On a board, some pieces can move freely to a new square. Others are pinned and can't leave without exposing something behind them.

Free to movePinned in place

Pawn — Resume text

Advances cleanly into a new profile on Indeed, Wellfound, GitHub or a personal site.

Knight — Education history

Plain text, simple to re-enter anywhere.

Bishop — Work samples

Portfolio files and links travel to a new board.

Rook — Connections

Pinned. The connection graph rarely transfers automatically.

Queen — Message history

Pinned. Conversation history does not move platforms.

King — Recommendations

Pinned. These stay unless their authors write them again elsewhere.

Reading the position

Resume text, education history, and work samples can be copied into a new profile or portfolio on Indeed, Wellfound, GitHub, or a personal site. The connection graph, message history, and algorithmic visibility built on LinkedIn stay pinned; recommendations and endorsements remain unless the people who wrote them recreate them elsewhere. In 2026 the practical order is to move the free pieces first, then reduce LinkedIn activity, then work the pinned pieces free on the new platform over time.

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