Sharing a new job or position on LinkedIn can be a great way to expand your professional network and announce your new role. However, it does require some thought regarding how much information to share and when to share it. Here are some quick answers to key questions to consider when sharing a new position on LinkedIn:
Should I share my new job on LinkedIn?
Yes, sharing your new job on LinkedIn is recommended. LinkedIn is designed for professional networking and announcing major career changes. It allows you to update your connections on your latest experience.
When should I share my new job?
You should share your new job once you have formally accepted the offer and established a start date. Avoid announcing it before the details are confirmed. Most pros recommend sharing it on your first day in your new role.
What details should I include?
Include the job title, company name, start date, and a brief description of your new responsibilities. You can share details like what motivated you to make the change and what you hope to accomplish.
How prominently should I share it?
Share the update in your LinkedIn feed and via the “Share an article, photo, video, or idea” function. This will notify your connections. You can also update your employment status, headline, and description.
Should I notify my network?
Yes, notifying your LinkedIn network helps spread the word. People may see the notification and proactively congratulate you. It can lead to more connections.
What’s the benefit of sharing?
Sharing allows you to control the narrative and announce the news on your own terms. It enables your network to learn about your transition directly from you. And it can lead to congratulations, support, and new opportunities.
When to Share the News
Here are some recommendations on when to share your new position on LinkedIn:
Wait until any required paperwork is completed – Refrain from updating your profile until you have formally accepted the offer and any required employment paperwork is completed. This prevents sharing unofficial news.
Wait until after notifying key internal stakeholders – As a courtesy, inform any key internal stakeholders and contacts of your transition before sharing widely on LinkedIn. This includes managers and close team members.
Announce it on your first day – The first day is the opportune time to share the update. This creates excitement as you embark on your new professional journey.
Share the news yourself first – Before others can share the news on your behalf, control the narrative by sharing it yourself directly. This allows you to shape the messaging.
Keep your announcement simple – Craft a simple announcement focusing on your new title, company, start date and brief overview of your role. You can always expand on details later.
Inform your connections – Notify your LinkedIn network by sharing the post with your connections to spread the word. This ensures they hear it directly from the source.
How Much to Share
When crafting your LinkedIn announcement, here are some tips on how much information to share:
Keep it professional – Maintain a professional tone by focusing on career-related details vs. personal opinions. This preserves your brand identity.
Share key facts – Include your new job title, the company name, your start date, and a brief high-level summary of your new responsibilities. You can add more details over time.
Mention why you took the job – Share what motivated you to make this career shift if it seems appropriate. This provides helpful context.
Express excitement – If desired, convey excitement about the new opportunity. This makes the announcement more personal.
Thank people – Thank those who helped you land the job, like recruiters, colleagues, mentors, etc. This shows appreciation.
Keep it simple – Avoid extremely long posts with excessive details. You can always expand on your role later as you gain experience.
Ask for support – Request your network’s support and ask them to connect you to helpful contacts at your new company. This leverages your relationships.
Updating Key LinkedIn Sections
When sharing your new role on LinkedIn, here are some key sections to update:
Headline – Your headline appears at the top of your profile. Update it to reflect your new title and company.
Experience section – Add your new role to your experience including title, company, start date and description.
Featured section – Pin your new position to the top of your profile in the featured section for added visibility.
Summary statement – Update your summary statement to include an overview of your new role. Reflect your updated skills and experience.
Employment status – Change your employment status indicator to reflect that you started a new role. This signals your transition.
Profile photo – Consider adding a polished, professional headshot to complement your new announcement. This reinforces your brand.
Background photo – Use a background photo that visually aligns with your new company brand or industry.
Recommendations – Ask managers and colleagues from your previous role to provide recommendations. This endorses your work.
Following list – Follow company pages, colleagues and key voices related to your new industry. This customizes your feed.
Skills section – Update your skills section to include proficiencies required for your new position. Showcase the relevant skills.
Who to Notify
Here are some of the key groups to notify about your new job:
Connections – Notify your 1st-level LinkedIn connections by sharing your announcement post. This allows them to see the major update.
Recruiter – Notify the recruiter who helped facilitate the hiring process. They can endorse your new position.
Colleagues – Inform close colleagues from your previous job, especially those you worked closely with.
Managers – Share the news with your previous managers, in particular your most recent supervisor.
Mentors – Update mentors who have provided career advice and support. They will appreciate your update.
Industry peers – Notify peers, collaborators and clients in your professional circles outside your company.
New colleagues – Share your background with new colleagues by connecting with them on LinkedIn and linking to your announcement.
Networking contacts – Inform networking contacts who could be helpful at your new company. Look for opportunities to connect.
Alumni groups – Announce your update in LinkedIn alumni and interest groups related to your university, previous companies, or interests.
Sample LinkedIn Post
Here is a sample LinkedIn status update announcing a new job:
Thrilled to share that today I’m starting a new position as Vice President of Marketing at ABC Company!
