As a career coach and LinkedIn Top Voice (the platform’s highest honor), I frequently receive questions from job seekers asking how they can improve their LinkedIn profiles.
One quick change you can make to your LinkedIn profile is customizing your URL. Your URL is the link (example: LinkedIn.com/in/KyleCromerElliott) that sends people directly to your LinkedIn profile.
In this article, I will share:
- Why changing your LinkedIn URL matters
- How to change your LinkedIn URL
- Examples of customized LinkedIn URLs
Why Changing Your LinkedIn URL Matters
While you can stick with the URL LinkedIn assigns you when you first sign up for an account, there are several advantages to having a customized LinkedIn profile URL.
Customizing your LinkedIn URL is a personal branding opportunity. You can use this space to call out your skills, expertise, education, and credentials. One of my job seeker clients, for instance, added “PhD” to the end of her URL to call attention to her doctorate. Many of my clients will also include “PMP” and “CSM” in their LinkedIn URLs to quickly indicate that they are a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).
Additionally, you will likely include your LinkedIn URL on your cover letter and resume when submitting job applications. Subsequently, it does not hurt if your URL is aesthetically pleasing. A customize LinkedIn URL is more visually appealing than the hodgepodge of random letters and numbers LinkedIn automatically includes in your assigned URL.
How To Change Your LinkedIn URL
Now that you understand a few of the advantages of customizing your LinkedIn URL, let’s discuss how to change it. The process is straightforward, even if you are not the most tech-savvy.
Here is how to change your LinkedIn profile URL from your desktop:
- Click the Me button at the top of the homepage.
- Click the View Profile button.
- Click Edit public profile & URL on the right side of your screen.
- Click the Edit button next to your public profile URL.
- Edit your URL in the provided text box.
- Click Save.
This page provides further instructions on how to change your LinkedIn URL, including in the app and from a mobile browser.
Examples Of Customized LinkedIn URLs
Choosing your LinkedIn URL is simple. For simplicity’s sake, most people stick with their first name and last name. If you have a common name, you may also need to add your middle name or initial along with an industry keyword, since URLs are limited to a single person and your preferred URL may be taken.
Consider these five templates as you develop your customized LinkedIn URL:
- First name, last name
- Initial of first name, last name
- First name, initial of last name initial
- First name, initial of middle name, last name
- One of the above combinations along with an industry keyword or phrase
If your name was Walt Disney and you used the above formulas, your URL could look like this:
- LinkedIn.com/in/WaltDisney
- LinkedIn.com/in/WDisney
- LinkedIn.com/in/WaltD
- LinkedIn.com/in/WaltEDisney
- LinkedIn.com/in/WaltDisneyAnimator
If you prefer, you can also add hyphens between the letters and words. Here is what this would like for the above examples:
- LinkedIn.com/in/Walt-Disney
- LinkedIn.com/in/W-Disney
- LinkedIn.com/in/Walt-D
- LinkedIn.com/in/Walt-E-Disney
- LinkedIn.com/in/Walt-Disney-Animator
A Quick Note: Your LinkedIn URL is case insensitive. This means it does not matter what letters, if any, you choose to capitalize.
Remember: You are automatically assigned a LinkedIn profile URL when you create an account. Follow the quick steps in this article if you want to take advantage of the benefits of a customized LinkedIn URL. You’ve got this!
