Still use LinkedIn?

[Focus]

If you maintained a LinkedIn profile while working, have you kept it in retirement? If so, have you noted you're retired on it or changed your "professional headline" to something more generic (e.g., rocket scientist )? Trying to figure out what to do with mine.

 

[Gotadimple]

I use it - but to support former colleagues who want to fill out a network. I don't show retired, but do show any volunteer positions I currently hold.

Just because I don't earn a living anymore doesn't mean I don't have meaningful activities.

 

[aja8888]

If you maintained a LinkedIn profile while working, have you kept it in retirement? If so, have you noted you're retired on it or changed your "professional headline" to something more generic (e.g., rocket scientist )? Trying to figure out what to do with mine.

An old friend of mine I had not heard from since the late 1970's found my profile on LinkedIn and sent me an e-mail last week. Pretty cool!

I have not changed anything in the profile yet. A lot of my old friends are still working somewhere.

 

[athena53]

I immediately changed my profile pic to one of me walking by the Atlantic Ocean, and changed my title to "Private Portfolio Manager". Some people "got it", some didn't. Before I did that, I disconnected from the contact whom I believed to have been a key factor in the toxic politics that led to my resignation.

I still follow LinkedIn; my contacts include friends and family (and several former BFs!) in addition to professional connections. I like to know who's moved, who's looking, etc.- I always have. It's also fun that I can be a little more opinionated when posting in response to articles.

 

[Meadbh]

After ER I found that I was no longer interested in the comings and goings of professionals in my network. I was getting frequent requests to link to people I did not know in order to pad their own networks. When I accepted the fact that LinkedIn was not going to propel me to well paid consultant, I deleted my profile.

 

[rodi]

I put "self employed" down. Semi accurate - although not for pay.

I have more friends than work connections... I never actively built a network because I had the same employer (although different corporate ownerships) for almost 20 years. But I didn't decline legitimate work contacts.

I never accepted contacts from head-hunter types... they annoyed me... or from people who were largely removed from my work circles. (If I only new a person's name because their name had been mentioned on an international conference call - I didn't accept their invite... but if it was someone who called in regularly for these international calls, sure I'd accept the invite to link.)

 

[eytonxav]

I changed my profile to reflect retired, and I see no shame in doing that. I don't wish to hear from headhunters or former clients offering job opportunities, and that mostly put a stop on such inquiries. However, I still do not mind providing recommendations to former subordinates, coworkers, or suppliers, so I have kept my account.

 

[DFA]

I use mine still to just keep up with some of the folks I know from jobs. I changed my title to Consultant. I use FB for family and close friends no w*rk related individuals.

 

[Ronstar]

I'm still on LinkedIn listed as an active employee. Probably should change my work status to avoid confusion. Just got some congrats for my work anniversary even though I haven't been to work in 5 months.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Rustward]

I show no current employer. My summary says that I am not looking for work.
I own 50 shares.

 

[truenorth418]

I changed my status to "Consultant". I have done some paid projects since leaving mega-corp, and I may do so again if it sounds interesting and won't get in the way of retirement activities. I re-wrote my profile to reflect the increased time spent on investing activities.

I also blocked a bunch of former colleagues that I never want to hear from again. I did the same on facebook. It was very cathartic and satisfying to do this.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Nodak]

I still have my account, I changed my status to retired. It's been several months since I looked at it.

 

[cranberryjoe]

I updated my profile to say I switched careers, with my new career being my main hobby and working for myself. I still get the occasional head hunter contacting me, but always for the old career.

I enjoy checking LI to see who's leaving my old megacorp, and it's a great way to stay in contact with former associates.

 

[traineeinvestor]

I still have my account, in part because I never got around to updating it and in part because it is still a useful way to stay connected to people.

 

[Walt34]

I only had an account for a brief time, probably less than a year. Got tired of people I didn't know wanting to link so deleted the account. I'm retired, my interest in finding work is a negative number, so at this point it is irrelevant.

 

[davemartin88]

Didn't find it overly useful when working and got notices from people I'd never heard of all the time so deleted the account when I retired.

 

[Alan]

For the "company I worked for", I put "Sweet FA" when I retired. A few years later I deleted my account to stop getting requests to do stuff.

 

[Tree-dweller]

Still have it, status "Retired" with a profile photo representative of that status. I enjoy the status updates from former colleagues as they migrate within or out of employer walls.

 

[BuysToys]

Still have my account and I'm now the CFO of my own company! ROFL

I mainly use it to keep up with co-workers and provide recommendations. Have seen several people in my last company get laid off in the past two years and am happy to provide them any help possible to obtain new employment.

 

[marko]

Changed my profile to "Consultant" status just in case something were to pop up.

I keep my account primarily to see what friends/co-workers are up to and to provide a contact should someone need a reference.

 

[BTravlin]

Have not thought about my LinkedIn account much other than wondering about those connections who suddenly endorse me for having a certain skill they'd have no clue about. I'll have to give it some thought as I could have some fun with this!

 

[Cobra9777]

I added the word "Retired" in front of my former title. I don't participate much, but I do enjoy keeping up with people I worked with for many years. It's also a way for people to contact me who only knew me through Megacorp.

 

[FIREd]

I did not use LinkedIn when I worked, and have no use for it now.

 

[ziggy29]

I'm on it but I rarely use it. There are only a couple of people I'm connected with whom I really care to stay in touch with personally (and would use other means for that in most cases), but at the same time you never say never and it doesn't hurt to keep many of my old connections intact.

 

[LoneAspen]

Oh, I have plans for my LinkedIn profile once I walk out the door.

One of the first things I'm going to do is drive up to wine country during the week (never been able to do that before) and take a picture of me standing beside my 911 convertible in front of a vineyard, holding up a glass of wine, with a big s**t eating grin on my face, and use that as my new profile picture.

I'm also going to change my title to something like "Founder and CEO of LoneAspen Retirement Enterprises".

Then, I'm going to prune my list of connections back to only those people I care about, which means about 90% of my connections are going to get the boot, including all of them from where I work right now except for just a couple people.

Modifying my LinkedIn profile after I walk out the door is going to be VERY therapeutic.