In this role, I’ll be leading marketing strategies, developing branding campaigns, and overseeing social media and digital marketing initiatives. Excited to take on this new challenge and make a positive impact.
Thank you to all those who have supported me throughout my career journey. I’m looking forward to this next chapter!
This update shares the key details – new title, company, start date and brief overview. It expresses excitement and thanks supporters. The tone is positive and professional. This serves as a template for crafting your own announcement.
Potential Engagement
Sharing your new position on LinkedIn can lead to great engagement and community building. Here are some of the ways your network may respond:
Congratulations – You’ll likely receive many congratulatory comments from your connections. This support feels good.
Likes – Your post may get numerous likes, which expands your announcement’s reach to secondary connections.
New connections – You may gain new LinkedIn connections interested in your news and current company.
Increased visibility – Your activity can boost your profile’s visibility in search results and Notifications.
Company followers – New followers of your company page signals increased interest in your news.
Profile views – More profile views indicate your announcement has attracted attention.
Engaging replies – Comments that thoughtfully reply to your post show genuine engagement.
Shares – Sharing accelerates your update’s distribution beyond your own network.
Endorsements – Colleagues may validate your skills by endorsing them based on your new position.
Career support – Your network may offer career advice, job leads, introductions, and mentorship.
Potential Opportunities
Announcing your new job on LinkedIn can lead to exciting opportunities. Here are some possibilities:
Job leads – Recruiters may contact you about new roles given your desire to make a career change.
Speaking engagements – You may be offered speaking opportunities at trade shows or conferences to share your experience.
Press coverage – Journalists may want to interview you and cover your new position. This offers great publicity.
New projects – Previous clients or partners may contact you about potential projects given your new industry role.
Intros to key leaders – Your network may make valuable new introductions to senior leaders at your company.
Expanded network – You can gain new connections interested in your expertise and company.
Investment opportunities – If you work for a startup, investors may approach you given your latest move.
Job offers – As a passive candidate, you may receive inquires about jobs from interested companies.
Partnership opportunities – Your announcement may attract new business partnership or collaboration opportunities.
Career mentorship – Established professionals may offer to mentor you given your latest transition.
Potential Risks
While there are many benefits to sharing your new job on LinkedIn, here are some potential risks to consider:
Announcing too soon – Sharing news before your job offer is definite or contract signed can be problematic.
Upsetting current employer – Your company may prefer you wait until after your last day to announce your departure.
Overwhelming response – You may get more congratulations and attention than expected which can be overwhelming.
Too much publicity – A wider-than-expected distribution of your news can feel invasive.
Looking boastful – Repeated updates about your new role may seem like bragging.
Sharing too much – Providing too many opinions or details could cause issues with new employer.
Negative feedback – You may receive critical comments from connections about your decision.
Spam messages – The post could attract spam messages unrelated to your announcement.
Jealousy – Some in your network may react with jealousy at your news.
Recruiting calls – The post may prompt unwanted calls from recruiters, which can be disruptive.
Alternatives to Sharing
Here are some alternatives to share your career news vs. posting it on LinkedIn:
Email close contacts – Send an email directly to your closest connections with your update. This is more private.
Personal messages – Use LinkedIn messaging to personally inform close connections.
Small group post – Share your news only with your 1st-degree network instead of publicly.
Word of mouth – Rely on word of mouth instead of a public announcement.
Phone calls – Call people directly to share your news vs. a written announcement.
In person meetings – Meet up 1:1 to inform connections of your career update.
Print announcement – Mail a printed announcement to your professional network.
Website mention – Note your career change on your professional website or blog instead.
Wait to announce – Refrain from formally announcing your news for the time being.
Social media – Use other platforms like Twitter or Facebook to share the update.
Key Takeaways
Here are some conclusions on sharing your new job on LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is ideal platform – It is designed for professional networking and announcements.
Wait until start date – Time it for your first day in the new role.
Craft focused message – Keep the announcement concise and professional.
Update profile – Refresh key sections like headline, summary, experience.
Notify your network – Share the update directly with your connections.
Engages your community – This can lead to likes, shares, comments, new connections.
Creates opportunities – You may get exciting new offers, publicity, mentors.
Manage risks – Be mindful of potential downsides like oversharing.
On the whole, sharing new job news on LinkedIn can be very strategic. It enables you to proactively inform your professional network, control the narrative, and build meaningful connections. Follow best practices on timing, messaging, notifications and profile updates to maximize the benefits.
Conclusion
Announcing major career updates on LinkedIn allows you to share exciting news on your terms. While there are risks, the potential upside of community engagement, visibility, and new opportunities often makes it worthwhile. Approach the announcement mindfully by crafting focused messaging and updating relevant profile sections. Time it strategically by waiting until your start date after formalizing details with your new employer and letting key internal stakeholders know first. Notify your network directly to spread the word. Then leverage your post to build relationships, expand visibility, and drive impact in your next role. Used strategically, a LinkedIn job announcement can be a catalyst for career growth.