Have you downloaded a list of your LinkedIn connections lately? Did you even know it's possible to download it?
This extremely useful function has been available for quite some time, but most people have not taken advantage of it.
But the good news is LinkedIn has expanded this feature, and now—in addition to a list of your connections—you can download lots of other valuable data from your LinkedIn account.
Now, if you're saying to yourself, It's probably hard to figure out how to do it—and even tougher to know how to capitalize on the information—I've got good news for you: It's very easy to do.
Just follow these three simple steps:
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- Click Me in the top toolbar from your LinkedIn homepage.
. - Choose Settings & Privacy from the drop-down menu, which takes you to the Account section of this page.
. - Scroll down and click Getting an archive of your data, and choose either fast file only or fast file plus other data.
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That's it. Within an hour you'll get the fast file, and you'll receive the rest of the data within a day. It will be sent to the primary email listed in your LinkedIn account.
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Here's what you'll get
You will obviously find some of this information to be more useful than others, but I can assure you there are some real gems in here. Here is a partial list of what you'll receive. (Click here to see the full list)
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Account information:
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- Registration information
- Login history, including IP records
- Email address history and status
- Account history, including account closures and reopens
Other information:
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- Name information, including the current name on your account and any previous name changes
- A list of your first-degree connections
- Photos that have been uploaded to your account
- Endorsements you've received
- List of skills on your profile
- Recommendations given and received
- Connection invitations sent and received
- Inbox communications
- Group contributions
- Your search history
- Content you've posted, shared, liked, or commented on
- Mobile apps you've installed
- Ads you've clicked on
- The targeting criteria LinkedIn uses to show you ads
In my opinion, the most useful information is the list of your first-degree connections. In that spreadsheet you'll find first name, last name, current job title, current company, connection date and—potentially the most lucrative information—email address. I'm sure you'll find numerous uses for all of this material, but knowing you can have all these email addresses in one handy dandy spot is probably the best news you've gotten lately.
Don't delay—go get your data now. And why not do yourself a favor and make a note to follow this procedure at least quarterly. You never know when you'll need this goldmine of information.
