LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 810 million members worldwide. As part of their services, LinkedIn allows members to search and apply for jobs directly through the platform. An important feature related to job searching is the ability for members to save job listings that they are interested in or want to apply to later.
A common question that many LinkedIn users have is whether other people on LinkedIn can see the jobs they have saved. The short answer is that normally, your saved jobs on LinkedIn are private and cannot be viewed by anyone else. However, there are a few exceptions where some people may be able to see your list of saved jobs.
Saved Jobs Privacy Settings
By default, LinkedIn does not allow other members to view your saved jobs. Only you can access your list of saved jobs when logged into your account. This prevents other people from seeing what jobs you have applied for or plan to apply for.
You can control the privacy settings for your saved jobs in your account settings. Under “Job seeking preferences”, there is a setting labeled “Let others know you’ve saved jobs”. This is disabled by default. As long as you leave this disabled, your saved jobs will remain private.
Who Can See Your Saved Jobs
In most cases, only you can view your saved jobs on LinkedIn. However, there are some exceptions where others may be able to see your list of saved jobs:
- LinkedIn recruiters – If you have applied for jobs through LinkedIn’s job board, recruiters and hiring managers for those companies can see which jobs you have saved or applied for.
- Connections who share a saved job – If someone in your network shares a job with you that you then save, they will be able to see that you have also saved that job.
- Paid LinkedIn members – If you upgrade to a premium LinkedIn account, there is an option to let others know when you’ve saved jobs. This will allow your 1st-degree connections to see your saved jobs.
- Connections who you share your profile with – If you choose to share full profile visibility with a connection, they may be able to see your saved jobs depending on your account settings.
Tips to Keep Saved Jobs Private
If you want to keep your saved jobs hidden from others on LinkedIn, here are some tips:
- Double check that your “Let others know you’ve saved jobs” setting is disabled in your account settings.
- Be cautious about sharing full profile visibility with your LinkedIn connections.
- If you have a premium account, disable the setting to broadcast your saved jobs to connections.
- Avoid saving jobs that other people share with you since they will be able to see your activity.
- Periodically review your saved jobs and remove ones you are no longer interested in.
Who Can See Your Applied Jobs
Similar to saved jobs, your applications through LinkedIn are also private by default. Other members will not be aware of which jobs you have applied to on LinkedIn.
The exception is that recruiters and hiring managers at the companies you have applied to will obviously be able to see your application since you have submitted it directly to them.
You have the option in your account settings to allow your 1st-degree connections on LinkedIn to see when you apply for jobs. But this is disabled by default, so your network will not be updated each time you submit a job application.
Pros and Cons of Public Saved/Applied Jobs
While keeping your saved and applied jobs private is typically recommended, there may be some benefits to making them public:
Pros
- Shows your network you are actively job searching and open to opportunities.
- Connections may share relevant job openings with you if they know you are looking.
- Demonstrates your interests and focus areas to your network.
- Helps establish you as an active and engaged member of the LinkedIn community.
Cons
- Exposes your job search plans and preferences to others.
- Lets competitors know which roles or companies you are targeting.
- May result in unwanted inquiries or solicitations from recruiters.
- Connections may make assumptions about your current job satisfaction or stability.
Who Can See Your LinkedIn Activity and Profile Views
Beyond saved and applied jobs, there are other types of LinkedIn activity that users may want to keep private. This includes profiles you have viewed, groups you have joined, and posts you have liked.
By default, your network cannot see most of your LinkedIn activity and profile viewing history. The exception is that paid account holders have the option to view the profiles of people who have visited their own profile in the last 90 days – but even in this case, your name is anonymous.
You have full control within your account settings over who can see your LinkedIn activity, such as:
- Profile viewing history
- Groups
- Posts and articles you like
- Comments
The options for each setting include:
- No one
- Your connections
- Your network (connections and their connections)
- All LinkedIn members
The recommended privacy setting for most users is “Your Connections” or “No One”. This prevents unnecessary exposure or assumptions being made based on who you interact with on the platform.
Conclusion
Your saved jobs and job application activity on LinkedIn is private by default. Other members, including your connections, are unable to see or access this information in most cases. The only exceptions are when you choose to make your activity public, apply directly through LinkedIn, or save jobs that others have shared with you.
To maintain your privacy and avoid unwanted attention, be cautious what you make public on LinkedIn. Double check your account settings and disable options like letting connections know when you save or apply for jobs. With the right settings, LinkedIn can be used to securely and privately search for your next career opportunity.