Having an accurate job title listed on your LinkedIn profile is important for several reasons. Your job title communicates your role, responsibilities, and position in an organization to your network. It also helps determine how your profile appears in search results on LinkedIn. So naturally, the question arises: Is it okay to change your job title on LinkedIn if it doesn’t perfectly match your actual role?
Quick Answer
Generally speaking, it is fine to tweak or update your LinkedIn job title to better reflect your current role. However, you should not drastically inflate your job title or make up a new title that does not exist at your company. Small adjustments to add clarity or more detail to your existing title are usually acceptable.
The Details
LinkedIn encourages you to use your official job title as listed by your employer in the job title field. However, many people run into situations where their actual responsibilities don’t fully align with their employer-given job description.
For example, maybe your official title is “Sales Associate” but you spend just as much time assisting customers with technical support issues. In this case, you may want to expand your title on LinkedIn to “Sales Associate and Technical Support Representative” to convey the full scope of what you do.
Or perhaps your employer gave you a vague title like “Program Coordinator,” but you want to specify that you work in the marketing department. Changing your title on LinkedIn to “Marketing Program Coordinator” helps provide this additional context.
When is it NOT okay to change your title on LinkedIn?
There are a few scenarios where altering your official job title on your LinkedIn profile is not recommended:
- Inventing a major promotion or seniority level you have not achieved (e.g. calling yourself a Vice President when you are only a Manager).
- Using a title from a previous position or company that does not apply to your current role.
- Substantially exaggerating your responsibilities and scope beyond what you actually do.
- Creating a title that does not exist at all at your employer.
Examples of inappropriate made-up titles include “Senior Executive Director of Operations” when your real title is just Operations Manager, or calling yourself “Head of Sales” when you are a Sales Representative.
Why you should avoid misleading titles
Using misleading or inflated titles on LinkedIn that do not accurately reflect your true position can end up doing more harm than good:
- Damages your personal brand – Portraying yourself at a higher level than your experience can undermine your credibility.
- Causes issues with recruiters – Recruiters may reach out about roles you are underqualified for.
- Creates awkardness if connected to coworkers – Colleagues will know your real title and may question the discrepancy.
- Can be grounds for termination – Some companies prohibit falsifying information on public profiles.
Even if you get away with embellishing your title temporarily, it often catches up with you down the line. You are much better off representing yourself accurately.
Tips for updating job titles on LinkedIn
Here are some best practices to follow when modifying your job title on your LinkedIn profile:
- Keep it realistic – Add additional clarity to your title, but don’t inflate your position.
- Use wording from official company documents – Pull language directly from your offer letter or job description.
- Focus on skills rather than seniority – Highlight key responsibilities rather than trying to sound more senior.
- Check with your manager – Your manager may be able to suggest an appropriate alternative title.
- Indicate it is a “revised title” – You can note that it is different from your official title if desired.
Examples of acceptable revised titles
Official Job Title | Acceptable Revised LinkedIn Title |
---|---|
Sales Associate | Sales Associate and Client Services Representative |
Account Manager | Senior Account Manager (to denote experience level) |
Software Engineer | Front-End Software Engineer (to specify area of focus) |
As you can see, these types of small modifications clarify your expertise and give added context without misrepresenting your actual job responsibilities or seniority.
Changing titles after a promotion
It is completely acceptable and encouraged to update your LinkedIn title after receiving an official promotion or changing roles at your company. Make sure to update your position name and time frame to match the date you assumed the new role.
Significant title changes like “Sales Representative” to “Sales Manager” or “Accountant” to “Finance Director” signal your increasing experience and advancement to your network. Updating this information helps build your professional brand over time as you take on more senior positions on your career path.
Handling discrepancies between LinkedIn and resume
You do not necessarily need to make your LinkedIn job title and resume job title 100% identical. It is fine if your resume title better encapsulates your full duties using different wording than your employer-given title.
For example, your LinkedIn could say “Financial Analyst” while your resume reads “Financial Analyst – Accounting and Budgeting.” The key is that both titles accurately reflect your role and are not inflated on either document.
If you make significant title changes on LinkedIn or your resume, be prepared to explain any discrepancies if questioned in an interview. Focus on how the revised title is an accurate portrayal of your responsibilities and why you made the change.
Updating titles after leaving a job
Once you leave a position, you should immediately update your LinkedIn title for that role to say “Former” or “Previous” followed by the position name. For example:
- Former Marketing Specialist at XYZ Company
- Previous Operations Manager at 123 Corporation
This signals to your network that you no longer work in that position or for that company. Be sure to also update your employment date ranges to indicate when you left the role.
Conclusion
Modifying your job title on LinkedIn to better reflect what you do is acceptable in most cases. Small tweaks that provide clarity or details on your focus area are generally fine, as long as the title accurately depicts your true position. Drastically inflating your role or making up a fake title can damage your reputation. With some strategic adjustments and care taken not to exaggerate, you can craft a LinkedIn title that effectively communicates your skills and experience.