Making your work email your primary email on LinkedIn is a common question for many professionals. On one hand, using your work email can make you seem more professional and affiliated with your company. On the other hand, it means your employer has access to your LinkedIn profile and connections. There are pros and cons to both using your work email as your primary LinkedIn email or using a personal email instead.
Quick Answers
Pros of using work email as primary:
– Looks more professional
– Affiliates you with your company
– Easier to remember for coworkers
Cons of using work email as primary:
– Employer has access to your profile and connections
– If you leave your job, you may lose access to the email
– Less privacy and control over your contacts
Pros of using personal email as primary:
– Maintain access if you leave your job
– More privacy and control over your contacts
– Separates professional and personal identities
Cons of using personal email as primary:
– Looks less professional
– Harder for coworkers to connect with you
– Need to keep track of multiple emails
Factors to Consider
Here are some factors to weigh when deciding which email to make your primary LinkedIn email:
Job Search Status
If you are actively searching for a new job, using your personal email as your main LinkedIn address allows you to keep your search private and maintain access to your contacts no matter where you work. The downside is recruiters may take you less seriously without a professional work email attached to your profile.
Industry Norms
Some industries expect employees to connect with coworkers and clients on LinkedIn. For example, consulting or client services roles. In these cases, your work email might be best to smoothly integrate your LinkedIn network with your professional relationships.
Employer Policies
Does your employer have any policies on linking your work email to social media accounts? Some companies restrict this or want access to employee accounts. Check what the expectations are at your organization.
Career Goals
If networking is important for your long-term career advancement, you may favor your personal email to keep full control of your contacts. But if you want to move up within your current firm, using your work email makes sense.
Type of Contacts
Who do you mainly connect with on LinkedIn? If it’s primarily professional coworkers and clients, your work email might make sense. But if you also connect with personal friends, a personal email gives you more privacy over those relationships.
Volume of Email
If you receive a high volume of emails to your work address each day, adding LinkedIn notifications may make you less productive. Using a personal email just for LinkedIn could help you manage the traffic better.
Security and Privacy Considerations
Here are some privacy and security factors to consider with each email option:
Work Email
– Employer has access to your connections and profile.
– If you leave the company, you risk losing access to the email and contacts.
– IT department may have ability to reset password and access account.
– Company could monitor correspondence and activity.
Personal Email
– Keep full control and access regardless of job change.
– Limit employer visibility into your network and activity.
– Keep personal and professional connections separate.
– Manage account security and settings yourself.
Tips to Increase Privacy with Work Email
If you do choose to use your work email, here are some tips to help protect your privacy:
– Use privacy settings to limit profile visibility.
– Be selective about connecting with coworkers and clients.
– Use a unique password not shared across other work accounts.
– Don’t list your work email publicly on your profile.
– Turn off notifications to limit non-essential emails.
Making a Decision
Here is a step-by-step guide to weighing the pros and cons and deciding which address to make your primary LinkedIn email:
Step 1) Consider your industry, career goals, employer policies and main types of LinkedIn connections. This will reveal which option aligns better professionally.
Step 2) Reflect on your privacy concerns, desired level of separation between work and personal contacts, and account security preferences. This will surface any personal priorities.
Step 3) Weigh the relative importance of the professional alignment versus personal preferences you identified in Steps 1 and 2. Typically, one will be more critical to your situation.
Step 4) If using your work email, take steps to enhance privacy and security like using unique passwords and limiting visibility.
Step 5) Make your selection, update your primary email in LinkedIn account settings, and send connection requests to start building your desired network!
Pro Tips
Here are some pro tips from LinkedIn experts on managing your primary email:
– “Have a dedicated email just for LinkedIn to maintain privacy from both personal and professional contacts.” Keeping your LinkedIn email separate prevents oversharing.
– “If you use your work email, create an auto-responder for LinkedIn messages.” This allows you to manage requests appropriately vs. other work emails.
– “Review your security and privacy settings regularly.” As LinkedIn evolves, new privacy risks can emerge so recheck your configurations.
– “Segment your connections into lists.” You can manage communications selectively by grouping connections, regardless of email used.
– “Don’t overshare your work email publicly.” Avoid listing it in your profile headline or summary to limit unsolicited outreach.
Common Questions and Answers
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
Can my employer see my LinkedIn network if I use my work email?
Yes, your employer potentially has the ability to access your list of connections on LinkedIn. The exact visibility depends on your account settings.
What happens if I leave my job and lose access to my work email?
If you leave your job, you will no longer be able to access your work email or the associated LinkedIn account. Your profile and connections will remain but you will need to link a new active email.
Is it unprofessional to use a personal email on LinkedIn?
It’s generally acceptable to use a personal email address on LinkedIn. Many people prefer to separate work and personal contacts. Just use a professional sounding email name.
Can I change my primary email on LinkedIn?
Yes, you can change your primary email address in your account settings on LinkedIn at any time, as often as needed. Your connections will remain intact after changing.
Is it risky combining my work and LinkedIn networks?
It can be risky because it allows your employer greater visibility into your job search activities. However, for some roles it’s expected to link work contacts.
Conclusion
When deciding whether to use your work or personal email as your primary LinkedIn address, weigh factors like career goals, employer policies, privacy concerns, and industry norms. Use privacy controls to limit exposure of your work email. Change your primary address anytime as needed. With the right email selected and prudent settings, you can get the most out of LinkedIn for your professional networking needs.
