A common conversation.

When speaking with a candidate I’ll ask for a resume and quite often I get, “just copy and paste my LinkedIn.” While there’s a list of every job they have had and their responsibilities in each position, LinkedIn content and resume copy should be different.

Why it makes sense.

• It’s easy to copy and paste your resume for your LinkedIn profile experience sections.
• Consistency is key.
• Both are a summary of your professional experience.

Why it doesn’t make sense.

• LinkedIn profiles should be shorter and more concise than a full resume.
• LinkedIn is a tool to get noticed as opposed to a full, detailed story of your career.
• LinkedIn is for a broader audience. You should be customizing your resume per application with detailed achievements and metrics relevant to the role you are seeking.
• LinkedIn showcases your network, any articles you may have published and most importantly, uses a social voice whereas your resume reflects a formal tone.

Not everyone agrees. One criticism I hear when sharing my opinions on this topic is that “the more detailed I make my profile, the more likely I am to appear in a search.” While there is some truth to this statement, there are other ways to increase showing up in a recruiter’s search.

What to do right now.

• Review your LinkedIn account and privacy settings, especially your job seeking preferences.
• Use title and skill keywords in your headline and summary on LinkedIn.
• Keep each role description in your LinkedIn experience section 2 to 4 bullet points or a few sentence summary.
• Used LinkedIn’s ‘skills’ section to enter your top skills and endorse the skills of your coworkers.
• Get involved in relevant group conversations.
• Like and comment on industry or peer posts.
• Make sure you are connected with former/current colleagues, classmates, professors, friends, and family.
• Review your resume and identify areas to customize per role.

Overall, both your LinkedIn profile and your resume are powerful tools in getting noticed, getting the screen and ultimately, getting hired. Keep it short and don’t overthink it. Consider your LinkedIn profile an enhanced business card and your resume, well, a resume. 

Need help leveraging LinkedIn for your job search? Check out my other post, LinkedIn for the Minimalist.

Ryan Swartzendruber, Technical Recruiter for Objective Paradigm’s Talution Group, recruits on both contract and direct hire positions in addition to his Account Manager responsibilities. Ryan’s focus is on the financial and software industries where he consistently meets clients needs by identifying and placing talent to help businesses scale. Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn.