Quick Answer
Yes, you can make your job title private on LinkedIn so that it is not visible to other members. To do this, go to your profile, click edit profile, go to the experience section, click on the current job you want to make private, and toggle the “Make position private” switch to yes. This will remove your current job title and company from your profile so only you can see it. The rest of your experience will remain public.
Explaining the Issue in Depth
LinkedIn is built around professional profiles where members list their work experiences, education, skills, accomplishments, and more. By default, your current job title and company are displayed publicly on your profile for other members to see. This allows you to showcase your professional background and connect with others in your industry or at your company.
However, there are a few reasons why you may want to make your current job private on LinkedIn:
Job Searching
If you are actively looking for a new job, you may not want your current employer to know before you have a new position secured. Displaying an openness to new opportunities could put your current job at risk. Making your current job title private prevents your profile from being found by coworkers and avoids any awkward conversations about job searching before you’re ready.
Workplace Politics
Office politics and internal organizational changes may make you want to limit who can see your current role and company. For example, if you were passed over for a recent promotion or your department just went through layoffs, you may prefer to keep your profile low-key externally.
Professional Discretion
For some jobs, like therapists, government employees, or undercover roles, you may need to be discreet about your exact position and employer for privacy reasons. Hiding your current job title allows you to maintain a professional LinkedIn presence without divulging confidential details.
Personal Reasons
You may simply want to keep your work life more private from extended social and professional circles. Making your current role invisible to the public allows you to focus your profile on past experiences, skills, education and other aspects instead.
How to Make Your Current Job Private on LinkedIn
Making your current job title private only takes a few simple steps:
1. Log into your LinkedIn account and go to your profile page.
2. Click the “Edit profile” button to edit your profile (located just under your profile photo and name).
3. Go to the “Experience” section and click on your current position.
4. Toggle the switch for “Make position private?” to yes.
5. Click “Save” at the bottom of the page.
Your current position will now show as “Private” without listing your job title or company name publicly on your profile.
Things to Note
– Only 1st level connections will be able to see your private job if you are connected. Others will just see “Private”
– Your profile will show your prior work experiences and education normally. Only your current job is hidden.
– You can toggle the setting on and off anytime if you want to make your job public again later.
– The job will show up normally on your profile to you when logged in. Others will see “Private” in your experience section.
Pros of Making Your Job Private
Here are some of the advantages to making your current position private on LinkedIn:
Prevents Early Discovery in Job Search
Keeping your current role private allows you to look for new jobs without your employer or coworkers finding out too soon via your LinkedIn profile. This gives you time to find the right opportunity before resigning from your current position.
Avoids Internal Politics
If your workplace is undergoing changes like layoffs or restructuring, hiding your current job keeps things simple by avoiding questions from colleagues about what’s going on.
Maintains Client or Employer Confidentiality
For therapists, government staff, or other jobs requiring discretion, a private job title lets you network professionally on LinkedIn without revealing confidential details publicly.
Gives You More Privacy
Not displaying your current employer publicly means you have more control over your professional privacy from personal contacts. You can still showcase career highlights without the focus on your latest role.
Lets You Control Your Narrative
A private job title puts you in charge of how and when you reveal your latest position. You can share the news when you’re ready on your own terms.
Cons of Making Your Job Private
However, there are also a few potential drawbacks to know about if you make your current position private:
Limits Networking Opportunities
Hiding your job title and company prevents connections through current colleagues, alumni of your company, or industry contacts. This can limit new opportunities that come through your visible professional profile.
Negatively Impacts SEO
Excluding keywords like your job title and employer name could lead to lower search engine visibility in Google and LinkedIn for your desired professional terms.
Misleads Some Recruiters
External recruiters may think you are unemployed or between jobs if your current position is displayed as simply “Private.” This could discourage some recruiting outreach.
Raises Questions
Close connections may ask why you’ve suddenly removed your current job when they notice it’s now private. So you may need to provide explanations when asked.
Appears Suspicious
In rare cases, hiding your job could appear like you have something to hide, especially if the rest of your profile lacks depth in other areas like skills, education, etc.
Tips for Making Your Job Private
Here are some best practices around making your current position private on your LinkedIn profile:
Explain it in Your Headline
Add context like “Currently at a private company” or “Open to new opportunities” in your profile headline so your status makes sense.
Keep Your Profile Strength Up
Balance the hidden job by ensuring the rest of your profile is robust with past positions, skills, education, accomplishments, volunteer work, recommendations, etc.
Selectively Share with Close Connections
When relevant, directly tell close contacts and messages about your current role so they aren’t left in the dark.
Update When You Change Jobs
Don’t forget to reveal your new job when you change positions. Keeping an old role private after switching jobs looks strange.
Utilize Other Social Platforms
Share career updates on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram where you likely have fewer professional connections monitoring your employment status.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Prevents early discovery in job search | Limits networking opportunities |
Avoids internal politics | Negatively impacts SEO |
Maintains confidentiality | Misleads some recruiters |
Gives more privacy | Raises questions |
Lets you control your narrative | Appears suspicious in some cases |
Conclusion
Making your current job private on LinkedIn can be advantageous if you are in job search mode, dealing with office politics, or simply want more control over your professional privacy. However, it also comes with drawbacks like limited networking, misleading recruiters, and hurting your SEO. Carefully consider both the pros and cons before deciding if a private current job title makes sense for your situation. Utilize tips like updating your headline, keeping your profile robust, and selectively informing close contacts to get the most out of going private. With the right strategy, you can keep your current role under wraps while maintaining an informative LinkedIn presence.