Expert LinkedIn Advice 2019 - Part 01

Expert LinkedIn Advice - Part 1 - Picture 01

LinkedIn Strategies August 29, 2019

Expert LinkedIn Advice 2019 - Part 01

How to Protect Your Information on LinkedIn

​Normally, when you are setting up your LinkedIn privacy settings, you’re selecting the audience you want to be able to see your LinkedIn profile. But there is one new LinkedIn setting that you will want to select to ensure that LinkedIn doesn’t share your content.

When Microsoft purchased LinkedIn in 2016, the integration of the social media platform with Microsoft’s products was alluded to in the announcement. In an internal memo published on TechCrunch.com, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner identified some specific areas where the two companies would work together. These included:
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• LinkedIn identity and network in Microsoft Outlook and the Office Suite.
• Enabling members drafting résumés in Word to update their profiles, and discover and apply to jobs on LinkedIn.

The "Resume Assistant" Feature on LinkedIn

With the announcement of a new Microsoft Word feature called “Resume Assistant,” that integration is becoming even more apparent. When this feature is enabled, it shows what other people in similar roles say about themselves in their LinkedIn profiles, allowing users of the word processing software to incorporate that content directly into the résumé they are creating for themselves.

While it has always been possible to view profiles of individuals in similar roles for inspiration when constructing your résumé, LinkedIn Headline, and profile content, this new feature allows users to directly copy content from other peoples’ LinkedIn profiles. And, in fact, it is encouraged by Microsoft/LinkedIn.

Fortunately, with the introduction of this new feature, LinkedIn has also recently added a new privacy setting to allow you to omit your LinkedIn profile from showing up in Microsoft Word’s Resume Assistant.

Disabling the sharing function makes it harder for others to “plagiarize” your LinkedIn content, whether you wrote it yourself, or had assistance from a professional résumé writer.
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One of the best things you can do to keep your content from being plagiarized is to make it uniquely about you and branding yourself so distinctively that your content couldn’t possibly be used to describe anyone else but you!

Step 01: Click “Me” on Your LinkedIn Profile

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 01

• Here’s how to turn on the LinkedIn privacy setting to disable Resume Assistant.
• When logged into your desktop LinkedIn account click on “Me.”
• Look for instructions on how to do this on your mobile device, listed after Step 7.

Step 02: Find “Settings & Privacy”

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 02

Click “Settings & Privacy.”

Step 03: Click “Privacy”

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 03

Step 04: Scroll Down to “Data Privacy and Advertising” Section

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 04

Step 05: Click on Microsoft Word

The default setting is “Yes” — “Allow Microsoft Word to display work experience descriptions from your profile to users of Resume Assistant.”

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 05-A

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 05-B

Step 06: Slide From the Default “Yes” to “No”

Changing the setting to “No” keeps LinkedIn from sharing your descriptions with Microsoft Word users.

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 06

Step 07: Resume Assistant Integration

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 07-A

Here is LinkedIn’s explanation of the Resume Assistant integration.

Note: Even though you have disabled the sharing of your content with the Resume Assistant, LinkedIn’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service explicitly warn users that the information that you share can be seen, copied, and used by other members.
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One of the best things you can do to keep your content from being plagiarized is to make it uniquely about you — branding yourself so distinctively that your content couldn’t possibly be used to describe anyone else but you!

Expert LinkedIn Advice Step 07-B

Step 08: Changing This Setting in the LinkedIn Mobile App

You can also change this setting in the LinkedIn mobile app.

In the app, go to the “Settings” gear in the upper right-hand corner and click “Privacy.” Scroll down to “Microsoft Word” and display the setting. Change the slider to “No.” Resume Assistant is a new feature that is only available to Office 365 subscribers who are part of the “Office Insider” program. Resume Assistant pulls suggested skills and work experience descriptions from LinkedIn profiles when the Resume Assistant setting is set to “Yes.”

Final Thought

Protecting your LinkedIn profile is not just about privacy; it is about protecting your professional brand. While LinkedIn and Microsoft integrations can offer convenience, it is important to understand how your content may be shared and used. Taking a few minutes to review your privacy settings ensures that your work experience descriptions and personal branding remain under your control. More importantly, the strongest protection against plagiarism is originality. When your LinkedIn profile is written strategically and uniquely reflects your accomplishments, voice, and value, it becomes far more difficult for anyone else to replicate. Stay informed, stay proactive, and treat your LinkedIn presence as the professional asset it truly is.

About the Author

As the founder of Market-Connections Professional Resume Writing Services, the primary author of this award-winning blog, and a two-time certified resume writer (CPRW, CMRW), Mandy Fard draws upon her extensive background as a LinkedIn Recruiter and Executive Resume Writer to empower job seekers. Based in Los Angeles, Mandy specializes in providing 'insider' recruitment perspectives that most candidates never get to see.
 
Having personally reviewed thousands of resumes, Mandy understands the precise nuances that capture a hiring manager’s attention. Through her writing, she simplifies the modern hiring landscape by sharing proven techniques for job searching, resume writing, interviewing, working with recruiters, and personal branding. Her goal is to equip professionals with the tools and confidence needed to navigate the Los Angeles job market and land their dream jobs faster.