We guess that you have also seen these numbers 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the user accounts of some people on LinkedIn. Especially when you go to your connections section. Now, you may know a little about the first and second types, but you don’t know anything regarding the third-degree connection on LinkedIn, and ask yourself this question: what does 3rd mean on LinkedIn?

On LinkedIn, "3rd" refers to third-degree connections, meaning people who are not directly connected to you but are connected to your connections. They are the most distant from you in terms of connection, but can still be valuable for networking and job searching purposes.

What Does 3rd Mean on LinkedIn?

In this article, we’re going to shed light on these numbers, especially the third-degree connection.

The most crucial success factor in a working career is the level of communication and the network of people that build up around themselves whether they want to or not.

It stands to reason that if you intelligently connect with a large number of individuals, you’ll get a significant source of information that can be the basis for many jobs and business opportunities for you.

So, if you want to be successful in your business, you must pay special attention to the issue of business relationships.

Professional communication tool

LinkedIn is one of the most desirable and convenient tools available for creating a reliable professional and business network.

LinkedIn is an effective and practical tool for expanding business relationships, with a wide range of users (over 830 million users) that involves from the initial communication with employers to the permanent connection with colleagues.

Connections on LinkedIn

Connections on LinkedIn are similar to following on Instagram, but they chase a different mechanism.

In fact, the purpose of LinkedIn is to create different levels of connection easier and faster to contact with others, and develop relevant business relationships.

As your profile visibility and job offers increase as your connections expand, you can grow and bloom your network on LinkedIn, including connections, followers, groups, and more.

To optimize well and successful experiences and connections on LinkedIn, it’s recommended that you pay scant attention to these points:

  • Try to communicate with people you thoroughly know and trust
  • Try to maintain your connections and stay engaged with them after adding connections to your account
  • Try to enable the creator mode in the settings section to develop your network
  • Try to follow individuals whose activities and posts you want to know about

Types of LinkedIn connections

1st, 2nd, and 3rd: When you see these numbers on LinkedIn, you’ll wonder, for example, what does 3rd mean on LinkedIn?

First-degree connection

What Does 3rd Mean on LinkedIn?

People you are in direct contact with. Both of them know each other directly. In other words, they can follow each other.

You’ll see the 1st sign next to their name or in their profile. You can send messages on LinkedIn for a 1st-degree connection without any limitation.

Second-degree connection

What Does 3rd Mean on LinkedIn?

They aren’t directly on your contact list. Instead, they’re your first-degree friends in the list of connections. In simple terms, they’re friends of your friends.

You see the 2nd sign next to their name or in their profile. To communicate, you must go to the profile of these people and use the Connect button or send a message through an InMail.

Remember that you can’t directly send messages from your LinkedIn page.

If you’d like to learn more about second and first-degree connections, you can see the article What does 2nd-degree connection mean on LinkedIn?

Third-degree connection: what does 3rd mean on LinkedIn?

What Does 3rd Mean on LinkedIn?

Another connection in your LinkedIn network is 3rd-degree connections who are related to your 2nd-degree connections.

You’ll see a 3rd sign next to the name of these people in search results and on their LinkedIn profiles.

If you aren’t confused, as a matter of fact, they’re the connections of your second-degree connections.

Note: Just like 2nd-degree connections, you can’t send messages directly to 3rd-degree connections.

Now how to contact them? There Are two ways, as follows:

1. Use the Connect option

If you see the full name of the LinkedIn member, you can send your request for communication or employment, etc., via the Connect button on LinkedIn.

Note: But this button may not be in the same place. So to connect, you have to click on the More icon and then select the Connect button.

What Does 3rd Mean on LinkedIn?

2. Use an InMail

But if you don’t see the person’s full name, notice that the above method won’t work, and you must be a premium member to be able to connect with her or him. To contact a member, you need to send a message by dint of an InMail.

What Does 3rd Mean on LinkedIn?

Hot tip: If you aren’t a premium member but you’re in the same LinkedIn group or event, you can send direct messages💬 to 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.

3rd+ degree connection

What Does 3rd Mean on LinkedIn?

If you look for the 3rd-degree connections category in the Connections section of your profile, you’ll find another type of third-degree connections on LinkedIn called 3rd+ degree connections. These connections are classified as 3rd degree LinkedIn connections.

They’re people who aren’t related to any of your 2nd-degree connections. It means that more than two people can separate you from these individuals.

Related Questions & Answers

Why can’t i see 3rd connections on linkedin

If you can’t see 3rd connections on LinkedIn, it may be due to privacy settings or limitations set by LinkedIn. Here are a few possible reasons:

  1. Privacy Settings: LinkedIn users have control over their privacy settings, including the visibility of their connections. If someone has chosen to hide their connections from 3rd-degree connections, you won’t be able to see them. This is a personal preference that users can adjust in their privacy settings.
  2. LinkedIn Membership Level: The visibility of 3rd connections may also depend on your LinkedIn membership level. Some LinkedIn features, including the ability to see full 3rd connections, are available to premium members only. If you have a free/basic account, you may have limited access to certain connections.

