How to Add a Promotion on LinkedIn & Notify Your Network Effectively
Jun 4, 2025
You've worked hard, earned that promotion, and now it's time to update your LinkedIn profile. But wait—you've seen colleagues announce promotions only to have LinkedIn display it as "starting a new position" instead of a promotion. Frustrating, right?
If you're like many professionals using LinkedIn to track career milestones, you want your promotion to be recognized correctly. After all, there's a significant difference between hopping to a new company and climbing the ladder at your current one.
Why Updating Your LinkedIn Profile with a Promotion Matters
Before diving into the how-to, let's consider why updating your profile with your promotion is valuable:
Career Documentation: Your LinkedIn profile serves as a living resume, documenting your professional journey.
Visibility to Recruiters: Promotions signal growth and advancement potential to recruiters and hiring managers.
Networking Opportunities: Promotion announcements often trigger congratulatory messages, creating natural opportunities to reconnect with contacts.
Industry Recognition: Peers and colleagues gain insight into your career trajectory and expertise.
For professionals like sales development representatives, recruiters, and account managers who rely heavily on LinkedIn for prospecting and relationship management, keeping your profile current is particularly crucial—it directly impacts how prospects and potential clients perceive your credibility.
How LinkedIn Categorizes Job Updates (And Why It Gets Confused)
Many users express frustration when their promotion shows up as a "new position" in their network's feed. According to LinkedIn support, this categorization is determined by their machine learning software, which attempts to interpret your actions when updating your profile.
As one LinkedIn user shared: "I posted my job update and it displayed as a 'new position' to my network, as opposed to 'a promotion.' I contacted LinkedIn support to ask about this, and they say whether or not it registers as a new position or a promotion is determined by their machine learning software."
The key difference often lies in how you make the update—whether you add a new position or edit your existing one.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Promotion Correctly
Follow these steps to maximize the chances of LinkedIn recognizing your update as a promotion:
Log into LinkedIn and navigate to your profile page
Locate your current position in the Experience section
Click on the pencil icon to edit your current role (don't click "Add position")
Update your job title with your new role
Add your promotion date in the "Start date" field
Update your job description to reflect new responsibilities
Check the notification option to inform your network (if desired)
Save your changes
Pro Tip: By editing your existing position rather than adding a new one, you increase the likelihood that LinkedIn's algorithm will recognize the update as a promotion rather than a job change.
Managing Notification Preferences
Not everyone wants their entire network to know about their promotion immediately. LinkedIn offers options to control what updates your connections see:
If You Want to Share Your Promotion:
When updating your position, you'll see an option asking if you want to notify your network. If you select "Yes," your update will appear in your connections' feeds. This notification typically takes up to 2 hours to appear.
If You Prefer Privacy During Updates:
If you'd rather update your profile without notifying your network:
Go to your Settings & Privacy
Select Visibility
Find Share profile updates with your network
Toggle this setting off before making your changes
Make your profile updates
Return to settings and toggle the option back on when finished
As one Reddit user noted: "I want to refresh my profile but don't want my connections to get any notifications about it." This setting addresses that concern perfectly.
Crafting an Effective Promotion Announcement
If you decide to notify your network about your promotion, consider creating a dedicated post to maximize engagement. Here's a template to help you craft an effective announcement:
Example:
Best Practices for Promotion Updates
To make the most of your promotion announcement:
Choose the Right Timing: Post during high-engagement periods (Tuesday-Thursday during business hours) for maximum visibility.
Include a Professional Photo: Posts with images receive 2-3x more engagement than text-only updates.
Tag Relevant People: Mention mentors or team members who contributed to your success, but be selective and relevant.
Respond to Comments: Engage with people who congratulate you to strengthen connections.
Update Your Headline: Don't forget to update your LinkedIn headline to reflect your new position, as this appears in search results.
Enhancing Your Promotion Update with Key Achievements
When updating your job description for the promotion, focus on achievements rather than responsibilities. This approach demonstrates the value you've brought to your organization and justifies your advancement:
Use Metrics and Results: "Generated $1.2M in pipeline through targeted outreach campaigns" is more compelling than "Responsible for lead generation."
Highlight Leadership: If your promotion includes management responsibilities, emphasize team leadership and development.
Showcase Strategic Contributions: Highlight how your work contributed to broader business objectives.
Common Challenges When Updating Promotions (And Solutions)
Challenge: LinkedIn Still Shows "New Position" Instead of "Promotion"
Solution: If LinkedIn's algorithm still categorizes your update as a new position despite following the edit method, don't worry too much. The most important thing is that your profile accurately reflects your career progression. Consider adding clarification in your post, such as "Excited to share my promotion to [New Role] at [Same Company]!"
