As a LinkedIn member, you may be wondering exactly what other members can see about your profile and activity on the platform. LinkedIn allows you to control your privacy settings to determine how much information you want to share with your network. However, there are some elements that all members can view by default.
Your Name and Headline
All LinkedIn members can see your full name and current job title that you list as your headline. Your name and headline appear at the top of your profile and on your activity feeds for your connections to see. You can customize your headline to showcase your professional brand.
Your Profile Photo
Your profile photo is public to all LinkedIn members. Having a professional headshot helps put a face to your name and makes your profile stand out. Be sure to use a high-quality, up-to-date photo of yourself in business attire.
Your Current Position and Company
Your current position and company are visible to all LinkedIn users. This information appears prominently on your profile under your name and photo. Keeping this up-to-date is important for showcasing your latest experience.
Your Public Profile URL
Your customized public profile URL is accessible to anyone on LinkedIn. For example, www.linkedin.com/in/yourname. Choose a customized URL to make it easy for connections to find you and remember your name.
Your Connections
The number of connections you have is displayed on your profile. However, your actual connections are only visible to you and your network. You can control whether your connections are visible to 2nd and 3rd degree connections in your privacy settings.
Your Industry and Location
Your industry and location are public elements of your profile. Showcasing your industry helps you connect with the right people and opportunities. Your location also helps you come up in relevant geographical searches.
Your Skills
The skills listed on your profile are visible to all LinkedIn members. This allows you to be found for the top skills you want to showcase. Make sure to keep these updated as your skills develop.
Your Summary
Your summary is public and gives all visitors a short overview of your background and professional capabilities. Use it to give additional context beyond your work experience.
Your Experience
The experience you choose to showcase on your profile can be seen by all LinkedIn members. Keep this up-to-date to demonstrate your career progression. You can control visibility of past positions in your privacy settings.
Your Education
Your education including schools attended and degrees earned is part of your public profile. Including this validates your credentials and academic background for your connections.
Your Accomplishments
Like your experience and education, any accomplishments or honors you add to your profile are visible to anyone. Highlight achievements to stand out.
Your Groups and Organizations
Your LinkedIn group memberships and organizations you follow are displayed publicly. Joining relevant groups demonstrates your interests and priorities.
Your Activity and Content
Any posts, comments, likes, or shares will appear in your connections’ feeds and on your profile activity tab. Your connections can see this activity.
Who’s Viewed Your Profile
You can see who has viewed your profile in the last 90 days, including LinkedIn members and anonymous viewers. However, this information is not available to others viewing your profile.
Your LinkedIn Network and Data
While your connections and identity are publicly viewable, your larger extended network and profile data are not. Only you can see your full network, 2nd and 3rd degree connections, and customized analytics and insights.
Private Profile Settings
You can adjust privacy settings like your connections, profile views, and profile visibility. Settings like contact info and interests can be made private or visible only to connections.
Premium Account Perks
Upgrading to a premium LinkedIn account gives you access to additional privacy controls. This includes deeper insights, anonymous browsing, and screening profile viewers.
Manage Your Public Presence
Optimizing and customizing public elements of your profile allows you to control the first impression you make on the LinkedIn community. Monitor your privacy settings and activity to manage your professional brand.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn profiles showcase a member’s identity, credentials, and professional brand in a public way. However, users have control over certain sections and audience visibility. Focus on your name, photo, headline, experience, and summary to make a strong first impression.
| Profile Element | Default Visibility Setting |
|---|---|
| Name | Public |
| Photo | Public |
| Headline | Public |
| Current Position and Company | Public |
| Public Profile URL | Public |
| Number of Connections | Public |
| Industry | Public |
| Location | Public |
| Skills | Public |
| Summary | Public |
| Experience | Public |
| Education | Public |
| Accomplishments | Public |
| Groups | Public |
| Activity and Content | Visible to Connections |
| Profile Views | Private |
| Extended Network | Private |
| Contact Info | Adjustable |
| Interests | Adjustable |
LinkedIn allows you to showcase your professional brand while controlling sensitive information. Focus on optimizing the public elements of your profile that all members can see when evaluating you for opportunities. Monitor your privacy settings and activity feed to manage how you appear to connections and recruiters.