LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform that allows users to connect with other professionals in their industry. When you connect with someone on LinkedIn, they become a 1st degree connection. Your 1st degree connections’ connections then become your 2nd degree connections.
What is a 2nd degree connection?
A 2nd degree connection on LinkedIn is someone who is connected to one of your 1st degree connections. For example, if you are connected with Jane, and Jane is connected with John, then John is your 2nd degree connection. This means you and John are not directly connected, but you share a mutual connection (Jane) on LinkedIn.
What can 2nd degree connections see?
Your 2nd degree connections have limited visibility of your profile and activity on LinkedIn. Here is an overview of what your 2nd degree connections can see:
Your profile photo and headline
Your profile photo and headline are visible to all LinkedIn members, including your 2nd degree connections. This gives them a glimpse of your professional brand when viewing your profile.
Your current position and education
Your current job title and company, as well as your education history (schools attended) are viewable by your 2nd degree connections. This gives them an understanding of your professional background.
Shared connections and groups
2nd degree connections can see which connections and groups you have in common. This allows them to gauge the overlap in your professional networks.
Recommendations you’ve given
Any recommendations you have written for your 1st degree connections are visible to your 2nd degree connections. However, they can’t see the recommendations you’ve received.
Your activity feed and posts
Your general activity on LinkedIn, such as status updates, articles shared, etc are not shown to 2nd degree connections. The only activity visible to them are posts you specifically tag your mutual connections in.
Limited profile details
2nd degree connections can see a limited preview of your profile details, such as your summary, skills, and work experience titles. However, they can’t view the full details unless you allow them further access.
How to change what your 2nd degree connections see
You can adjust what profile and activity details are visible to your 2nd degree connections in your account settings. Here are some options:
Upgrade to premium
Upgrading to a premium LinkedIn account gives you more control over your visibility settings. Premium members can customize what parts of their profile are visible to 2nd degree connections.
Adjust your public profile settings
In your profile visibility settings, adjust whether your photo, headline, and activity are displayed publicly or limited to 1st degree connections only.
Show or hide your connections
You can choose to show your 1st degree connections to give 2nd degree connections further insight into your network, or hide your connections for more privacy.
Selectively show and hide parts of your profile
Use the profile visibility tool to customize what sections of your profile (summary, experience, education, etc) are visible to 2nd degree connections.
Examples of what 2nd degree connections see
To give you a better idea, here are some examples of the limited profile previews a 2nd degree connection may see:
Profile snapshot
Photo | Your professional profile photo |
---|---|
Name | Your full name |
Headline | Your current professional headline |
Location | Your city and country |
Connections | Number of shared connections (if visible) |
Experience preview
Current | Your current job title and company name |
---|---|
Previous | Past 2-3 job titles and company names only |
Education preview
School | Names of schools attended only |
---|---|
Degree | Degree name (e.g. Bachelor of Arts) |
Dates attended | Years attended only |
Connecting with 2nd degree connections
If you want to connect more deeply with a 2nd degree connection, you have a few options:
Request an introduction
Ask for an introduction through your mutual connection. This gives your request more context.
Send an InMail
Premium members can directly message 2nd degree connections using InMail to introduce themselves.
Invite to connect
Send a connection request including a note. Explain why you want to connect and how it would be mutually beneficial.
Conclusion
While your 2nd degree connections have limited access to your full profile, they can still view your basic professional details and identity on LinkedIn. Carefully manage your visibility settings and be selective about what you share publicly. With a premium account, you can customize your profile access and connect with 2nd degree connections more strategically when needed.