When is the best time to update your LinkedIn profile? I have two different answers for you, both true.
The ideal time for a profile makeover is when you’re being promoted or recently started a new job.
When you’ve recently had a major change in your working life, overhauling your profile is a perfectly natural thing to do. Your employer will understand that you’re proud to post the new position. Polishing up the rest of the profile makes sense as well, to make a good impression on new colleagues who may look you up. And after all, to have an excellent LinkedIn profile is a basic part of professional life. If you’ve just started a new job, you may want to wait a few weeks or a month to make sure the role is working out.
Once your anniversary begins to approach, or you’ve been there even longer–especially if things aren’t going so well, either in terms of the company’s fortunes or the fit between you and the role–you might be concerned that updating your profile now would tip off your employer that you’re looking for a new job. You’d wish you had done that makeover sooner, when nobody had any reason to doubt your commitment.
So while you’re new, make those profile changes, and especially ask for recommendations. Social proof is extremely important in career communications.
But sometimes the best time do update your LinkedIn profile is . . . right now.
First, I’d like to address the fear of making your employer suspicious.
There are many other ways a profile update can be seen besides “he/she is in job search.” It could mean:
- You have new accomplishments to highlight.
- You realize that a job is not forever, even in a strong, stable economy. Layoffs are always possible–and as I write this in mid-2020, all too likely.
- You know that maintaining an excellent profile is a basic part of smart career management.
And that’s how you can explain it in the unlikely event you’re asked about it.
Your profile update may never come to the attention of your manager anyway. Even if it does, at most they may wonder, but they won’t really know, so how likely are they to take any drastic steps just because you updated your profile?
There is also a wrong time to make one particular update.
If you’ve recently become unemployed, a little creative inaction may be in order. Recruiters prefer candidates who are currently employed. In fact, they often search specifically for people currently in a role similar to their opening, so if you immediately add an ending date to your recent job, your profile may not turn up in their search results. So changing “present” to the current year is one update you may want take your time getting around to. For how long? There’s really no rule, but many career coaches advise waiting at least a few months. (Note: Don’t take this approach with your resume! That must be fully up to date.)
If you make other updates but not that one, think carefully about how that may appear to people who know you’ve left the job. You got around to updating those other sections, so why not that one?
For other options, see my post How to Update Your LinkedIn Profile When You’re Unemployed.
And that’s just one more reason to update your profile when you’re new in a role . . . or maybe while you’re still on the job, right now.
