LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 722 million users as of April 2021. When creating a LinkedIn profile, users have some options to control how much of their information is visible to others. However, LinkedIn is designed for professional networking and promoting oneself to connect with potential employers or clients. So there is a limit to how private a LinkedIn profile can be while still serving its main functions.
What LinkedIn profile information is public by default?
When you create a basic LinkedIn profile, some of your information is set to be public by default:
– Your name
– Your profile photo
– Your LinkedIn headline
– Your location (city and country)
– Your industry and occupation
– Any organizations you have listed as current employers
– Your education history (schools attended)
– Your public profile URL
This public information enables other users to find and connect with you on the platform. It helps build your professional brand and visibility.
However, more sensitive details like contact info, birthdate, interests, skills, recommendations, and your full employment history are not public. You have control over what additional info beyond the defaults you share on your profile.
How to edit your LinkedIn profile visibility settings
LinkedIn provides profile visibility settings to limit what can be seen by others. To access them:
1. Click on the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. Select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
3. Click “Privacy” in the left sidebar.
4. Under “Profile viewing options,” you can configure:
– Your profile photo visibility (Public, Connections only, or Private)
– Viewer information for your “Who’s viewed your profile” section (Name, Industry, Company size, etc.)
– Data sharing with 3rd party services connected to your profile.
There are also visibility toggles for individual profile sections like connections, education, interests, etc. These allow limiting info in each section to connections only or private.
What stays public on a private LinkedIn profile?
Even with the most restrictive visibility settings, certain elements of your LinkedIn profile must remain public:
– Your name
– Profile photo thumbnail (small image only)
– Profile URL (custom URL not shown)
– Current company you work for
– Location (at city level)
This allows the core LinkedIn search functionality to work so you can be found by employers and new connections. While you can limit how much those people can see without connecting, some public presence is required.
Why minimum public profile information is required
Here are some reasons why LinkedIn still needs a baseline of public info to work as a professional networking tool:
Public Field | Reason Required |
---|---|
Name | Enables people to identify and find your profile |
Current Employer | Allows people to browse employees at a certain company |
Location | Lets people search for nearby professionals to network with |
Profile Photo Thumbnail | Adds a human face and personal touch when browsing profiles |
Steps to maximize LinkedIn profile privacy
While you cannot make your LinkedIn completely invisible, you can apply these privacy best practices:
Customize profile visibility settings
Adjust your configurations in Privacy settings to:
– Show name and headline only for your public profile
– Make your connections, education, skills, recommendations, interests, volunteer work, and other details visible to connections only.
– Keep your full employment history, contact info, and groups private.
Use a generic profile photo
Rather than your face, use a professional logo or graphic that maintains some personalization but doesn’t identify you. Or display your photo only to connections.
Avoid sharing sensitive personal information
Be cautious including details like interests, gender, marital status, religion, birthday, or political views. Share only professional facts needed for career purposes.
Block your profile URL from search engines
In profile settings, you can tell LinkedIn not to show your custom URL to web crawlers on Google, Bing, etc. This adds a further layer of privacy.
Selectively grow your network
Be judicious in connecting with others, and only accept invite requests from people you know and trust. A smaller circle limits profile views.
Potential limitations of a private LinkedIn profile
While ramping up your LinkedIn privacy is advisable, there are some possible downsides:
More difficult networking & discovery
Privacy settings that hide your skills, education, recommendations and full work history make it harder for interested employers or partners to learn about you. Networking happens less organically.
Reduced access to jobs & opportunities
Many recruiters source passive candidates through LinkedIn profile searches. If your presence is too minimal, you may miss being discovered for relevant openings and projects.
Unable to fully utilize some LinkedIn features
Options like LinkedIn Open for Business rely on users publicly promoting their freelance or professional services availability. Heavy privacy limits your use of certain tools.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn allows controlling your profile visibility, the platform is inherently designed for public professional networking and promotion. Some core profile information remains mandatory to enable basic functions. However, with thoughtful custom privacy settings and judicious sharing, it is possible to keep the majority of your LinkedIn presence discreet and restricted. You can still benefit from LinkedIn while limiting exposure of your personal details and history. The ideal approach is finding the right balance for your specific needs between visibility and privacy.