Quick Answers
When deciding which location to list on your LinkedIn profile, there are a few key factors to consider:
- Where you currently live and work – Listing your current city and country is the most accurate reflection of where you are based.
- Where you are seeking opportunities – If you are open to roles in a different location, you may want to list that instead.
- A major city near you – Using a well-known metro area can increase your visibility, even if you live in a smaller town nearby.
- Where most of your experience took place – Highlighting the city or region where you have built your career can showcase your network.
- Your hometown or alma mater’s location – This appeals to shared identity and helps you connect along educational or geographic lines.
Overall, your location should support your professional brand and align with the opportunities you want next. The best option depends on your individual situation and goals.
Your LinkedIn profile location is more than just a data point – it’s a key element of how you present your personal brand and connect with your target audience. With over 850 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the premiere platform for professionals to build networks and showcase their expertise.
Where you indicate you are based on your profile can affect everything from the opportunities presented to you to how potential employers and connections perceive your background and fit.
Therefore, thoughtfully considering which location to select is an important LinkedIn profile optimization step. The location you ultimately showcase should clearly reflect your professional identity and the audience you aim to reach.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- The factors to weigh when picking your LinkedIn profile location
- The pros and cons of listing different cities, regions, or countries
- How your location selection impacts your visibility and engagement
- Best practices for honesty and accuracy
- Examples of when to use current location, desired location, HQs, or other locations
Using the right location setting allows you to create cohesion between your brand, skills, and aspirations. With a thoughtful strategy, your profile can effectively communicate who you are, what you offer, and the opportunities you seek.
Factors to Consider When Selecting LinkedIn Profile Location
When reviewing your LinkedIn profile location, there are a few key considerations to weigh:
Where You Currently Live and Work
Listing where you are currently based is often the most accurate and honest reflection of your location. This could be the city and country where you live or the metro area where your office is located.
Selecting your real, current location has several benefits:
- Shows you are local to the geographic area
- Helps identify shared connections/alumni in the same region
- Displays real commuting distance if you are open to in-person roles
- Matches what your contacts already know about your location
For job seekers, listing your actual city signals to recruiters that you live within daily commuting distance of local opportunities.
Overall, a current location aligns with the network and community you already have in a given place.
Where You Want Opportunities
Instead of your current location, you may want to list the area or city where you are seeking new career options.
Some examples include:
- A city where you plan to relocate and job search
- A tech hub or industry cluster where relevant roles are concentrated
- An office location of a company you want to work for
- A region that offers more career advancement prospects
Using a desired professional location has advantages if you want to expand your network and visibility in a new place, such as:
- Introduces your brand to a new target market
- Surfaces job opportunities in your preferred destination
- Connects you with contacts in the area before you move there
- Shows your interest, commitment and fit for potential relocation
You may need to travel to interview or relocate if hired, but highlighting an aspirational location can help manifest an out-of-town move.
A Major Hub Nearby
Instead of a smaller town, you can opt to use the nearest major metro area to increase your LinkedIn visibility.
For example, listing “Seattle” or the encompassing “Greater Seattle Area” even if you live in nearby towns like Bellevue, Kirkland or Redmond.
Benefits of this approach include:
- Associates your brand with a well-known business and population center
- Expands your profile’s reach to recruiters in that area
- Reflects the extended metro region where you could reasonably work
- Sounds more attractive than a small town companies may not recognize
You still show local proximity while leveraging the brand of a bigger city name.
Where You Have Significant Experience
Highlighting the primary city or region where you built your career showcases your professional roots.
Even if you live somewhere new, consider listing:
- Where you went to university
- Where you started your career
- Where a past employer’s office was located
- A previous long-term home base
- Headquarters of a major company you worked for
Reasons this could make sense:
- Taps into alumni and industry connections in that area
- Explains your background and qualifications
- Reminds others of shared affiliation if they recognize that location
You maintain professional ties and credibility associated with past hubs.
Your Hometown
For some, listing their hometown or place they grew up signals identity and common ground.
Highlighting your hometown area can:
- Bond you with other locals from there
- Show pride in your roots
- Share aspects of your personal backstory
- Indicate you have roots and may return someday
Especially early in your career, being from a certain place helps characterize your story.
This is more about influencing perception than accuracy. But it humanizes you.
