At an event last week, a woman approached me and asked me how to handle her upcoming maternity leave on LinkedIn. She mentioned that she had worked in five states, used LinkedIn regularly and wanted her network to know she was not just dropping off the radar.
Great question.
I have to admit this was the first time someone asked me this question. In retrospect, that is crazy too.
3 Ways to Announce Maternity Leave (or Paternity) on LinkedIn:
1. Add a new paragraph (a couple of sentences) to your LinkedIn Summary mentioning your leave:
“Please note that between _______ and _______ I will be out of the office on maternity/paternity leave. I/we are excited to announce our new arrival.”
2. Add an update in the Advice for Contacting area that explains that you will not be checking your LinkedIn profile during your maternity/paternity leave.
3. Share an Update that alerts your network, keeping in mind that this will not stay on your Profile. If you do share an update, share tastefully. I’m still considering whether a birth announcement makes sense, leaning on not so much.
Here are some things we suggest NOT to do:
1. Post photos of you and the new baby. (Keep those on your personal, social channels).
2. Change your headline to reference your maternity/paternity leave
3. Automate content to post so it appears you are still working
And don’t forget to update and remove this information once you return to work!
Want more LinkedIn tips for when you return to work? Check out these posts so you can be a rockstar for your company when you head back.
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