Quick Answer
Yes, you can update your LinkedIn job title and employment details without notifying your network contacts. LinkedIn allows you to choose whether to notify your connections when you make job updates to your profile. By default, LinkedIn will notify your connections, but you can opt out of this when editing your job information.
Notifying Connections of Job Updates
When you add a new position or make changes to your current job on LinkedIn, it will automatically select the option to notify your connections by default. This means a notification will be sent to your 1st-degree connections stating that you started a new job or updated your employment details.
However, you can opt out of this auto-sharing. When editing your job information in the LinkedIn profile, uncheck the box next to “Notify your network” before saving the changes. This will ensure your job update is only visible on your profile and does not trigger a notification to your connections.
Benefits of Notifying Connections
Although you can disable notifications, there are some benefits to letting your connections know when you start a new job or get promoted:
- Increases visibility of your job change – Notifying connections broadcasts the update to your network.
- Opportunity for congratulations and engagement – Connections can like and comment on the update.
- Shows progression in your career – Demonstrates growth to your network.
- Chance to reconnect with old connections – Job updates may lead to connections reaching out.
Reasons to Avoid Notifications
Here are some reasons you may want to make your job update visible only on your profile without notifying your network:
- Want a private job search – Avoid notifying connections if you are discreetly looking for jobs.
- Concern over perceptions – You may not want certain connections knowing you were fired or laid off.
- Too frequent changes – Frequent job changes shown in notifications could be perceived negatively.
- Personal reasons – You may simply want to keep the details private for personal reasons.
How to Update Job Without Notifying
Follow these simple steps to change your LinkedIn job details without sending notifications to your connections:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile page and click “View profile.”
- Find the current position section and click “Edit.”
- Make the desired changes to your title, company, duration of employment, etc.
- Uncheck the box next to “Notify your network.”
- Click “Save.”
Your job update will now only be visible on your profile page. None of your 1st-degree connections will receive a notification informing them of your new job or position change.
Additional Points
Here are some additional things to keep in mind when updating your LinkedIn job without notifying your network:
- The update will still appear in timeline – Although your connections won’t get a notification, your job change will be visible in your profile timeline.
- Connections can still see it if viewing profile – You are only preventing notifications, your connections can still view the job update if they visit your profile.
- You can notify connections later – If you opt out of notifications initially, you can still choose to notify your network about the job update later on.
Pros and Cons of Notifying Connections
Here is a comparison of some of the main pros and cons of notifying your LinkedIn connections when you update your job:
Pros
Pros |
---|
Increases visibility of job change |
Opportunity for engagement and congratulations |
Demonstrates career growth and progression |
Chance to reconnect with old connections |
Cons
Cons |
---|
Disrupts privacy of job search if looking discreetly |
Opens up judgments or perceptions over being fired/laid off |
Too many notifications could be annoying to connections |
Some prefer keeping employment details private |
Best Practices
If you decide to update your LinkedIn job without notifying your network, here are some best practices:
- Double check privacy setting before saving update – Make sure you unchecked the notification box.
- Manually notify close contacts – You may want to personally inform close coworkers and contacts even if you opt out of mass notifications.
- Share update in moderation – Be selective in choosing which job changes really warrant a notification vs just an update to your profile.
- Consider timing – Avoid changes that may disrupt job searches or performance management cycles.
- Update experience and skills – Along with job title, keep your experience and skills updated related to the position change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my connections see if I make a new position private?
Yes, even if you disable notifications and do not actively share the job update, your 1st-degree connections will still be able to see the new position or job details if they view your profile. Preventing notifications only stops a mass announcement.
Do recruiters get notified if I change my job title?
No, recruiters will not receive notifications if you update your job title or employment details, even if you leave the setting on. Notifications for job changes are only sent to your 1st-degree connections.
What if I want to notify my network later on?
If you initially disable notifications when updating your job, you can still choose to notify your connections later on. Edit the job position again and check the box to “Notify your network.” An announcement will then be shared.
Is there a way to customize who receives notifications?
Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not allow you to customize notifications to only send announcements about your job update to certain connections. It is an all-or-nothing system – either all your 1st-degree connections are notified or none receive a notification.
Do job updates appear differently if notifications are disabled?
No, the job update will look the same whether notifications are enabled or not. The change will be visible in the same way on your profile to any connections who view it. The only difference is whether a notification is pushed out.
Conclusion
Updating employment details is a key part of maintaining your LinkedIn presence. While notifications are on by default, you have the option to update your LinkedIn job or title without broadcasting changes to your network. Think carefully about the pros and cons of notifying connections to make the right choice for your career situation. Keep your profile current, but control notifications to manage perceptions.