The Pros and Cons of Adding Your Phone Number
Putting your phone number on your LinkedIn profile has both advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the key pros and cons to consider:
Pros
- Makes it easy for recruiters and potential clients to contact you directly
- Shows you are open to being reached outside of LinkedIn messaging
- Allows you to list your full contact information in one place
- Can make your profile seem more complete and professional
Cons
- Exposes your personal phone number publicly
- May lead to more unsolicited outreach, spam calls or texts
- You lose control over who can access your number
- Some prefer to keep their work and personal life more separate
So in summary, adding your phone number makes you more accessible but also opens you up to unwanted communication. It’s about weighing convenience vs privacy.
Who Can See Your Phone Number on LinkedIn?
If you do add your phone number to your LinkedIn profile, it’s important to understand who will be able to view it. Here’s a breakdown:
- 1st degree connections – Your phone number will be visible to anyone you are connected with.
- 2nd and 3rd degree connections – For non 1st degree connections, whether they can see your number depends on your profile visibility settings. If you have a public profile, 2nd and 3rd degree connections will also be able to view your phone number. But if you have a private profile, your number will only be visible to 1st degree connections.
- Recruiters – Recruiters will be able to see your phone number if you are open to new job opportunities. This allows them to reach you directly.
- Prospects – Your phone number will also be visible to prospective customers and clients that find you through LinkedIn search.
- General public – If you have a completely public profile, your phone number can be seen by anyone on LinkedIn including people you are not connected to.
So in most cases, your phone number will be visible well beyond just your direct connections. This is an important consideration if you are concerned about getting unwanted calls.
Pro Tips for Adding Your Number
If you do decide to add your phone number to your LinkedIn profile, here are some best practices to follow:
Use your business number instead of personal
Where possible, list a dedicated work phone number rather than your personal cell phone number. This helps create some separation between your professional and personal life.
Set profile visibility to “Connections only”
Restricting your profile visibility settings means only 1st degree connections will be able to view your phone number. This prevents it being visible to the general public.
Turn off the LinkedIn mobile app setting for sharing your number
The LinkedIn mobile app has a setting that can automatically add your phone number from your phone’s contacts to your profile. Turn this syncing capability off.
Add your number only to the contact info section
Enter your phone number only in the contact info area of your profile, not in the body of your summary or work descriptions. This makes it less prominent.
Use a Google Voice number
Consider listing a Google Voice number instead of your primary number. This gives you more screening control and separation.
Remove your number after using LinkedIn for networking
Some people add their number while actively networking or job seeking on LinkedIn, and then remove it after this period is over.
Should You Put Your LinkedIn Profile as Private or Public?
In addition to choosing whether to display your phone number, you also have to decide whether to make your LinkedIn profile public or limit visibility to connections only. Here are some of the pros and cons of each approach:
| Public Profile | Private Profile |
|---|---|
|
|
In general, people who are actively job searching or looking for new business opportunities tend to lean towards a public profile. Those who are more selective or protective of their information often stick with private.
Should You Display Your Phone Number on Your Resume?
Related to the LinkedIn question, another dilemma job seekers face is whether to put their phone number on their resume. Here are some quick pros and cons:
Pros of Putting Number on Resume
- Makes it easy for recruiters to call you directly
- Shows you have nothing to hide
- Indicates you are open to being contacted
Cons of Putting Number on Resume
- Exposes your personal number widely
- May lead to unwanted calls
- Some companies discard resumes with personal numbers due to screening rules
Like with LinkedIn, using your business or Google Voice number on your resume can be a good compromise. Or you can leave your number off but mention you’re available to provide it.
Overall there is no consensus on whether it’s better to display or omit your phone number. It depends on your comfort with screening calls and your eagerness to be contacted.
Should You Link Your LinkedIn With Your Phone Contacts?
LinkedIn gives you the option to sync your profile with your phone’s contacts list. This allows you to see which of your contacts are LinkedIn members. However, there are some downsides to enabling this capability:
- It will send an email to each contact telling them you are on LinkedIn
- Some contacts may not want their LinkedIn profiles associated publicly with their personal number
- It shares your contacts’ info with LinkedIn without their knowledge or consent
Many experts recommend keeping your LinkedIn network and personal contacts separate for privacy reasons. Syncing the two should only be done selectively with the other person’s permission.
How to Politely Decline Giving Out Your Phone Number
If someone you barely know asks you for your phone number on LinkedIn or elsewhere online, it’s perfectly acceptable to politely decline providing it. Here are some phrases you can use:
- “Thanks for your interest, but I prefer to connect on LinkedIn before exchanging other contact information.”
- “I like to keep my professional and personal contacts separate. Let’s continue the conversation on LinkedIn messaging.”
- “I’m not comfortable providing my personal number at this stage. I’m happy to discuss this further over LinkedIn messaging.”
Being transparent that you have boundaries around sharing your contact details is completely understandable. Quality contacts will be happy to build the relationship further before getting more personal information.
Should You Add Your Phone Number to Your Email Signature?
Another place you may consider listing your phone number is in your email signature. Here are some things to keep in mind with this approach:
Pros
- Makes you easy to reach directly for legitimate contacts
- Can project professionalism and credibility
- Email recipients can easily call if they prefer talking
Cons
- Exposes your number widely as emails get forwarded
- Spammers or scrapers can harvest your number from signatures
- Some companies prohibit including personal info in signatures
If you do include your phone number in your signature, using your business number or Google Voice number is safer than your primary personal number.
Some people also opt to display their phone number but obfuscate it like:
555-CALL-ME
This shows your openness to being called without making your exact digits visible.
Key Takeaways – To Phone Number or Not to Phone Number?
Here are some concluding thoughts on whether or not to make your phone number visible on your LinkedIn profile and elsewhere professionally:
- There are reasonable pros and cons on both sides of the argument
- In general, err towards privacy and restricting access unless actively job seeking
- Be selective about who can view your number – don’t go fully public
- Use your business number or a Google Voice number if possible
- Toggle your phone visibility on and off depending on your circumstances
- But also show you are open to being contacted, just on your terms
At the end of the day, how available you make your personal contact information should align with your career goals and level of comfort managing inbound inquiries. Set boundaries that work for your needs.
Conclusion
The decision about whether to display your phone number publicly on LinkedIn, resumes or elsewhere involves balancing the risks and benefits. Take into account how approachable you want to seem, your openness to unsolicited contact and ability to control visibility settings. Employ some of the best practices like using alternative business numbers or keeping certain fields private. With some prudent precautions, you can make yourself accessible to the right opportunities while maintaining a comfortable level of privacy.