To expand your network and see more connections, you can consider upgrading to a premium LinkedIn account or reaching out to people within your existing network for introductions. Remember to respect others’ privacy preferences and use LinkedIn’s features within the guidelines provided by the platform.

LinkedIn 3rd degree connection path

LinkedIn 3rd degree connection path refers to the network of connections that exist between you and someone who is a 3rd-degree connection. Here’s how it works:

When you view a 3rd-degree connection on LinkedIn, you can see the shared connections you have with that person. These shared connections act as the bridge between you and the 3rd-degree connection. By leveraging your shared connections, you can potentially request an introduction or reach out to them for networking purposes.

To explore the 3rd degree connection path, you can click on the profile of the 3rd-degree connection you’re interested in. LinkedIn will display a list of shared connections you have with that person, allowing you to identify who can potentially introduce you or provide insights into the individual. You can then request an introduction from a shared connection, send a personalized message, or engage with their content to establish a connection.

Remember that building relationships on LinkedIn requires a professional approach and respecting others’ boundaries. It’s always recommended to personalize your interactions and provide value to the other person when reaching out to make a meaningful connection.

How to know my degree in LinkedIn

To determine the degree of connection between you and someone on LinkedIn, you can follow these simple steps:

  1. Visit the profile of the person you want to check your degree of connection with. You can do this by searching for their name in the LinkedIn search bar and selecting their profile from the search results.
  2. Once you’re on their profile, look for the “Relationship” section located on the right-hand side. In this section, LinkedIn provides information about your degree of connection with that person.
    • 1st-degree connection: If you are directly connected with the person, it means you have accepted each other’s connection requests.
    • 2nd-degree connection: If you don’t have a direct connection but share a mutual connection with the person, you will be shown as a 2nd-degree connection.
    • 3rd-degree connection: If you don’t have any direct or mutual connections, but you share a connection with the person’s connections, you will be listed as a 3rd-degree connection.
    • Out of Network: If you have no connection with the person and don’t share any connections, LinkedIn will display “Out of Network.”

By checking the “Relationship” section on someone’s LinkedIn profile, you can easily determine your degree of connection with that person, helping you understand your network and potential avenues for networking or outreach.

Excellent!

Now you know all about the meanings of first-degree, second-degree connections, and third-degree connections, as well as if a new LinkedIn member asks you this question: what does 3rd mean on LinkedIn? Indeed, you’ll give her or him the correct answer.

FAQ

What does 1st 2nd and 3rd mean on LinkedIn?

On LinkedIn, “1st,” “2nd,” and “3rd” refer to the degrees of connection between users:

  1. 1st: These are your direct connections, people you’ve personally connected with on LinkedIn. You sent or accepted their connection request.
  2. 2nd: These are connections of your 1st-degree connections. While you’re not directly connected, you have mutual connections in common.
  3. 3rd: These are individuals who are connected to your 2nd-degree connections. You don’t share direct mutual connections with them, making them a more distant connection.

In essence, these labels help you understand your relationship and proximity to other LinkedIn users in the networking chain.

What is 3rd in front of name in LinkedIn?

On LinkedIn, when you see “3rd” in front of someone’s name, it indicates the degree of connection you have with that person. “3rd” means that the individual is a third-degree connection. In other words, you are connected to someone (your 1st-degree connection) who is connected to another person (your 2nd-degree connection), and that second person is directly connected to the individual labeled as “3rd.” Essentially, a “3rd” designation signifies that the person is two steps removed from your immediate network.

What do connections mean on LinkedIn?

On LinkedIn, “connections” refer to the professional contacts you’ve directly linked with on the platform. They serve two main purposes:

  1. Networking: By connecting with professionals, you expand your network, opening doors to industry insights, opportunities, and collaborations.
  2. Visibility: Your activity, updates, and shared content become visible to your connections, and vice versa. This mutual visibility can be beneficial for staying updated with industry peers and showcasing your own professional achievements or insights.

connections on LinkedIn represent your professional relationships and play a crucial role in the platform’s networking and knowledge-sharing dynamics.

Why can’t I connect with 3rd on LinkedIn?

On LinkedIn, when you encounter a “3rd” degree connection, it indicates a more distant relationship in your professional network. Typically, LinkedIn allows you to send connection requests to anyone, including 3rd-degree connections. However:

  1. Profile Settings: Some users set their profiles to only allow connection requests from mutual connections, limiting direct outreach from 3rd-degree contacts.
  2. Direct Contact Limitations: Sometimes, LinkedIn might prompt you to provide the person’s email to connect if you don’t share mutual connections, ensuring that you genuinely know the individual.

while you generally can connect with 3rd-degree contacts, specific user settings or LinkedIn policies might occasionally pose restrictions. Always approach new connections with a personalized message, explaining your reason to connect.

CUFinder Academic Hub, Ultimately Free!

These comprehensive PDFs are your key to mastering the art of professional networking, personal branding, and strategic content creation on LinkedIn.

Click here to Download these ebooks for free!

The ulimate guide for Linkedin Algorithm

Categorized in:

Tagged in:

,