LinkedIn Profiles and Resumes are Two Different Tools

Job seekers often ask me why they need both a resume AND a LinkedIn profile…don’t LinkedIn profiles and resumes serve the same purpose and share the exact details? 

The answer is that your resume and LinkedIn profile are separate tools in the job search toolbox, each with its own purpose – and unique content. 

Resume: To create a targeted message that meets a specific employer’s need using select examples from your career history.

Consider it a snapshot of only your best and most related content. Not everything makes the cut in a resume; the content must be refined and heavily aligned with the target job.

LinkedIn: To create an overarching story of your career path highlighting key strengths and accomplishments that speak to a broader audience for long-term personal branding. Consider it a larger story, often told in the first person.

When used together, the resume and LinkedIn profile can create a robust overview of what you achieved, how you got there, what value you currently provide, and where you want to go. 

By aligning your resume and LinkedIn profiles to complement each other and not merely repeat each other, you offer more value to your readers (aka hiring decision-makers).

What Needs to Be the Same Between the Resume and The LinkedIn Profile 

The framework and overall positioning of you and your professional experiences should align between the two. 

Providing consistent information around the finer details reduces confusion and mixed messaging. The overall story and work experiences have to line up. If a recruiter visits your profile after reviewing your resume, you don’t want them to find discrepancies around dates, titles, or education, which might flag questions. 

Your Name and Title:

Use your ‘everyday’ name on both. If you are a Richard who goes by Rick, use Rick. If you are a Mary Lynn who goes by Lynn, use Lynn. Be consistent across all communications, making it easy for employers to locate and connect your materials and information. Also, create a custom LinkedIn URL with your name.

For the title, use the same on both files. Carefully craft your LinkedIn headline to demonstrate your value, weaving the same title and positioning into your resume (as long as it aligns with your target). For example, if you title yourself an Executive CHRO on your resume, consider the same on LinkedIn – within the headline (although it is recommended that you expand details on the LinkedIn headline up to 220 characters). Typically, the title you select for both files is your target job title, not your current one. You want to be found for the roles you want, not have. 

Company Names, Position Titles, and Dates:

Over time, some organizations change names and position titles due to mergers, acquisitions, and trends (i.e., Customer Account Manager to Client Success Manager). Check to make sure all titles and dates match on both the resume and LinkedIn.

Education Institutions and Dates: On your resume, you may choose to forego listing the dates of your education depending on how many years ago you graduated to avoid the potential of ageism. LinkedIn also allows you to exclude dates as well. Consider why you might list dates in one place and not another – can it be consistent? 

What Needs to Be Different Between the Resume and the LinkedIn Profile

Add extra value to your LinkedIn profile by filling in details or gaps that might not make it onto a targeted resume. Remember, your resume should speak to specific accomplishments and experiences that address the employer’s needs. Your LinkedIn profile is your opportunity to expand the story.

On LinkedIn, you can dive more deeply into who you are, what your leadership style or philosophy is, or how you came to work in the area you do. You can also overview what drives you and explain what you are looking for next. Personal details may be easier to share on LinkedIn versus within a resume, where content is more succinct and to the point.

Resume Summary & LinkedIn About:

Resume: Keep the professional summary on your resume to a maximum of 3 or 4 sentences, connecting your value directly to the target job. Be concise and specific. 

LinkedIn: Expand your About section into a more robust overview. This section offers 2,600 characters to write your professional story in a less formal voice. Consider this section a brand-building section and infuse personality, writing in the first person.

Position Descriptions:

Resume: Showcase only the most relevant details of each role as they relate to the target job. Keep information tailored and concise. Often, job overviews on a resume are just a few sentences long, with accompanying results-rich statements. 

LinkedIn: Detail the same work history the resume shares. However, consider providing more details and delving into additional facts that the resume may not have space for – remembering that LI content is static and not customized for different opportunities. You can also adjust the narrative of role descriptions to be in first-person and more personalized (versus in a resume, you write first-person implied).  Finally, include career results in your position descriptions, but carefully consider what details are safe to share on a public platform (for example, you may not want to share exact company financial details).

On both: Show progression and success in all roles. Carefully consider your target audience and only share details you think they want to know and read. 

Keywords:

Resume: Although both files will likely share many of the same keywords, only the resume allows you to customize for each unique application. Read each job posting and carefully select keywords that match job requirements. Integrate these into your resume.

LinkedIn: You are writing for a broader audience, but the site is a giant database. Keywords are needed to help you get found. Populate your profile with keywords throughout all sections and list as many relevant skills as possible in the dedicated Skills section (up to 100 are allowed). Add relevant keywords to your Headline, About, and Experience sections. 

Awards, Certifications, Volunteering: 

Resume: Keeping your resume focused and brief may mean there is no room for various awards, certifications, and volunteer experiences (though if they are highly relevant, I recommend adding them).

LinkedIn: While you don’t have to include these details, you can include them to help you highlight a commitment to professional development and community or to share these additional facts in a place with room to do so.

Specific Facts & Metrics:

Resume: Consider which facts may be ‘safer’ to share on a resume versus a public platform like LinkedIn. In a resume, specific metrics (budget amounts, dollars saved, revenue figures, and profit and loss measurements) can increase the value of your content and provide proof of ability.

LinkedIn: You may not want to share exact details on LinkedIn – a public platform. An option is it ‘soften’ details on LinkedIn. For example, instead of listing the exact budget size ($2M), you can say “multimillion-dollar budget.”  Or, instead of listing specific sales growth ($1.3M to $2.4M in 2 years), try a percentage: “increased sales 85% in 2 years”.

Ultimately, employers are hungry for details. When they shift between LinkedIn profiles and resumes, they appreciate extra value-rich details to support their decision. Simply copying and pasting career details between your resume and LinkedIn is an opportunity wasted. And if you are questioning if you even need a fully optimized LinkedIn profile – the answer is that you DO! Recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates and further research and qualify them. Read more from recruiters in my post “How Recruiters Use LinkedIn.”

Looking for an executive resume or LinkedIn profile that gets you noticed for top jobs? Check out my services and reach out to discuss!