Challenge: Managing Multiple LinkedIn Conversations After Your Announcement
When you announce a promotion, you might receive numerous congratulatory messages and connection requests. For professionals who use LinkedIn extensively for sales, recruiting, or business development, managing this influx alongside regular work conversations can be challenging.
Solution: Tools like Kondo can help organize your LinkedIn inbox by allowing you to:
Label conversations (e.g., "Congratulations," "Leads," "Clients") to keep them organized
Set reminders to follow up with important contacts who reached out
Use keyboard shortcuts to quickly process messages
Create snippets for thank-you responses to save time
Challenge: Updating Without Overwhelming Your Network
Solution: If you're making multiple profile updates, consider batching them and temporarily turning off network notifications. This way, your connections won't receive multiple alerts as you refine different sections of your profile.
When to Announce (And When Not to)
Not every role change warrants a big announcement. Consider these guidelines:
Announce When:
You've received a significant promotion with new responsibilities
Your new role represents a notable career milestone
The change demonstrates expertise development in your field
Consider Skipping When:
It's a minor title change without significant responsibility changes
The promotion is common or expected in your organization's structure
You're making multiple small updates to your profile
Conclusion
Properly documenting your promotion on LinkedIn is more than just keeping your profile current—it's about strategically positioning yourself in your professional network. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure your career achievements are accurately reflected and appropriately shared with your connections.
Remember that LinkedIn is ultimately a tool for professional relationship building. Your promotion announcement is an opportunity to reconnect with your network, share your growth, and potentially open doors to new opportunities.
Whether you're a sales professional looking to build credibility with prospects, a recruiter demonstrating industry expertise, or a business leader establishing authority in your field, taking the time to properly announce your promotion can yield significant professional benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best way to show a promotion on LinkedIn?
The most effective method to display a promotion on LinkedIn is by editing your existing position rather than adding an entirely new one. This approach helps LinkedIn's algorithm correctly identify the change as a promotion within the same company. To do this, navigate to your profile, find your current role under the "Experience" section, click the pencil icon to edit, update your job title and the "Start date" to reflect your promotion date, and revise your job description with your new responsibilities.
Why does LinkedIn sometimes show my promotion as a new job?
LinkedIn might display your promotion as a "new job" because its categorization is handled by machine learning software that interprets your profile updates. If the system doesn't clearly recognize the update as an internal advancement, it may default to showing it as a new position. Editing your current role, as opposed to adding a new one, significantly increases the chances of it being correctly identified as a promotion.
How can I update my LinkedIn profile with a promotion without notifying my entire network?
You can update your LinkedIn profile with a promotion privately by temporarily adjusting your notification settings. Go to your "Settings & Privacy," select "Visibility," and then find the option "Share profile updates with your network." Toggle this setting to "off" before you make changes to your experience section. Once your profile is updated, you can toggle this setting back "on" if you wish.
What should I include in my LinkedIn promotion announcement post?
A compelling LinkedIn promotion announcement should clearly state your new position and company, offer a brief reflection on your journey to this point, express gratitude to those who supported you (like mentors or your team), and share what you're looking forward to in your new role. Using relevant hashtags such as #CareerMilestone, #[YourIndustry], or #[YourCompany] can also enhance visibility.
When is it appropriate to announce a promotion on LinkedIn?
It's generally appropriate to announce a promotion on LinkedIn when it involves a significant increase in responsibilities, marks a notable career milestone, or demonstrates substantial development in your expertise. For minor title changes without significant shifts in duties, or for very common, expected progressions within your company's structure, you might choose to simply update your profile without a formal announcement post.
How can I make my updated job description stand out after a promotion?
To make your updated job description more impactful, focus on quantifiable achievements and results from your previous role that contributed to your promotion, rather than just listing new responsibilities. Use specific metrics (e.g., "Led a team that increased sales by 15%"), highlight any new leadership duties, and showcase how your work aligns with broader business objectives. This demonstrates the value you've brought and will continue to bring.
What if LinkedIn still shows my promotion as a "new position" even after I followed the recommended steps?
If LinkedIn's algorithm still categorizes your update as a "new position" despite using the edit method, don't be overly concerned. The most crucial aspect is that your profile accurately reflects your career progression with the correct title, company, and dates. You can provide further clarification in any announcement post you create by explicitly stating, for example, "Thrilled to share my promotion to [New Role] within [Same Company]!"
This guide was created based on insights from LinkedIn users and professionals across various industries. For the most current information on LinkedIn features, refer to LinkedIn's official help documentation.
