Your resume and your LinkedIn profile are both equally important in your job search. As the process of job searching becomes more digital in nature, it’s important for you to understand the key differences between your LinkedIn profile and your CV. From there, you can use your online profile to reach a broader audience.
Employers are always looking out for your job qualifications, career history and personality. Hence, it is important to establish your career identity in both of these profiles.
your resume vs. linkedin
Many people question the need for a formal resume when they already have a LinkedIn profile, especially since hiring managers and recruiters also use LinkedIn to look for qualified talent.
Although both your LinkedIn and resume lists your professional career accomplishments and give a summary of your work history, they are actually different and serve different purposes.
Your resume is a formal job application document that outlines and details your relevant qualifications, skills and experience for a specific job. A good CV lets the recruiter know that you’re a good fit for the role.
To simply put, your resume is designed to get you an interview and be hired, while your LinkedIn profile is designed to help you find new career opportunities.
what should your resume include?
Here are 5 tips to write a strong resume:
1. short, targeted and properly formatted
Your resume should be short and straightforward. Think of it as your greatest hits and highlight the most relevant skills and experience applicable to the job.
Unlike LinkedIn which already sectioned your professional work profile for you, you’ll need to format your own resume.
To beat the 6-second evaluation that recruiters usually spend on each CV, your resume format should look neat. Use bullet points to list your credentials and experience clearly, and keep each bullet point to one line so that it’s easier to read. This will create a higher chance of them reviewing your resume for a longer time.
Check if your resume fulfils these standards:
- Brief and concise sentences
- Consistent alignment of bullet points
- Include only relevant information such as your skills and achievements
- Bold relevant headers and underline important keywords to draw attention
2. multiple versions of your resume
Your resume is a dynamic document because it’s constantly changing depending on the role and company that you’re applying for. A tailored resume impresses the hiring manager and recruiter, which is a big advantage that LinkedIn doesn’t have.
Customise your CV based on every job you apply and highlight experience and skills that are applicable to the position. So you should have different versions of your CVs, such as one that highlights your technical skills and another that showcases your management abilities.
3. keyword optimised
Many companies and recruitment agencies use resume screening software to choose the job applicants with the right level of skills and experience. So as you tailor your resume for the job and company, make sure to use relevant keywords to get selected by the screening software.
You can find relevant keywords in the job responsibilities, skills and education qualification sections, as well as on the company’s career site.
4. formal job application document
Resumes are more formal than LinkedIn profiles, because it serves as an official job application to your potential employer. You would use a much more professional tone when preparing your CV. As you prepare and send it to the hiring manager or recruiter, your main goal is to impress them with your expertise and skills enough to secure a job interview.
On the other hand, your LinkedIn profile is a public online profile, just like your Facebook or Instagram account, and it does not serve as a formal request for a job interview.
5. not required to include your photo in your resume
While it used to be popular for you to include your headshot in your resume, it is no longer the case today. To prevent any discriminatory practices, companies would rather job candidates not include your photos in your resumes.
how you should create a linkedin profile
Different from your resume, LinkedIn is a professional online networking tool that can be described more as a career autobiography that captures your entire career, accomplishments, and skill sets to the public. In that sense, your LinkedIn profiles are not created with a specific job position in mind. You can use your LinkedIn profile to highlight your most relevant work experience, education, skills as well as professional and social activities.
Your LinkedIn profile serves two main functions:
- It provides a summary of your career history
- It allows you to connect with other professionals who share common interests
On LinkedIn, you build a professional online presence to connect with other professionals in your field, expand your network and gain valuable insights into your career speciality or the job market. It is also sometimes regarded as an online resume where hiring managers and recruiters can get a summary of your work experience before they connect with you to ask for more details.
Having a LinkedIn profile will also be a great help in creating a personal branding and promoting yourself on a professional level.
Here are pro tips to create an engaging and informative LinkedIn profile that complements your resume.
1. long-form and visual content
Even though it is a professional networking site, LinkedIn is less formal than traditional resumes. Because your LinkedIn profile can be longer and more detailed than a resume, you will have the opportunity to create new content.
You can go into greater detail about previous job experience, education, and skills. You can express yourself more, and be creative with your headlines, profile summary statements, and professional positioning within your industry. Here’s what you can do on LinkedIn:
- Videos and photos of projects you have worked on
- Highlight your skills and career that are meaningful to you in the LinkedIn summary field
- Get skills endorsement
- Write articles and share your perspective on industry trends or events
New content will allow you to showcase your professional brand and personality, as well as engage with other like-minded individuals. Remember that LinkedIn is a social networking platform, so it’s all about creating opportunities for yourself to learn from others.
2. only one profile
While you may have multiple CVs to highlight different skills and expertise of yours, with LinkedIn, you only need one profile.
You don't have to change your LinkedIn profile each time you submit a job application. Therefore, it’s important to keep it up to date as you gain new professional experiences, skills certifications, get promoted or switch employers.
3. keyword optimised
Your LinkedIn profile and content should be keyword optimised as well, but for a different reason.
When you optimise the keywords on your LinkedIn profile and content, you’re actually making it easier for recruiters to find you. Because of the algorithms that LinkedIn develops, the use of relevant keywords increases the likelihood of your LinkedIn profile appearing in LinkedIn searches.
4. you’ll get to grow your network
A tip to grow your network is to practise expressing your interest in other individuals’ projects and experiences. You can reach out to experts in your industry or change-makers who inspire you. Here are tips that can help you present yourself as a thoughtful and authentic individual to connect with.
- Have a clear purpose or question in mind - are you seeking information on a job role or company that this individual may know about, or a lifeline to a mentor or employer?
- Instead of the default “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” message in your connection request, be more specific by introducing yourself briefly and point out a common point of interest you noticed from their profile. This potentially strikes up an interesting conversation with the person you’re connecting with, especially if you don’t know each other personally.
- Acknowledge and express your appreciation for the individual taking up their time to engage in a conversation with you.
4. you’ll need to upload your photo on linkedin
To verify that your account belongs to a real person, it is necessary for you to upload a photo of yourself on your LinkedIn profile. Use a professional headshot to upload on your LinkedIn account. If you don’t have a professional profile picture to use for your LinkedIn profile yet, you can ask your friend to take a photo for you.
The ability to add photos, aside from videos and other interactive media is one of the key features of LinkedIn that is different from your CVs and resumes.
is your resume updated to start your job search?
You need a strong LinkedIn profile and resume to support your career advancement goals. Keep them updated and on point to connect with recruiters and apply for jobs.
Create an account with us with your updated resume to get started on your job search and browse our website for more career advice and insights on the job opportunities that are vital to your career journey.