Pros and Cons of LinkedIn Verification

The following post explores the Pros and Cons of LinkedIn Verification.

LinkedIn verification enables user profiles to be ‘verified’  through multiple methods including identify verification, workplace verification, and educational institution verification.

Read: Adding Job Location Type on LinkedIn

Related: Adding a Career Break on LinkedIn

Getting verified on LinkedIn has its pros and cons. On one hand, a verified profile on LinkedIn enhances your credibility and visibility. On the other, it may lead to privacy issues or unwanted exposure.

Here’s what you need to know about LinkedIn Verification.

Overview

LinkedIn verification rolled out sometime in 2023. For the official lowdown, check out this overview of verifications on your LinkedIn profile.

As it states on LinkedIn:

The verification badge on your profile indicates that you were able to confirm specific information about your account. Having verified information helps provide authenticity signals to others that you’re who you say you are. Seeing verified information on others’ profiles helps foster a trusted community so you can make more informed decisions around connecting with other professionals.

LinkedIn uses identity verification by CLEAR to facilitate the entire process. CLEAR bills itself an established leader in online verification, however some LinkedIn users have expressed frustration with CLEAR.

Credibility (Pros)

Credibility is the number one benefit of verification. Having a verified profile signals reliability and authenticity. A verified profile indicates to other LinkedIn users that your identity has been confirmed by the platform.

Visibility (Pros)

In addition to boosting your profile’s credibility, verification is also said to improve your profile’s visibility by ranking higher in search results. If your goal is to be seen by the largest audience possible, verification helps.

Privacy (Cons)

Tying your government-issued ID to your LinkedIn profile poses some privacy risks. The potential for data leaks as well as corporate espionage are a pair of concerns raised when it comes to verification.

Overexposure (Cons)

One of the aforementioned benefits of being verified on LinkedIn is the higher degree of visibility as compared to unverified profiles. So, if your goal is to fly under the radar, it makes sense to think twice.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, verification on LinkedIn serves as a symbol of credibility, professionalism, and trustworthiness. However, it does come with some potential drawbacks to consider.

I hope this article helps you better understand LinkedIn verification and its pros and cons.