Linked-in Profile - sabbatical, early retirement?

[misterhorsey]

Kinda hate linkedin but it can be slightly useful for contacting people or being contacted by people for workish related reasons.

I'm finishing up my job TODAY for an indefinite sabbatical and am going to stay on linked in for these reasons. Not quite sure I am FI at a level I want so may go back to some kind of work eventually so it may be useful to keep in the loop.  And since I never look at it it I'm happy for it to be the most tenuous of commitments.

BUT I'm not quite sure what to put as my title!

Consultant - Sounds like I got fired and I'm angling for more work.
Semi-Retired - Would be untrue
Explorer - Wanky
Sabbatical - Not bad
' - ' As close to an empty space as the website will let you have.

If everyone got why people in the FI commute did what they did, then I would happily put my title as 'Tenuously FI - taking a break from Wage Slavery to enjoy some Saved Up Time Wealth.' but as everyone on this forum will know, not everyone gets it so it can be important to keep up appearances with the normals!

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Tyler]

Linkedin is a hub for career-oriented people.  IMHO, it's really not the place to advertise retirement.  It's like stressing how to emphasize your career advancement on MMM.  ;)

In my experience, the "professional" way of saying you're doing your own thing is to call yourself a freelancer, contractor, or independent ______. 

[Lake161]

I changed mine to "consultant", in case I wanted/needed to pull in a little income. In a few years I will probably delete the account, as my Post-FIRE world of connections is on Facebook and Twitter.

[sjlp]

Hey, good for you! I think "[technical area] Specialist" works fine -- for example, Information Management Specialist, Basket Weaving Specialist, Slow Travel Specialist... =)

[misterhorsey]

Why not just leave it alone.  Updating your profile is not compulsory.  If and when you start looking for work, you can update it then with accurate info.

I guess I want to make it clear I'm not longer with that employer. To be fair to the new guy!

I guess I could just suspend the account until I want/need it again...although there are people I've met through work but anticipate keeping up some connection - but maybe that's cos I still have the wage slave mindset.

[misterhorsey]

Linkedin is a hub for career-oriented people.  IMHO, it's really not the place to advertise retirement.  It's like stressing how to emphasize your career advancement on MMM.  ;)

In my experience, the "professional" way of saying you're doing your own thing is to call yourself a freelancer, contractor, or independent ______.

Yes, totally.

I don't actually want to advertise my semi-temporary0retirement, and I don't really want to seek work just yet. But I still would like to keep a toe in in the background.

[misterhorsey]

Hey, good for you! I think "[technical area] Specialist" works fine -- for example, Information Management Specialist, Basket Weaving Specialist, Slow Travel Specialist... =)

Thanks!

I'm a lawyer who has also worked extensively in policy.  So I could just say 'Lawyer / Policy' and leave it at that.  That would be more accurate than Consultant/Freelancer, as those titles suggest that I might be available - which I am not! 

[soccerluvof4]

I basically have listed all my experience, Says retired but would consider/looking for opportunities or small business to buy. I have had several inquiries but nothing has come of it that I would consider so far.  BUT I have had some interesting phone calls and a few tempting things. Take a lot to talk me out of being fire'd but never say never under the right circumstance for me!

[Spork]

I changed mine to something along the lines of "lazy, retired jerk that sleeps in on Monday mornings"

[Threshkin]

I changed mine to retired.

Now I get more connection requests and endorsements than ever.

[bacchi]

I changed mine to something along the lines of "lazy, retired jerk that sleeps in on Monday mornings"

I'd do this but I still have that sequence of returns fear in me. Right now, it's "Software at Self Employed."

I also get a lot more recruiters calling.

[Spork]

I changed mine to something along the lines of "lazy, retired jerk that sleeps in on Monday mornings"

I'd do this but I still have that sequence of returns fear in me. Right now, it's "Software at Self Employed."

I also get a lot more recruiters calling.

I've looked for a tech job in my town before.  Right now there are 4 places where my skills apply.  I've worked at one of them and have friends there.... and people from that place have quit/been hired by the others.  If I absolutely had to go back to work, I'd have someone I know at every location.  I'd just have to wait for an opening... and those can be few and far between.

[WSUCoug1994]

I would leave everything the same except changing the date on your current job to March 2017.

[redwagon]

I have a professional designation that I plan to maintain for the time being. After a bit of deliberation I decided on "Sabbatical" for my profile -as in dictionary found definition "any extended period of leave from one's customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc."
 

