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LinkedIn vs. Resumes -- do you tailor or not?
I'm curious how people approach their LinkedIn profiles in contrast to their resumes. I know it's important to tailor one's resume to specific roles or job opportunities individually. But how do people approach their LI profiles in general? It seems like more of a branding opportunity as it sits out in the world continually, but does that cause confusion with more tailored resume opportunities?
17 Comments
Wendy Taylorjob search coach — exec coach — interview coach
52
01/15/21 at 6:44PM UTC
When I work with job search clients — as soon as we determine the target companies my client is targeting — we do a whole overhaul of their LinkedIn profile — upgrading their tagline, about, and experience sections — as well as keyword loading. We do the keyword loading so that recruiters with dream jobs will find my clients when they do their keyword searches. For resumes — we do a baseline resume (with the same language from the experience section of the linkedin profile). However — my clients NEVER send out an uncustomized resume. So we also work on building my clients' skill at resume customization. Hope this is helpful. Happy to hop on a call and discuss more.
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Anonymous
01/15/21 at 10:52PM UTC
It's all about keywords! I was so sad to realize that most of my applications last year probably didn't get passed applicant tracking systems because of missing keywords and I thought I already was tailoring my resumes to jobs! I started using Job Scan and have had more callbacks than all last year! They also have a LinkedIn optimization tool. I did the trial and it really helped! So, yes it's about branding, but more specifically it's about keywords! https://www.jobscan.co/?ref=1016104
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Taylor AdamsT & D Manager, EQ Fanatic and Wellness Advocate
62
01/19/21 at 9:57PM UTC
I agree with both Wendy and the anonymous poster above.
If you have a industry that you’re primarily in, or a role that you tend to gravitate to, cater your LinkedIn profile to what you’re seeking. A lot of recruiters and other talent acquisition professionals use key word searches to identify qualified personnel. It’s not ideal especially considering they may overlook qualified professionals, however, as a previous recruiter and HR manager, reviewing hundreds of resumes in depth is not realistic. If you need hot words or are unsure of which key words to include, review job postings that you’re interested in and see if there are common words used regularly that align with your skill set.
I do my best to tailor my resume to the role I’m applying for, but a general approach on LinkedIn. Hope this helps!!
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Elizabeth ShimekJD | Policy & Comms | Swing-state politics
153
01/19/21 at 10:17PM UTC
My LinkedIn is directed at my current industry, but definitely a more generalist take. If you are targeting a specific category of work, I would definitely optimize and brand toward that work!
For job applications, your resume should always be tailored with keywords and experiences/accomplishments that fit the job. I keep a "kitchen sink" (as in "everything but the kitchen sink") master resume with every experience, accomplishment, project, volunteer gig, etc, so it is easy to customize and add keywords quickly.
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Cathy ColliverMarketing & MBA
138
01/20/21 at 2:27PM UTC
Same. LinkedIn is compatible with my overall master resume, and then I have customized the resume and cover letter towards specific roles when applying in the past.
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Jessica Parker, PMP♦ Technology Leader ♦ Author ♦ Entrepreneur ♦
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01/19/21 at 11:22PM UTC
I keep my LinkedIn profile more broad and generic. There are people out there who will use the information on your LinkedIn profile to basically present your resume as if it were theirs. No sense making that too easy. Tailor your resume for sure but don't post it publicly.
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Aly Brinea little corporate a little hippie alotta hustle
1.46k
01/20/21 at 12:23AM UTC
Hi there! Career Alignment Coach here! Definitely start with defining what your goal is for your LinkedIn profile. If you're using it to land a specific job then I would tailor it but not to the same level of detail that you would a resume.
The other thing to note with LinkedIn is that while an updated and optimized profile is good, the way the LinkedIn algorithm is set up, they really want you to engage with others on the platform. You'll find that if you regularly engage with other's content, (not just likes but comments and sharing) then LinkedIn will show your profile to more people.
LinkedIn is also a curated newsfeed so if you're into creating content, that can really help you to be seen on the platform. It's a very small percentage of people who actually create consistent content on the platform!
Happy to connect on there: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alybrine/It depends on what your objective is for using LinkedIn.
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Kim RoffeyExperienced strategist and consultant
98
01/26/21 at 1:02AM UTC
This is so helpful, thank you!
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Aly Brinea little corporate a little hippie alotta hustle
1.46k
01/26/21 at 8:06PM UTC
Absolutely! I'm actually hosting a free 5-Day LinkedIn training in my Facebook Community, The Corporate Hippie Hustlers this week.
Happy to have you, if you'd like to learn more about LinkedIn!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheCorporateHippieHustlers
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Chre M. Davis, M.S.Ed.Administrator | Educator | Intrapreneur
602
01/20/21 at 12:45AM UTC
My LinkedIn is very broad, and while I was in the middle of changing careers entirely I wanted to keep it that way to show how what I had been doing bridged into what I wanted to be doing. And since I didn't have only one target in mind, I tried to use my about section to highlight all of my skills, because your skills are likely transferrable to many industries or have a broad scope. You can get more granular when you write your cover letter or resume, and be sure (as is mentioned in previous comments) to research key words for each role and organization, and talk about your most relevant accomplishments. I worked with a good coach as well. I have to say it really helps.
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Anonymous
01/20/21 at 1:16AM UTC
I put everyone and anything that I do: paid work, internships, and volunteering all on my LinkedIn profile. There is more opportunity for personal branding with a LinkedIn profile so I use it for storytelling. I tailor my resumes for roles when completing applications.
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Lily Oliver-TorresYale and Columbia Bschool; 15 yrs in media/tech
42
01/20/21 at 1:41AM UTC
I would keep your LinkedIn broad and your resume specific. Make sure to use key words that would show up in the jobs you want. Also, ensure that your skills are up to date -- many posted jobs have a "skills" list that the job poster has added, and LinkedIn will show you your overlap. Your resume will always be the "official" source of truth, and you can get much more detailed. It's completely fine to tailor it to each job you're applying to.
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Corrine Taylor-ChinWriter & Web Production Professional
106
01/20/21 at 4:13AM UTC
I tailor both, but if you're applying to multiple jobs at the same time, then simply tailor your resume for each. You can always make your LinkedIn profile include a lot more bullet points than your one page resume.
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Vela Sivasankaran
44
01/24/21 at 3:11PM UTC
LinkedIn is available for recruiters and companies to approach you anytime and you choose to submit different versions of resumes to recruiters by tailoring them to the job descriptions of the job posts that you are interested in
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Roma MehtaBusiness Analyst | Data Analyst | Ex-Deloitte
26
01/24/21 at 5:20PM UTC
Keywords are the main thing here. I usually keep my LinkedIn profile broad (using keywords that are important) and make my resume specific to the job description. That way, your LinkedIn profile gives a general description on what you know and what you did, and your resume matches the job description to be picked up by the ATS.
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Stephanie FSenior HR Manager, Talent Acquisition
147
01/25/21 at 3:35AM UTC
I usually tailor my resume to reflect key words and success numbers that align with the position I am applying for.
With LinkedIn, I list my job descriptions as they are in my current position and don’t bother to edit.
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Sarah BartleyFront-end Web Developer
107
01/25/21 at 6:26PM UTC
I'm getting ready to tailor my LinkedIn profile and resume again. Right now, my resume is more tailored than my LinkedIn profile. I treat my LinkedIn profile as a master resume and lists everything. Yet despite them being different I still try to make the information I publish on both consistent with each other.
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