After going through several rounds of interviews and jumping through hoops, you received the news—you got the job! You’re excited about this new opportunity, you've sent your two weeks' notice letter, and now you want to shout it from the rooftops. But while you can celebrate privately, you may want to hold off on a more public announcement for now. Before you notify your network, it’s important to determine the best time to update LinkedIn with your new job.
When Should You Update LinkedIn with a New Job?
Getting a new job is an exciting milestone and a fresh start. Of course, you want to update your LinkedIn to reflect your new position eventually, but you want to be considerate and strategic about the timeline. While there is no perfect answer, recommendations vary about when to update LinkedIn with a new job—typically between two weeks and two months or so after starting a new position.
Why wait, though? Here are some top reasons why waiting to update LinkedIn with your new job is a smart move.
Be Considerate of Your Former Employer
While you may be moving on to a new position, you want to be considerate of your soon-to-be former employer. So even if you’ve given notice at your job to change positions and have the green light with the new company, don’t update LinkedIn just yet.
Your former employer likely needs time to adjust to the change as well and you don’t want to burn any bridges. They need to post your position and do interviews as well. Changing your LinkedIn position right away could put a bad taste in their mouth. So if nothing else, wait until you have officially moved on to the new company. You don’t want to seem too eager to leave your previous employer in the dust.
Whether you’re leaving on good terms or not, you want to do your part to keep your side of the street clean.
Think About Probation or Waiting Periods
Your new company may have what’s referred to as a probation period or a waiting period. This could be a three to six month wait before benefits kick in, for example. Employers may use this time to see if you’re a good fit for the position before investing additional time and resources. While waiting this long may seem excessive, it’s something to consider.
You can ask your new employer if there is a probation or waiting period. Then you can weigh the pros and cons of updating LinkedIn with your new job before you’re in the clear and in the next stage of the job.
You May Realize The Job Isn’t For You
While employers may have probation or waiting periods in place to assess your overall fit and competence with the job, jobs are a two-way street. You may find out in the first couple of weeks that what you thought was your dream job is actually a nightmare.
You might realize that the company culture isn’t aligned with your values or the job posting for the position is totally off-base from what’s expected of you.
You may also start to see things more clearly as time goes on. Just like in dating when the honeymoon phase starts to wear off, as you spend more time in your new position you can start to see things more clearly. Some red flags include:
- Your job goes far beyond what was in your job description
- Lack of boundaries (e.g. you’re expected to work nights and weekends)
- Communication isn’t clear or is passive-aggressive
- You keep getting compared to the employee who previously held your position (e.g. “Well Joe used to…”)
- Company culture doesn’t align with your values
- You feel unsafe physically or emotionally
- Office gossip is a common pastime
- Your gut tells you “get me out of here”
Remember, working a job should be beneficial for you and your employer. If it’s not a good fit, you may decide to leave earlier than you intended to pursue other opportunities.
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How to Update LinkedIn with New Job
After switching jobs and starting your new position and feeling it out, the time has come. You’re ready to make the announcement of your new gig and share it with your network.
Figuring out exactly when to update LinkedIn with a new job isn’t an exact science but you should feel steady at your new job and fully moved on from your former job. If in doubt, wait a few weeks. Once you’re ready, you can use these scripts to announce your new job on on LinkedIn.
To update LinkedIn with a new job, go to your profile. Under the “Experience” section, you’ll see a plus sign in the upper right corner.
Click the plus sign, and choose “Add position”
You can then fill in the sections with your new job title, employment type, company name, location, start date, industry, description, and skills.
To notify your network, you’ll want to toggle from “off” to “on” in the upper right-hand corner.
Once you’ve completed all sections, review again for spelling and grammar, hit “Save” and you’re good to go.You might also use this time to change your LinkedIn headline. It doesn't have to mention your new employer. Some job seekers use the LinkedIn headline to show they're open for employment opportunities. You can use it to showcase where you are in your career and your unique skill set.
Bottom Line
Starting a new job can fill you with excitement and joy. On the other hand, it’s a delicate transition and you want to respect your former employer and navigate this new company with caution until you’re more settled. Figuring out when to update LinkedIn with your new job is a personal choice but always one that should be considered with care. To make the most of your profile, you can also use Teal's LinkedIn Profile Review tool as you decide on the right timeline for you.
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