Landing a job is incredibly exciting, and once you finish celebrating your offer, you might be tempted to update your LinkedIn profile with your new position.
But before you rush to make any dramatic changes on the career platforms, you’ll want to continue reading, as I share important tips to keep in mind when updating LinkedIn with a new job.
Is it okay to update my LinkedIn profile with my new job?
In most cases, it’s more than okay to share the exciting news of a new role with your LinkedIn network. Additionally, many employers appreciate workers posting the announcement on social media. However, you want to be strategic regarding when you update your profile, which I’ll cover in a bit.
But first, what should you keep in mind before updating your profile with your exciting new role?
Tips Before Updating Your Profile With Your New Position
According to Meg Martin, owner and principal consultant at HRMeg, “You want to be sure you’ve carefully planned your departure from your current job. At a minimum, you want to have signed an offer letter for the new job and agreed on a start date, and submitted your resignation at your old job and agreed on a last day of work.”
She also recommends that you have confirmed the material details of your prior role, such as your last day of benefits coverage and any remaining compensation that is due to you, before updating your profile.
“Your soon-to-be-former employer might request time to notify clients, vendors, and team members of your impending departure,” adds Martin. “Your employer would certainly prefer to explain their plans for continuity in the transition before their business associates learn about this change on social media.
“While there is no law that says employers can control what their employees are posting on their personal LinkedIn accounts, if you’re on good terms, there’s no reason not to cooperate within reason,” she says.
Before making any changes to your LinkedIn profile, you will also want to review the employee handbook at your new company to see if the organization has any policies related to social media usage. As you climb the ladder, companies are increasingly watchful of what senior managers and executives post on their social profiles.
When should I update my LinkedIn profile with a new job?
So, when should you update your profile with your new position? While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, at a bare minimum, you want to wait until you have that written offer letter from your new employer before making any changes.
That said, Martin says it’s important to make sure your new job is a good fit. “You need time to see if any potential red flags emerge during your first days or weeks. And, not for nothing, you might even want to wait until your first paycheck hits your bank account and you’re enrolled in benefits.”
[Read: “I Hate My New Job!” What Should I Do? Answered]
I concur and often recommend waiting until your probationary period is over, which is 30 to 90 days at most companies, before making any changes to your LinkedIn profile.
This more cautious approach provides you an opportunity to quietly hedge your bets and leave if you end up disliking your new role. Waiting to update your LinkedIn profile also allows you to keep the door open if you’re in the middle of interviewing with additional companies and ultimately getting multiple job offers.
“LinkedIn is where many of us keep a record of our professional experiences. Here, too, it’s prudent to wait to update your profile,” shares Martin.
Tips For Updating Your LinkedIn With A New Job
Once you do choose to update your LinkedIn profile, you’ll want to be sure you streamline your headline, About section, and background photo so they consistently reflect your new company and role.
“If you’ve used your cover image and headline to advertise on behalf of your previous employer, you might consider using your job change as an opportunity to rebrand your profile so that it reflects your professional self,” explains Martin.
According to her, this includes changing your LinkedIn headline to something besides the platform’s default of your current job title and employer, as well as updating your cover image to align with your personal brand.
[Read: Why You Shouldn’t Add Your Resume To Your LinkedIn Profile]
Should I announce my new job on LinkedIn?
A separate yet important factor to consider is whether to additionally announce your new job on LinkedIn with a status update.
Akin to updating your profile, you’ll want to be mindful of the timing of your announcement post and consider waiting until you’ve settled into your new role before posting an update.
“It is wise to use some discretion as you’re planning your social media posts about your job change. It’s a good idea to think like a PR pro and plan your communication strategy,” says Martin.
She also explains that “Your LinkedIn profile is your personal account. It belongs to you, not your employer.”
That said, it can be tricky to craft a thoughtful and considerate post updating your network regarding your new position. Thankfully, I share a sample script in this article to serve as inspiration.
Moreover, Martin shares that you’ll be asked whether you want to notify your network of your new role when you add a new position, and you can feel free to share this “starting a new position” post.
Conclusion: Updating Your LinkedIn Profile With A New Job
Before updating your profile or posting an announcement regarding a new job on LinkedIn, ensure that you have a written offer letter in hand, tie up all the loose ends at your previous employer, and check the employer handbook for any social media policies you might need to follow. Also, consider waiting until your probationary period has commenced and you’ve confirmed you like your new job.
[Read: 10 Tips When Starting A New Job]
Once you do update your profile with your position, you want to ensure the rest of your profile content is streamlined and consistent. You’ve got this!
