Last Names on LinkedIn

If you have a basic or a low-paid account on LinkedIn, you can't see the full names of people who are your third level connections. You can't see the names of people outside your network. In LinkedIn Recruiter, which is the solution for corporations, you can see all names.

I didn't realize up till I was at the #sourceIn event yesterday at the LinkedIn HQ in Mountain View, that agencies with the top solution wouldn't see the names either. Now, LinkedIn has decided to open up the names to agencies as well. GREAT! It should be available soon. (They also have some really cool features coming up in the Talent Pipeline.)

However, if you don't have that advanced type of account or don't want to wait until the new feature is implemented for agencies, here is what you can do.

(1) Go to the profile in question.

(2) Share it, using the share function, with someone you know who's OK with it, or with me. (We need to be connected for that; I am gladly accepting all invitations.)

(3) Look for the message you had just sent, in your "Sent Items" under Inbox.

(4) In your message, see the link to the profile with the name that you couldn't see? Click on it.

There's no need to have a paid account for it to work. It works in exactly 100% of all cases.

(Read more posts on my blog.)

ADDITIONAL INFO. Added on 9/17/2012

Some people can no longer see the "share" link as on the screenshot above. Here is a workaround.

Look at the profile in question and copy its LinkedIn ID (a large number in the URL)
Start sharing a profile that you can share (such as your connection, or share my profile)
Paste this ID into your sharing dialog (in case of my profile the number to replace is 1769200)

This works just like before. Of course it's a bit more mouse and key clicks but it works.

Also you get to see a link to the person's public profile if it exists and that one will give you even more info in some cases.

Or, just use this link. Here is the exact link that should work (paste the LinkedIn ID where it says so):

http://www.linkedin.com/forwardProfileMsg?displayCreate=&profil...PASTEIDHERE&network=I

Comment by Amber on September 17, 2012 at 3:03pm: I have a free account, and as of Friday 9/14/12 no longer have the option to share profile...

Comment by Irina Shamaeva on September 17, 2012 at 3:18pm: Interesting! It seems that the "share" link is still there and does work for 3rd level connections for all of us, including basic accounts.

Of course, as many people have pointed out, for any public profile you are likely to find them by Googling the name, the title and industry.

So the question is how do you find the info for private AND out-of-network people (not too many but still...)? Let me look info this.

Comment by Amber on September 17, 2012 at 3:27pm

@Irina - as of Friday, I don't have the "share" option for 3rd level profiles any more. I have a free account, but was able to up until Friday. This is what my options are now for 3rd level connections:

Comment by Matt on September 17, 2012 at 3:30pm: I was looking at someone completely out of my network. Irina's technique used to work for me. I think LI finally figured out this bug and is starting to fix it. Doggone it!

Comment by Irina Shamaeva on September 17, 2012 at 3:31pm

OK folks, here is a workaround for those of you who have lost the visibility of the "share" link:

Look at the profile in question and copy its LinkedIn ID (a large number in the URL)
Start sharing a profile that you can share (such as your connection, or share my profile)
Paste this ID into your sharing dialog (in case of my profile the number to replace is 1769200)

This works just like before. Of course it's a bit more mouse and key clicks but it works.

Also you get to see a link to the person's public profile if it exists and that one will give you even more info in some cases.

Comment by Amber on September 17, 2012 at 3:36pm: @Irina - sorry - let me clarify a bit....

My account is free, and I still have the "share" option on 3rd level profiles.

I administer another person's account here in my office, they also have same free account but it has no option to "share" on 3rd level profiles.

The only difference I can think of between our accounts, is that the other person's account is quite a bit older then mine, profile less complete - would this have any effect I wonder?

Comment by Irina Shamaeva on September 17, 2012 at 3:38pm: @Amber - not sure what causes the differences but the technique I have just posted should work for you both and @Matt