How many of you have already drafted your out of office message, and have it scheduled to turn on at 5PM on Wednesday?
It can be a great strategy to step back from social media during your time off and take a few days to reflect on the year that has almost passed, as well as enjoy time away from all things digital.
The same way you set up your “OOO” message alerting co-workers to your return, premium #LinkedIn users can now like this:
To set up an Away message using #LinkedIn mobile app:
1. Click the More icon at the top of your messaging inbox.
2. Select Set away message.
3. Switch the toggle to the right to turn On Away message.
4. Enter the Start and End date.
5. You can customize your message and we have some great suggestions for you!
6. Click Save.
To edit an Away message using #LinkedIn:
1. Click the More icon at the top of your messaging inbox.
2. Select Edit away message.
3. Edit your message and click Save.
This is an easy way to set up LinkedIn out of office in case anyone tries to reach you during your Thanksgiving sabbatical. That way, you don’t have to worry about missing any opportunities while you are enjoying your “off” time.
Here are suggestion of messages that you can use.
Officially Official: Thank you for your message. I’m unplugging from LinkedIn and will be back at (Date of Return). For immediate assistance please contact me on my cell phone at (your cell phone number). Best Regards, [Your Name]
The Rhymer: Thanks for the email, but I’m afraid to say I cannot reply as I am away. A table full of turkey is where you’ll find me; I promise I will get back soon to your inquiry!
The Overly Honest Responder: I am currently away on vacation. I know I’m supposed to say that I’ll have limited access to messages and won’t be able to respond until I return, but that’s not true. My iPhone will be with me and I can respond if I need to. And I recognize that I’ll probably need to interrupt my vacation from time to time to deal with something urgent. That said, I promised my spouse that I am going to try to disconnect, get away and enjoy our vacation as much as possible. Cheers to trying!
The Emoji Expert: For when a picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, 120 characters, consider adding one that appeals to you.
In all seriousness, feel free to add a little personality to your away message: “Hi there! Your message is important to me, but the turkey dinner has all my attention. I will respond back to you tomorrow!”
Or keep it simple: “I am away for the holidays and look forward to connecting with you soon.”
Best practices for these messages are fairly simple: be friendly, be succinct, and try to outline when they can expect a reply, if you know when you’ll be back online next.
Enjoy your time off, and make sure you take time for yourself this week—it is okay to unplug, and recharge. You’ll come back even more ready to finish the year strong!
