LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 810 million members worldwide as of October 2023. LinkedIn allows members to create professional profiles, connect with other professionals, join groups, follow companies, and apply for jobs. LinkedIn also offers premium paid subscriptions that provide additional benefits beyond the free basic account.
One common question from active duty military personnel is whether LinkedIn offers free premium subscriptions for those currently serving. The short answer is yes – LinkedIn does provide free premium subscriptions to active duty service members in the United States armed forces.
LinkedIn Premium Benefits
LinkedIn Premium provides users with additional features and benefits over the free basic account. Some of the key benefits of a LinkedIn Premium subscription include:
- Seeing who has viewed your profile
- Ability to view full profiles of your 3rd degree connections
- Unlocking profile recommendations to stand out
- Seeing all your search appearances
- Removing LinkedIn ads
- Accessing more advanced LinkedIn search filters
- Sending unlimited InMails to connect with anyone
- Viewing who opened the emails you sent
- Accessing premium courses and professional coaching
- Receiving a professional profile review
These additional features allow LinkedIn Premium users greater visibility and access on the platform to help advance their careers.
Eligibility for Free LinkedIn Premium
To be eligible for the free LinkedIn Premium for active duty military personnel, you must:
- Be an active duty service member in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, or Reserves
- Provide proof of your current active duty status
- Have a LinkedIn profile in good standing
Veterans, retired service members, military spouses, and family are not eligible for this free offer unfortunately. It is specifically for active duty members only.
How to Get Free LinkedIn Premium
Signing up for the free premium subscription is easy to do online. Here are the steps:
- Log into your LinkedIn account on desktop or mobile
- Go to the Premium upgrade page
- Click the option for “Free for Active Duty”
- Enter your information including branch of service and active duty status
- Upload verification document such as leave and earnings statement
- Agree to LinkedIn’s terms for the free premium offer
- Submit your request. LinkedIn will review and activate if approved.
The free premium subscription will remain active as long as you maintain your active duty military status. You just need to re-verify your status annually with LinkedIn to keep the premium benefits.
What’s Covered in the Free Premium Offer
Active duty service members who qualify can receive a free premium career subscription. This provides access to all the benefits listed above, with some limitations on the number of monthly InMails.
Here is an overview of what is included in the free military premium offer:
Premium Feature | Military Offer |
---|---|
Profile Badge | ✅ Included |
Who Viewed Your Profile | ✅ Included |
Profile Recommendations | ✅ Included |
Expanded Search Results | ✅ Included |
InMail Messages | 25 per month |
Learning Courses | ✅ Unlimited Access |
The free premium is quite comprehensive and provides the key career advancing features. The only limitation is a cap of 25 InMails per month instead of unlimited.
How Long Does the Free Subscription Last
The LinkedIn Premium free offer lasts as long as you maintain your active duty military status. There is no set time limit on the subscription.
To keep the free premium access, you simply have to re-verify your active duty status each year. LinkedIn will send a reminder email to validate by uploading your latest leave and earnings statement or other documentation.
Once you are no longer on active duty orders, the premium subscription will be downgraded back to a free regular account. So enjoy all the benefits while you can as an active service member!
Pausing the Free Subscription
If you need to temporarily pause the subscription due to deployment or other extended leave, LinkedIn does allow you to pause and resume the free premium access as needed. Just contact their customer support when you are ready to suspend or reactivate the subscription as your duty status changes.
Joining LinkedIn’s Veteran’s Network
In addition to the free premium offer, active duty and former military members can join LinkedIn’s Veteran’s Network. This is a community of over 1.5 million veterans and spouses on LinkedIn that exchange career opportunities and advice.
Through the Veteran’s Network, you can:
- Connect with fellow veterans in your industry and location
- Find veteran-friendly employers and job postings
- Give back through mentorship of other former military members
- Access targeted news and content for veterans
It’s easy to join the network and start expanding your professional community. Just visit the Veterans page on LinkedIn and click the blue “Join” button.
Using Premium to Advance Your Military Career
A LinkedIn Premium subscription can be extremely valuable in helping advance your military career while on active duty. Here are some of the key ways it can help:
Networking & Mentorship
Premium allows you to quickly expand your connections through finding and messaging useful contacts. You can build relationships with key leaders in your field and branch.
Skills & Education Showcase
Highlight all your military experience, training, and education prominently on your profile. Premium gives you visibility into the skills that get the most profile views.
Job & Promotion Opportunities
See and apply for available military job postings and promotions earlier. Premium shows all your matching job results.
Leadership Development
Use Premium courses and professional coaching to keep developing your leadership abilities for your next rank advancement.
Taking advantage of all these benefits can help accelerate you to that next level in your military career. The free premium subscription removes the pay barrier to unlocking these features.
Transitioning Out & Using Premium as a Veteran
Once you eventually transition out of active duty service, a LinkedIn Premium subscription remains extremely useful as a veteran. Top ways it can help include:
- Finding civilian job opportunities suited to your military skills
- Building a broad professional network for your post-military career
- Absorbing abundant insights on your industry from company pages and thought leaders
- Showcasing the full breadth of your leadership abilities and accomplishments
- Receiving guidance on resume translation and interview preparation
- Researching and applying to your dream companies and roles
The investment in a paid Premium subscription can have an invaluable impact on launching your civilian professional life. But while on active duty, be sure to maximize the opportunity for free access.
Shared Access for Spouses
While only active duty service members qualify for the free subscription, LinkedIn does allow sharing of some Premium features with a spouse.
Through the Premium Affinity feature, a military member with free Premium can share certain benefits with their spouse such as:
- Expanded profile recommendations
- Unlimited profile badge displays
- See all profile search appearances
- Advanced profile metrics and views
This allows military spouses to also boost their professional branding and networking on LinkedIn at no cost by sharing their partner’s subscription.
Conclusion
A LinkedIn Premium subscription can be a force multiplier for the careers of active duty military members. With LinkedIn’s offer of free Premium for all current service personnel, there are now no barriers to unlocking the many professional benefits of paid access.
All active duty members should take advantage of this special opportunity to maximize your networking, career advancement, and leadership development on LinkedIn. The platform provides abundant value at every stage of your military journey – from early career through transition and into veteran life.
So activate your free Premium subscription today and start elevating your career trajectory! LinkedIn provides the tools and community you need to realize your full career potential in and out of uniform.