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I'm filling my linkedIn profile and in the summary I'm about to add the following text:

I’ve always been fascinated by the opportunities brought by the digital age. Now when it’s easier than ever to connect with people instantly and anywhere, gain knowledge and skills previously only accessible by limited groups of people and existence of the machines that save and improve lives for billions, (...)

wouldn't it be informal or strange in any way for a native speaker to see the idiom "dead sure" following it, like:

and I'm dead sure that I want to get involved.

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  • in the sense of 0% or 100% sure?
    – JMP
    Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 20:56
  • yes, in the sense of 0% or 100% sure. Is there anything else it could imply?
    – Oscar
    Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 20:56
  • i'd use 'unsure' then. btw can you explain your 2nd sentence to me
    – JMP
    Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 21:01
  • @Oscar I think what JonMark Perry is asking is whether you mean totally unsure or totally sure. Usually, "dead sure" means totally sure (100% sure). I addressed that situation in my answer. Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 21:06
  • @RaceYouAnytime Thanks. Also, I can see he hasn't been able to understand the message in the 2nd sentence, is it unclear or ambiguous in any way?
    – Oscar
    Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 21:08

1 Answer 1

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Yes that would be a bit too informal for a professional profile.

Check out this article on idiom use and when it's appropriate or inappropriate in a professional setting.

You could say that you have no doubt that you want to get involved.

Another synonym for "dead sure" would just be certain.

Also, since you're asking for the perspective of a native speaker, you might be better off asking questions like this on ell.stackexchange.com

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  • Why is ELL supposedly the place for perspectives of a native speaker?
    – Xanne
    Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 21:32
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    @Xanne I suppose I was inferring that because the OP asked what a native speaker would think, they might not be one themselves. And ELL does have a lot of questions asking what native speakers use in certain situations, especially on topics like idioms. Was I out of place appending that to my answer? Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 21:37
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    On looking over the OP's question, it's probably a good suggestion--not because that's the place to get the perspective of a native speaker (which is provided here in abundance, with many dialects) but because the OP's second sentence doesn't parse, as JohnMark Perry implies.
    – Xanne
    Commented Apr 15, 2017 at 21:48
  • Really? What does any of you think is wrong with that second sentence, please? Granted, the informality doesn't suit the earlier style but what's that to do with anything? Commented May 5, 2017 at 4:44

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