Is it possible to confidentially search for a new job on LinkedIn… while you have a job?
You are presently employed… and job searching. Of course, you want to use LinkedIn to find new opportunities or be discovered by recruiters. However, you’re concerned your current employer or someone you know will see your updated profile and catch on to what you’re doing.
Busted!
Is it possible to job search on LinkedIn on the DL?
After speaking with a potential client this week who wanted us to write his LinkedIn profile for him but was nervous that his connections would figure out what he was up to, I decided to do a little research of my own. Here’s what I found:
According to Meg Guiseppi in this terrific post, you can actually turn off your network updates. You can also, as I learned in this post by Career Thought Leaders, adjust who can see your activity and connections.
Another option is to change your profile settings so you can browse profiles of target companies you want to work for, look up career experts you want to engage, or view possible HR connections – and no one will know (including the person whose profile you’re viewing): Here’s how:
- Go to ‘Settings’ (click the down arrow by your name, upper left)
- Click on ‘Select what others see when they’ve viewed your profile’
- Click the radial button next to ‘You will be totally anonymous’
Here are a few additional tips to remember:
LinkedIn Don’t:
- Post you’re in a job search on your status update or anywhere else in the profile (duh, right?)
- Check the box on your profile indicating you’re open to new job opportunities
LinkedIn Do:
- Be careful about what you post and reply to in job search-related groups… and how you answer questions in discussion groups
- Make sure your profile is 100% complete
- Ensure your profile is a branded representation of who you are as an employee, keyword-rich, and SEO-optimized
- Engage by sharing your expertise within the industry, posting relevant content to your field and contributing – discretely – to group discussions
Yes, you can leverage LinkedIn to discretely look for a job… when you have a job!
For this post, YouTern thanks our friends at Great Resumes Fast!
About the Author: A nationally recognized resume expert, Jessica Hernandez is President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast and a former human resources manager and recruiter. With more than ten years’ experience directing hiring practices for Fortune 500 companies, she has developed innovative and proven resume development, and personal branding strategies to generate powerful results for clients. As a global resume authority and trusted media source, Jessica has been featured and quoted on CNN.com, Monster.com, Job Talk America radio, SmartBrief, International Business Times, and more. Jessica has her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications/Public Relations from the University of North Florida. Contact Jessica on Twitter!
