LinkedIn is making changes, again to their platform. The new version will probably be rolled out to everyone before month end. This impacts everyone who uses LinkedIn to build their business or their career.

I suggest that, at the very least, you backup your hard crafted and curated LinkedIn data now, just in case you lose some of it in the next update. It is simple to do and I set out the process below. 

LinkedIn changes usually result in a reduction of functionality for free users. The word is that they will be making the currently feature-rich desktop version more like the feature-poor mobile version.

I’m sure that LinkedIn will always have free to use functionality but commercial considerations and constraints will continue to bear down on that free usage – even more so since Microsoft paid $26.2 Billion for it in June, a 47% premium on the previous share price!

Here’s how to back up your LinkedIn data:

Go to your Account and Settings by clicking on your mini profile picture in the top right of your Homepage. Click on ‘Manage Privacy and Settings’.

You need to do 2 things in your ‘Account’ area, under ‘Basics’ options:

First, click on ‘Email Addresses’ to make sure that your primary account email address is current and correct.

Second, click on ‘Getting an archive of your data’, enter your password if you have to. Then simply hit the download link.

You will get 2 downloads of your data, via email links, one almost immediately and one within 24 hours, as zipped .csv files which will contain all your data within the various .csv file cells.

If you already have my LinkedIn Profile Polisher guide and are meaning to polish up your profile, I suggest you do it very soon. Often, LinkedIn allows existing profile options to remain as written but withdraws those options for future editing.

If you want my LinkedIn Profile Polisher just ask and it is yours.

I hope this is useful.

I found the Linkedin image at http://theadvisorinstitute.com.au/ a useful site.