Many of us who used the free LinkedIn account were frustrated a year or so ago when LinkedIn took away the ability to see full profiles of people whom we were connected to at the 3rd degree. Because of this change, we now have to upgrade to one of their premium accounts to see these profiles.
 
Well, I guess everyone and every company has to make a profit somehow.
 
But here's a workaround to help you see full profiles of 3rd degree connections without upgrading, and it works nearly every time. As you probably already know, LinkedIn is always changing, so they may find a way to shut this one down, but until then give it a try.

 

1.  Start with the information you usually

get to see for a 3rd degree person--their first name, last initial, headline, location, and industry.

 

2.  Cut and paste their first name, last initial, and headline into a Google search box. Click Search. Look through the search results for their LinkedIn profile entry, and you should see their first and last name.

3rd degree work around #2 3rd degree work around #3 

 

3.  Go to Advanced People Search by clicking the word Advanced on your top toolbar.

 

 

4.  In the appropriate Advanced Search boxes, type in their first name, last name, company name, and location. You'll have to enter the zip code and a radius around that zip code. I use 100 miles to be safe. Also, be sure to change the Company filter to Current from Current or Past.

 

5.  Check all the Relationship search criteria boxes so you can include all levels of connection in your search.

 

6.  Click Search, and voila--your 3rd degree connection comes up. And if you click on their name, you should see their full profile.      

3rd degree work around #5

There you have it, an easy workaround for seeing full profiles of those important 3rd degree connections you are looking to meet--plus you get to keep the $20/month (or more) in your pocket for more important things.

 
To learn more great ways to use LinkedIn's awesome Advanced People Searching function, download my free LinkedIn Essentials Tool Kit, which includes three terrific worksheets, one of them titled Advanced People Searching: Your Ticket to Improved ROI.  Click here to download your free tool kit now.