Pros and Cons of Different Location Options
Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of listing different LinkedIn profile locations:
Current City Where You Live
Pros:
- Accurate and honest
- Reflects your real geographic availability
- Aligns with local professional network
- Easy to maintain and update over time
Cons:
- Limits opportunities to where you reside now
- May be a less-desirable location to some employers
- Doesn’t showcase willingness to relocate
City or Region You Want To Relocate To
Pros:
- Positions you for opportunities in desired location
- Demonstrates interest and commitment to new employers
- Broadens network and recruiter visibility
- Reflects ambitions and mobility
Cons:
- Projects availability before you’ve moved
- Recruiters may think you already live there
- Must be prepared to interview and relocate on own
Major Metro Area Nearby
Pros:
- Increases chances of being found by big city recruiters
- Sounds more impressive than small town name
- Honestly reflects wider geographic range
- May match where you work or often go for business
Cons:
- Not your exact location, just nearby
- Risks overstating proximity if commute is too far
- Less community feel
Location of Past Experience or Education
Pros:
- Ties your brand to well-known hubs
- Leverages alumni and industry connections
- Explains your background
- Evokes pride or shared identity
Cons:
- May inaccurately imply you still live there
- Limits local match opportunities
- Can seem outdated if now removed from location
Your Hometown
Pros:
- Fosters hometown shared identity and connections
- Personalizes your brand
- Memorable character details
- Sense of roots and loyalty
Cons:
- Rarely reflects where you live and work currently
- Less indicative of commute range
- May typecast you to just one location
As you can see, every common location option has advantages but also limitations to consider. Pick what best supports your goals.
How Location Impacts LinkedIn Visibility and Engagement
Your profile location matters because it influences your discoverability, recommendations, and audience appeal.
Some of the visibility and engagement factors tied to your location include:
- Search appearance – Where you list influences whether you appear in searches for industry, company, or location names. You want to be findable by your target audiences.
- Job matches – Get suggested jobs near your listed location. Recruiters also search by location when hiring.
- Your network – You may appear more prominently in searches by local connections trying to find others in the area.
- Local competitors – You can research profiles of professionals in the same metro area to differentiate and stand out.
- Commute range – Listing a workable location signals you can reasonably get to in-person roles nearby.
- Relocation potential – Highlighting a city of interest conveys you have plans and willingness to move there.
- Cultural fit – Location can indicate shared background, values, identity, and interests.
Optimizing your location strategically helps incoming recruiters and connections view you as a stronger match compared to other candidates.
Best Practices For Accuracy
While you have flexibility in selecting your profile location, you also want to maintain trust by avoiding blatant misrepresentation. Here are some best practices:
- If asked in an interview, don’t claim you still live or work in a past location you’ve listed for branding purposes. Be transparent you have since moved or left the company.
- If using a major metro, note in your profile details that you actually live in a convenient, nearby suburb. List the accurate town under your name.
- If hoping to relocate to a new city, state in your summary that you are “Planning to relocate to [city name]” and interested in local opportunities.
- Remove outdated locations once you have actually moved or changed roles. Don’t create confusion over where you reside now.
- If you work in a different location than where you live, list both to clearly convey your commute range and regional ties.
Maintaining truthfulness and currency for your location listings preserves authenticity while still allowing the flexibility to strategically showcase locations meaningful to your professional aspirations and personal brand.
Examples of Ideal Profile Locations
Here are some examples of how to effectively select locations on your LinkedIn profile:
Software Developer Relocating to Denver
Katie currently lives in Madison, WI but wants to move to Denver for the thriving tech scene. On her profile, she lists:
Location: Denver, CO (Relocating from Madison, WI in June 2023)
This clearly signals her relocation goals so Colorado employers and connections don’t assume she already lives there.
Recent College Grad in Chicago Suburbs
James just finished his finance degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. He’s originally from Naperville, IL and moved back home after graduation. His profile lists:
Location: Chicago, IL
Introduction: Recently returned to Naperville, IL after earning my finance degree at Indiana University Bloomington. Excited to start my career in the Greater Chicago Area.
Listing the major city captures more opportunities, while the details note his exact hometown nearby.
Nonprofit Professional in a Small Town
Lucas lives in Coeur d’Alene, ID but works remotely for a nonprofit headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. His locations:
Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA
Location: Coeur d’Alene, ID
This conveys both his small hometown and the major city of his employer.
Leadership Status in Current and Past Locations
Sarah currently lives in Orlando, FL but built her retail career in New York City. Her profile states:
Location: Orlando, FL
Previous: New York, NY
This highlights her leadership experience and connections in both markets.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn profile has limited space for customization, so choosing what location to showcase is an important piece of your personal branding and first impression.
Base the location you select on your career goals, interests, values, and professional narrative. But maintain honesty by adding clarifying details as needed.
Match your location to the audience you want to reach and opportunities you hope to attract. This sets a strategic foundation to expand your connections and open new doors.
With a thoughtful location approach, your profile can effectively convey who you are, where you want to go, and the communities you belong to.