What to put for current title in LinkedIn when unemployed?

A question I get a lot in our LinkedIn training for Dislocated Workers is “what should I put for current position now that I am laid off?”


For the most part due to the incredible number of layoffs in the past two decades the stigma that used to be attached to being laid off is gone. The last two recessions took care of that. We all know people, good hard-working people, who have been laid off through no fault of their own. Even in good times there are layoffs due to mergers and acquisitions and off-shoring and outsourcing and all kinds of reasons.

This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt. It’s just that in the old days people who were laid off suddenly had two problems: 1) dealing with the painful blow to their self-esteem, and 2) finding a new job. These days people spend less time blaming themselves and are therefore able to get right into the job search. They realize it is not personal. It’s the economy.

So, what should you put on your LinkedIn profile? Well, think for a moment about why you even have a profile and why you are participating in LinkedIn in the first place. The term Social Networking implies that you are part of a larger group where there is give and take. It is about people helping each other in various ways. When you are unemployed, no matter how you got there, you need help with job leads, introductions, suggestions, encouragement, and lots of other things. So, if you don’t tell your network that you are unemployed, they won’t know you need their help. So, it is ok to tell them.

Deborah L. Jacobs of Forbes Staff suggests that “In the current economy, with so many talented people being let go, there is ‘absolutely no shame whatsoever’ in clearly indicating that you are out of work.” In fact “you exude confidence by not being ashamed that you’re between jobs.”

For your PROFESSIONAL HEADLINE some people like to mention right away that they are available. They might put their job title with the addition “in transition.” Another option is what Deborah Jacobs advises, which is to put your desired Job Title in your Professional Headline and then mention seeking new opportunities or something like that in your Summary Profile. She recommends deleting everything from the Current Job entirely so it doesn’t even show up.

There is no right way to do all this, but the main point is let your network know you are looking so they can help you out. You can use your Status Update to stay visible by posting useful links to articles or events your network might be interested in seeing.