September 2019
Since Microsoft bought LinkedIn, they have been integrating features and one is called Résumé Assistant. You may not know it, but unless you changed your LinkedIn security setting once the feature was added, you have given permission to share the job description content from your profile with Microsoft Word users. It doesn’t show individually identifying information, but it still seems a little creepy to me. If it does to you too, read on to adjust the setting.
To remove your permission for this feature, follow these steps when logged into LinkedIn. Click on the drop-down arrow next to Me (along the top, black menu bar). Then, scroll down and click on Settings & Privacy. That will land you onto the default Privacy page. Scroll under the first section (titled How Others See Your Profile and Network Information) down to the last option (titled Microsoft Word). Click on Change and set it to No (the toggle will display gray if your setting is No and green if it’s Yes).
The screenshot shared has the setting set to No.
I do see a positive side and usefulness of this feature. It could provide data to help you draft your résumé in Word. Though I don’t recommend using anyone’s content word for word, it can help rattle your brain to get some of your own ideas to start flowing.
If you want to access this feature in Word, go to Review and then click on Résumé Assistant. A pop-up box appears. The first time, you must click on Get Started. Then you add a role (required) and/or industry (optional) to help it pull appropriate examples. The next time you access, it remembers the last role selected.
The screenshot shares two search results for career counselor.
Take a moment soon to check and change your LinkedIn setting and next time you’re in Word, play around with seeing the feature from the user end.
