LinkedIn changes have slowed down over the last few months, but there are still updates happening – perhaps the most exciting of which is a new character limit for LinkedIn Headlines! I have compiled some of the recent features that have been added to LinkedIn. Check them out below!

New Character Limit for LinkedIn Headlines

LinkedIn has increased the character limit for your Headline from 120 to 220. Now you can add even more keywords to your profile. Though it’s not officially advertised anywhere yet, I have personally tested and can confirm it’s true! Note that the change does not seem to have been rolled out to the Android version of the mobile app yet. Have fun with this opportunity to enhance your searchability on LinkedIn!

Improved Feed Algorithm

When ranking articles in the LinkedIn feed, LinkedIn now measures “dwell time,” not just click-throughs and comments, shares, and reactions. In other words, the algorithm now takes into the account the amount of time someone spends “viewing” the content.

This is good news and hopefully will improve the relevance of the content you receive in your feed!

Notes to New Invitations to Connect

I have long recommended that you make sure to use the Connect button on the member’s profile to send your invitation to connect, because it allows you to personalize your invite. Without personalizing, your invite looks like this:

That said, LinkedIn has changed some language that had me scratching my head. When you click that Connect button, it now says “Your invitation to so-and-so is on its way.” Woops! Did I just send a blank invite??

No reason to panic – after a little testing, I realized the invitation was not actually sent! You will still get an option to “Add a note” or click “Done.”  Honestly, this new system seems confusing to me, and I hope it will be revisited soon.

Open to Opportunities Photo Frame

LinkedIn is rolling out a new feature to help job seekers stand out visually: the #OpenToWork photo frame.

First, the logistics:

If you want to get the Open to Opportunities photo frame (and you may or may not want this—keep reading), click “Get started” in the “Show recruiters you’re open to work” box below your Headline:

Then add your job preferences and choose to share with all LinkedIn members.

This is what your profile image will look like if you choose to share with all LinkedIn members:

If you choose to use this feature, be aware of some potential downsides:

1. It won’t make you more visible to recruiters who are using LinkedIn’s special software for recruiters. For those recruiters, you can use the Open Candidates feature and it will serve you fine.
2. You could turn off many recruiters who prefer to conduct a search for “passive” candidates.
3. There are some scammy, spammy “search firms” out there who might contact you. Beware.
4. You might think you can rely on having this marker on your profile, whereas in actuality, you still need to be active and accountable in your job search! Check out the Job Search Success System for support in your search.

Maybe you’ve already turned on this feature and have now decided to reverse your decision. Not a problem! You can turn it off. Go to the Open to Work section of your profile and click the pencil icon.

Then at the bottom of the “Edit job preferences” window, choose “I’m no longer open.”

When you decide to remove “Open to Opportunities” status, you’ll receive the following confirmation, with an option to change your mind:

If you’ve used the “Open to Opportunities” feature and have seen results, either positive or negative, please share those with me. I’d love to hear about your experience!

For more about the “Open to Opportunities” feature, read LinkedIn’s Help article, “Let Recruiters Know You’re Open to Work.”

Name Pronunciation Recording Feature

Do you have a name that’s difficult for others to pronounce? LinkedIn now allows you to record your name! This new feature can reduce the occurrence of having your name mangled, which will be a relief not only to you, but also to your connections who meet you over the phone or (in a post-COVID world) in person.

Sharing your voice will also add some interactivity and fun to your profile. You might be surprised how much an audio from someone’s profile adds dimension to who they are – so listen to other people’s names and share yours. And maybe even record your name if you have an easy name to pronounce!

Currently, this tool is only available on the mobile app. The example below uses screenshots from an Android device, but instructions for iOS are the same.

To record your name, go to your profile and click the pencil icon to the right of your photo:

Click on “ADD NAME PRONUNCIATION”:

Hold the blue microphone button to record your name. It must be less than 10 seconds long.

Once you’ve spoken your name, click the button again to preview it. Once you’re satisfied with your recording, choose whether you will want only your first-degree connections or all LinkedIn members to be able to listen to your name. Finally,  “Retake” your name recording or “Apply” it to accept.

Clicking the pencil icon will give you the option to record a new pronunciation or delete the recording altogether.

When you’re done adding your pronunciation to your Introduction Card, don’t forget to hit Save in the upper right!

This is what your profile will look like when your recording is live:

I’m personally looking forward to having people with unusual names, and names with multiple pronunciations, and even the average Jane Doe start using this feature. I want to pronounce people’s names correctly when I talk to them, plus it’s an extra bonus to “get to know” someone through their voice!

 

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I hope these updates and features are helpful to you. I recommend that the first think you do after reading this article is go update your LinkedIn Headline to take advantage of the new 220-character limit for LinkedIn Headlines!

Are there other LinkedIn updates you noticed and want me to include in a future article? Please let me know in the comments or through a private message.