If you’re thinking about leaving your current job or would like more control over your professional profile, you may want to disconnect your LinkedIn account from your company. Here’s a step-by-step guide to unlinking your work and personal accounts on LinkedIn.
Should I Disconnect My LinkedIn From My Company?
There are a few reasons why you might want to unlink your LinkedIn account from your company:
- You’re planning to leave your job and don’t want your employer to have access to your profile and connections.
- You’d like to adjust your profile details or activity separate from your company’s branding and messaging.
- Your company asked you to link your profile, but you’re not comfortable having them manage your LinkedIn presence.
On the other hand, some benefits of keeping your accounts linked are:
- Your company can endorse you for skills which look good to potential employers.
- Connecting with colleagues and joining your company page is easier.
- Your employer can pay for a Job Seeker premium subscription.
Overall, it’s a personal decision based on your career plans and preferences. If you’re on good terms with your employer and find the linkage helpful, keep things linked. Otherwise, it’s easy to disconnect if needed.
How To Disconnect Your LinkedIn From Your Company
Follow these steps to remove the connection between your personal LinkedIn profile and your company account:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile page and click “Edit public profile & URL” under your profile photo.
- Click the “Admin tools” link at the bottom of the page.
- Under “Company pages and accounts” click “Unlink from company page”.
- A pop-up will appear, select “Unlink from company page”.
- You will now no longer be associated with your company’s LinkedIn page.
Once you unlink from your company page, your employer will no longer be able to:
- Endorse you for skills on LinkedIn.
- See your connections, groups, or full profile details.
- Track your LinkedIn activity and engagement.
- Pay for premium subscriptions on your behalf.
However, any edits they’ve made to your profile previously will remain unless you choose to change them yourself. You can also unlink from former employers in your experience section in the same way.
Removing Company Mentions From Your Profile
In addition to unlinking your account, you may want to modify your profile to remove affiliations with your employer. Here are some suggestions:
- Profile photo: Change your profile photo to be a professional headshot not associated with your company.
- Headline: Delete any references to your current job title or employer.
- Current position: Either remove your current position or change the date range to show you no longer work there.
- Experience: Update any descriptions that mention your company to remove proprietary information or branding.
- Links: Delete any hyperlinks to your company website, blogs, or social media.
- Media: Remove company photos, presentations, or documents you’ve shared.
Scrubbing your profile of employer references allows you to control your own personal brand on LinkedIn for future job searches.
Should I Notify My Company I Disconnected?
Notifying your manager or HR when you unlink from the company page maintains transparency. However, you aren’t obligated to do so. Consider the culture and norms of your workplace when deciding.
If you plan to remain at the company but simply want to disconnect your profile, explain this politely to your employer so they understand it’s not an indication you’re quitting.
On the other hand, if you’re resigning soon, you may want to wait to inform them until you’ve found a new job and are ready to give notice. Disconnecting in advance could alarm them about your intentions.
Use your judgment based on your relationship with your company and manager. If in doubt, consult a mentor or career coach for advice suited to your specific situation.
Best Practices For Disconnecting
Follow these best practices when unlinking your LinkedIn from your company account:
- Customize your profile to reflect your personal brand before disconnecting.
- Save copies of connections, Groups, endorsements etc. you want to keep.
- Wait until after resigning to disconnect if concerned about employer reactions.
- Politely inform HR you prefer managing your own LinkedIn presence.
- Thank your company for any benefits of being linked previously.
- Remove only information you are comfortable disappearing from your profile.
- Stay positive and professional to maintain your reputation.
Maintaining Your LinkedIn After Disconnecting
Once you’ve established your independent presence on LinkedIn, focus on expanding your brand visibility:
- Engage meaningfully with your network by liking and commenting on updates.
- Publish your own relevant updates rather than only sharing others’ content.
- Join active Groups and participate in discussions.
- Follow influential professionals and companies in your industry.
- Build out your profile with media, descriptions, certifications, etc.
- Gain endorsements and recommendations that highlight your strengths.
- Stay on top of notifications so you continue cultivating connections.
Without your employer elevating your profile, you’ll need to take a proactive approach to controlling your own LinkedIn presence. The investment will pay off in expanded career opportunities.
Key Takeaways
- Weigh the pros and cons of disconnecting your work and personal LinkedIn accounts.
- Unlink from your company page through LinkedIn’s admin tools.
- Remove employer references like job titles and links from your profile.
- Notify HR politely if comfortable, but you aren’t required to.
- Manage your independent presence by engaging with your network.
With the right preparations, disconnecting from your company on LinkedIn can be simple while empowering you to take charge of your own brand. Just be strategic in how you manage the transition.
Table of Contents
Should I Disconnect My LinkedIn From My Company? |
How To Disconnect Your LinkedIn From Your Company |
Removing Company Mentions From Your Profile |
Should I Notify My Company I Disconnected? |
Best Practices For Disconnecting |
Maintaining Your LinkedIn After Disconnecting |
Key Takeaways |