LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social networking sites. With over 800 million users worldwide, it’s a great platform for networking, job searching, establishing your professional brand, and more. However, there are times when you may want to delete your LinkedIn account and start fresh with a new profile.
Why would someone want to delete their LinkedIn account?
There are a few common reasons why someone may want to delete their LinkedIn account:
- You’re unhappy with your current connections or content on your profile
- You want to create a new professional brand or online presence
- You have changed careers or industries and want to start over
- You are concerned about your privacy or an ex-partner finding you
- You no longer need or want a LinkedIn account
Whatever the reason, deleting your LinkedIn account allows you to completely remove your profile and start with a clean slate. However, one question that arises is – can you simply create a new LinkedIn account after deleting your old one? Let’s take a look at the policies around this.
LinkedIn’s policy on deleted accounts
According to LinkedIn’s User Agreement, if you voluntarily close your account, you can create a new account anytime as long as you comply with their terms of service.
Specifically, section 3.3 of the User Agreement states:
“If you close your account, you may reopen it at any time, provided you comply with these Terms of Service in doing so.”
So LinkedIn’s official policy is that you are free to create a brand new account after voluntarily deleting your previous one. There are no restrictions stated around how soon you can recreate your account or limits to the number of accounts you can open and close.
Steps to create a new LinkedIn account after deleting the previous one
If you’ve made the decision to start fresh with a new LinkedIn profile, here are the steps:
- Delete your current LinkedIn account. You can do this directly from your account settings. Simply go to your profile, click “More” next to the edit profile pencil icon, then choose “Close account”.
- Confirm that you want to permanently delete your account. LinkedIn will display warnings about how all your connections, content, and data will be permanently lost.
- Wait for LinkedIn to process the account deletion. It typically takes 24-48 hours to complete deleting an account.
- Create your new LinkedIn account from scratch. Use a new email address and register for a brand new profile.
- Build up your new profile. Add education, skills, experience, accomplishments and engage with new connections.
That’s all there is to it! As long as you comply with LinkedIn’s terms of service, you can feel free to create a new account after voluntarily deleting your prior one.
Tips for switching to a new LinkedIn profile
Here are some additional tips to make the transition smoother when switching to a new LinkedIn account:
- Use a new email address not associated with your previous profile.
- Choose a different profile photo so you are not readily recognized by your prior connections.
- Customize your public profile URL to make it different than your old one.
- Export connections before deleting your account and reconnect with key contacts after recreating it.
- Think carefully about your reasons for starting over and tailor your new profile accordingly.
- Gradually establish your professional brand by engaging thoughtfully with new connections.
Potential issues to be aware of
While LinkedIn allows creating a new account after deleting an old one, be aware of a couple potential issues:
- Loss of your existing professional network and brand: By deleting your account, you also remove all of your connections and content. This means starting from scratch to rebuild your network and credibility.
- Suspicion from connections: If you abruptly delete an account and recreate it, some existing connections may view it as suspicious behavior if they link the two profiles together.
- Multiple deleted accounts could get flagged: If you repeatedly delete accounts and recreate new ones, LinkedIn may flag this activity as against policy.
The key is to thoughtfully consider your motivations and goals before deleting and recreating your account. Maintain transparent communication with your network where appropriate.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn does permit creating a brand new account after voluntarily deleting your previous profile. This gives you a clean slate to reinvent your professional brand and network.
However, it’s wise to be mindful of the potential downsides, such as having to rebuild your network and credibility. Communicate clearly with your connections to maintain trust and transparency.
Overall, the flexibility to recreate your LinkedIn profile can be beneficial in many circumstances. But be strategic in how you manage the transition to maximize the upside while minimizing any risks or confusion.