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How to Handle Job Promotions on Your LinkedIn Profile

career ladder

Whether you landed a promotion recently or were promoted earlier in your career, you will want to impress recruiters and hiring managers with your professional climb by properly showcasing that promotion on your LinkedIn Profile. Here are some ways to showcase your professional advancements:

PROMOTIONS WITH ONE LONG-TERM EMPLOYER

“When executives have had a progressive career with one organization and continuously take on more responsibility through a long-term employment relationship, it is important to enumerate each position’s achievements and responsibilities separately,” according to Mike Daley, President and Founder of Daley & Associates, a Boston-based recruitment firm.

The following example shows how to list each promotion separately, even though each position is with the same employer:

long term employer

This tactic can be particularly helpful for those who have worked for only one employer and need to give a visual impression of movement and progression within that one company. You’ll want to show increased responsibility, expanded project scope, and progressive titles throughout your tenure.

MULTIPLE EMPLOYERS WITH PROMOTIONS

If you have had multiple employers where you had multiple promotions, you may want to de-emphasize the visual effect of job hopping, while still showcasing your promotions. In these cases, outline your promotions and title changes  under one company heading. You will minimize the number of times each employer is listed on your profile, while still emphasizing your promotions within those organizations.

According to Marisa Holden, an experienced healthcare and financial services recruiting expert, “When initially reviewing a LinkedIn Profile, if I see a long list of separate positions, I may not realize some of those positions are with the same employer. My initial visual impression would be that the person moved around a lot in their career. It is only when I take the time to read the profile, which may not happen every time, do I realize the separate entries are actually promotions within one company. Candidates with multiple employers should consolidate promotions within one employer heading, when it makes sense, to minimize the visual first impression of jumping from employer to employer and emphasize progression.”

Here is an example of housing promotions at one job under one employer heading, when you have had promotions at more than one employer. This visually reduces the number of employer entries on the LinkedIn Profile:
multiple jobs promotions

multiple jobs promotion 2
Effectively positioning promotions on your LinkedIn Profile can make it clear to hiring managers how you moved upward within an organization and not mistakenly have them think you jumped from employer to employer. It will prevent any misunderstandings and misinterpretations of your progressive experience. Most importantly, it will clearly outline to the hiring manager how you assumed additional responsibility and were recognized by your employers for your achievements. In essence, your profile will communicate your accomplishments to a prospective employer before you even hold a conversation, and inspire the recruiter to reach out to learn more. This will help recruiters and hiring managers properly digest your professional experience and reach out to you for an opportunity.