[Ozstache]

I initially left mine alone but found I kept getting job offers so I changed it to retired. I've only had one job offer since.

[Daisy]

I would leave everything the same except changing the date on your current job to March 2017.

+1

I'm still working, and I took my company's name off my "title" section a long time ago. I'll probably initially leave my profession at the top in the title and just update the end date on my current company's employment in the body section..or not. I don't really use LinkedIn much or have a robust profile there.

[cheapass]

Portfolio manager... private wealth manager... etc

[CanuckExpat]

I've been toying with this, don't have the right solution.
First I went with "On Sabbatical"
Then I changed it to "Independent Professional" and my employer is listed as "Sabbatical & Travel"

[Peter Gibbons]

I used "Temporarily Retired" for the first 4 months.  Then changed it to "Consultant" after forming an LLC and doing a little consulting work on the side.

[LAstache]

When I faced this decision I got a little over-philosophical about labels. If I was no longer working in ops management, was I still an ops manager? An ops mgmt expert? An organizational leader? Experienced professional? Yuck.

I'd just climbed Mt Fuji, so I figured the title mountain climber was as legit as anything else, so that's what I used. A little flippant, but completely true. And some people saw it as a metaphorical/inspirational title, which was ok by me.

[Sydneystache]

Hey, good for you! I think "[technical area] Specialist" works fine -- for example, Information Management Specialist, Basket Weaving Specialist, Slow Travel Specialist... =)

Thanks!

I'm a lawyer who has also worked extensively in policy.  So I could just say 'Lawyer / Policy' and leave it at that.  That would be more accurate than Consultant/Freelancer, as those titles suggest that I might be available - which I am not!

Independent Legal & X Policy Professional/Advisor?

When I RE, I will place a photo of my favourite holiday spot and the location where I am in. No titles required except perhaps for Professional Traveller.

[albireo13]

I'd just put down 'Independent'

[YK-Phil]

I get depressed every time I check my current LinkedIn profile and the career "achievements" of people in my network. I still have a remote-work job that allows me to be anywhere in the world while bringing in a decent income, but I have no interest whatsoever in staying connected to my old self. And that ridiculous profile picture, in a suit and tie, smiling stupidly like a credible, confident, and professional person who anyone would want to have in their office! Priceless...your post got me to check on my profile, maybe I should just delete it :D

[StetsTerhune]

I haven't touched my linkedin profile since I quit. Not even to 'end' my last job. So it's not "correct" right now, but who cares. If I ever end up needing it, I'll update it, but for now I'm not going to worry about it.

[mozar]

Retired, bitches

[Free Forever]

I once dealt with a recruitment firm that had an in house database, that was updated by an in house researcher, which contained a version history of my and others linked in profiles, Facebook profiles etc. If I made a change to my linked in profile they could see it in  their database, so they had all the published versions of my profile. I think they provided this information to their employer clients. Not sure how pervasive these systems are but personally I'd delete or inactivate the account and bring it back online later if I needed to.

[Alim Nassor]

I can't imagine I'll ever look at Linked-In again, once I quit my job.

[force majeure]

MMM's profile on LinkedIn has "Leisure Engineer"

[ZiziPB]

Delete your account altogether? 

I'm a successful professional but I've never been on LinkedIn.  I'm not on Facebook either.  Love it!

[GrumpyPenguin]

I never created a LinkedIn profile... but if I did, I'd probably go for the "Leisure Engineer."  Sounds classy.

[GrumpyPenguin]

I'm a successful professional but I've never been on LinkedIn.  I'm not on Facebook either.  Love it!

Glad to hear others haven't bothered with LinkedIn either.

[cchrissyy]

you can give your current job an end date in Linkedin and not bother with anything else. Your page will still look normal.

My linked has been purposefully out of date for 2 years (bc working for an undisclosed startup) and the site fills in my title and headline just fine from what it knows about my history. You wouldn't even know it was "former" unless you scrolled down and saw the end dates.

[MsRichLife]

I went with Sabbatical. It put a quick stop to the offers of employment I kept getting while I was working. :)

[Car Jack]

My plans?  My linked in account will go the way my facebook account did several years ago.  Deleted.  I see no reason for it to exist beyond employment.

[jim555]

"Lay about" or "goof off" would be mine.