How to Add Career Breaks to LinkedIn
More than 2 million women left the workforce in 2020. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Let that sink in for a second. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In what’s been dubbed by some as the “she-cession” because of the inordinate impact lack of childcare and the sheer challenge of balancing parenting with work in a pandemic had on working moms, it’s critical we work to normalize purposeful step outs. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
FlexJobs survey respondents reported almost half of working parents (40%) have had to change their employment situation by either voluntarily reducing their hours (25%) or quitting entirely (15%). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Of those that quit entirely, 38% do not plan to rejoin the workforce. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
An additional 5% said their partners needed to reduce their hours or quit their job completely. While you’re out, it’s so important to keep thinking about your return, what it will look like, how you might want to shift, and what you can do now to ease the transition. A huge part of that is your branding on LinkedIn.
Whatever your situation, read on for guidance on aligning your break with your professional brand.
Creating a Career Break Entry
Choose from LinkedIn’s new title options
- Stay-at-Home Mom
- Stay-at-Home Dad
- Stay-at-Home Parent
- Mom
- Dad
- Caregiver
Future Titles
Planned future titles include descriptors for more common life events. These will help capture in detail why you opted out of work and include:
- Sabbatical
- Personal Leave
- Hospital Leave
Until they are added, use them to accurately describe why you opted out!
To add a new title:
+ Open your profile
+ Click the plus sign in the Experience Section
+ Under Title, add whatever best suits your situation!
Company Name
In the company name field, use a clear descriptor that normalizes your time away and shows intentionality, such as:
+ Career Break
+ Planned Career Break
+ Family Career Break
Location
In the location field, add top keywords relevant to your field of return, such as:
Marketing Strategy | Social Media | Internal Communications
Experience
+ Similar to resume, use the description sections on LinkedIn to describe your leave,
+ Focus on training, project work, and skills acquired or maintained.
+ Tie in your time away with your paid experience with achievement, training, and project bullets such as:
- Oversee annual events with budget of $100K+.
- Direct scheduling and training of 25+ volunteers.
- Completed 20 hour project management bootcamp.
Whether you’re navigating a return to work following a career break, had to step out during the pandemic, or shifting fields/industries altogether, remember that it’s a journey.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Your first role on your road back is not where you will be forever.
Through each experience, you’ll build momentum. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You’re in control of the story and can take what you need from each experience.
