Should I Add Personal Information to My LinkedIn Profile?

People frequently ask me, ‘should I add personal information to my LinkedIn profile’. I usually advise that they do. It makes you a more complete ‘person’ and helps someone who is reading the profile, get a sense of who you are.

Recently, I saw a poll someone did on LinkedIn where the person asked “When reading an executive’s LinkedIn profile, do you like to see personal details?’ With over 6,700 participants, the results were quite positive with almost 75% of the respondents saying YES!

But this is not just good advice for executives. Personal information can also be very valuable when job hunting, to help differentiate you from numerous other applicants.

And, let me also caution that TOO much information and/or the inclusion of certain types of information can actually hobble your job search and possibly limit your networking options.

This is a personal decision and there are no hard and fast rules as to what personal information you should and should not include in your LinkedIn profile but here are some general guidelines.

Previous Occupations:

Including previous occupations can be useful, especially if the absence of this information leaves an employment gap in your resume. Some people are reluctant to include  unrelated work experience. If, for example, you pumped gas or waited tables to pay for college, I suggest including that information as it can reflect a strong work ethic and admirable time management skills – things that someone hiring you for an entry level professional position would certainly appreciate.

Including information to explain a shift from one career to another can also help someone better understand a major change. Using a paragraph in your intro section to explain why you chose to leave teaching to become a physical therapist is probably better than just listing these two very different career paths in your experience section.

Geographical Relocation:

You don’t need to go into the broken romance that led to your cross country move but acknowledging that you have returned to the East Coast and plan to stay might be useful information for an employer who is looking for someone who will reliably show up in a shop or office.

Side Hustles:

Disclosing side hustles, or what used to be referred to as ‘moonlighting’ gigs can work for, or against you, so think before you list them.

If your dream is to own a bakery and you have been baking up a storm in the evenings and weekends to build your reputation and save for a storefront while your trudge at a day job in accounting, including this side hustle could totally work in your favor if you are applying for a position in the culinary arts. But it could work against you if you are applying for a different accounting position.

Think before you share and be sure to tie the skills to the new position whenever possible.

Education History:

Some people are reluctant to include their alma mater if it isn’t an Ivy League University. I am a strong believer in including any education. If nothing else, LinkedIn will make an effort to connect you with alumni and you never know who may be the connection to get you your next job.

If you didn’t attend college, consider including your High School. Even if you DID attend college, you may want to include your High School as this may allow you to make additional connections and join groups related to that school.

Previous Gender:

This is one of the most personal of decisions but here are some options to consider.

You can do absolutely nothing. Your professional performance is all that a prospective employer or colleague should be evaluating – feel free to make no mention at all.

If you are concerned about making sure people know which pronouns you use, be sure to include them in your profile. LinkedIn has added the option to include these at the very top of your profile – use this field to clarify your preference.

Even if you are NOT concerned about people using the proper pronouns to address you, you may want to include them to ‘normalize’ the use of this field. Check out this article for more on why you might want to include pronouns in your profile.

If you wish to acknowledge a name change, you can include that in your intro with the words, ‘previously known as’.

If you are starting over completely, I highly recommend opening an entirely new LinkedIn profile. There, you can use your new name, if you have taken one, and pick and chose the experience details you wish to include.

Before you delete the old profile, you can invite any colleagues you may want to stay connected to, sending them a link to the new profile.

Volunteer Work:

Volunteer work is an excellent way to show skills and dedication and can fill an employment gap. It can also help you stand out.

I was once at an interview with a large non-profit group and rather than speak to me about my relevant experience, the interviewer jumped directly into asking me about my work volunteering with the Girl Scouts. It seemed that they partnered with the Scouts on events and loved that I was already supporting them!

You never know who will find the work relevant or interesting so if you think it is valid, include it. And always explain what you did if it can, in any way, indicate your skills, management responsibilities and accomplishments. For example, ‘coached and led our local school’s baseball team to a county win’ or ‘raised over $300,000.00 for our local museum by organizing and implementing a silent auction’.

That said, please see the comments below re: religion and politics.

Religious Groups:

Religious affiliations, unless you are a religious figure (like a Pastor or Rabbi), are not necessarily appropriate to include in your LinkedIn profile.

If you are very active as a volunteer, and the tasks relate directly to the position you are applying for, you may wish to include the work you do but be aware that this may cause more concern or confusion than it is worth.

Political Groups:

Political affiliations, unless you are in politics, are not necessarily appropriate to include in your LinkedIn profile.

If you are very active as a volunteer, and the tasks relate directly to the position you are applying for, you may wish to include the work you do but be aware that this may cause more concern or confusion than it is worth.

Private Data:

In the U.S., HR departments are not allowed to ask personal questions like your age, religion or marital status. You are welcome to offer this information if you want to but it is probably best left OUT of your LinkedIn profile.

Hobbies:

If you have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro or regularly (or even, ever) run marathons, including this information can be a great ice breaker with a new colleague or a potential employer. Ditto if you have been a contestant on the Great British Bake Off or are scuba certified. Odd and quirky details can be the one thing that helps you stand out among a crowded field of candidates or gets your foot in the door with a prospect.

As a rule, I always advise clients, ‘do not share ANYTHING in a social media profile, bio or as a post, that you would not want to see on the cover of the New York Times. Nor anything that you wouldn’t want your mother or grandmother to see’. No matter how careful you are, anything you post could become public and widely shared – please consider this when posting!

So, when you are thinking, ‘Should I add personal information to my LinkedIn profile?’, I hope I have inspired you to answer yes and that you find these suggestions helpful.

If you still need assistance with figuring out what to include in YOUR LinkedIn Profile, give me a call or email me at LMD@LisaMarieDiasDesigns.com – I can help!

For more on this topic, please see my post

Moonlighting: Including Unrelated Experience in Your LinkedIn Profile