Ben C.
Sales & Marketing Manager | Leader and developer of people | Innovator - rethinking products/processes/business models
Would you put a link to your linkedIn profile on your resume?
If so how would you do it?
Good Answers (2)
Cliff F.
Award-Winning Resume Writer & Nationally Certified Career Counselor (former Silicon Valley Recruiter)
Best Answers in: Staffing and Recruiting (2), Job Search (1)
Assuming your LinkedIn profile is completely error free, always professional, and in line with your current job pursuits, then I suggest including it on the resume. It shows you're a proactive job-seeker, you're technically adept, that you know people, and (if you've taken the initiative to get some recommendations) that at least some people like you.
I can think of at least 3 things LinkedIn offers that a resume does not:
1) Who you know. At even a glance, hiring managers can see how engaged you are in the community, what type of people you commiserate with, and what industries your circles touch. Remember, your next employer is hoping to benefit from not just you, but your professional network as well.
2) Who knows you (and likes you). Recommendations on LinkedIn are invaluable because they are unable to be edited by the flatteree. Also, recommendations often touch on soft skills rather than specific accomplishments. As a resume writer, I often look at my clients' recommendations to get a feel for their personality. Even over inflated recs start from truth.
3) Questions & Answers. One way to show further expertise, as many of us have done on this thread, is by asking and answering questions. An intelligent and insightful comment goes a long way. Why do you think so many people respond to these things?
For those hiring managers that are unaware of what LinkedIn is, they'll most likely be intrigued or intimidated, but not disgusted. Is a little ol' link really going to turn someone off that much?
Nonetheless, your LinkedIn website should only complement your resume. Never leave something off the resume with a link saying "click here for more info...."
I suggest including your LinkedIn web link at the bottom of the resume (instead of in the header). It can be used as a sort of new-wave "References available upon requests." Use the entire last line of a resume to be specific about what the reader will find at the other end of the link. Say something like "Professional recommendations, industry-specific advice, and extended list of affiliations available at ...." This way, the reader knows whether it's worth their time.
And this question is really all about respecting the readers' time isn't it?
More Answers (21)
I probably wouldn't, since your LinkedIn profile should really be a summary of your resume highlights (unless you have recommendations that you'd like to showcase). If I were going to put a link in, I would put it next to the email address (typically, I put phone number and email address on the same line, so I would put it with that contact information)
Good luck! Colleen
Rob A.
Management Consultant & Independent Enterprise Architect
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (3), Enterprise Software (2), Occupational Training (1), Philanthropy (1), Computers and Software (1)
Ben,
Like Colleen, I would suggest not as the profile will presumably not add anything to your resume. In addition, I would take the assumption that if the person reading your resume were already a LinkedIn user they will have taken, or will take the time, to look you up on the site if they wanted to. If they do not already use LinkedIn then your effort would probably be wasted. I would certainly not want to rely on someone seeing something in my LinkedIn profile that I did not have in my resume.
With regards placement, if I were going to put a link in it would be either along with my e-mail address details, or perhaps under “other interests”.
If you do put it in, and get positive feedback, please be sure to let us all know!
Regards,
Rob
Vanessa K.
Technical Recruiter who helps IT professionals find new opportunities every day. Contact me so I can help you too.
Best Answers in: Staffing and Recruiting (2), Using LinkedIn (1)
I would put my link in my resume. I have seen several people do it and am always happy to see it on people's resumes. If you have recommendations on your profile, this gives the employer a chance to check out some written recommendations about you quickly.
It also provides another way for your potential employer to keep in touch with you. When I see a link on someone's resume I usually invite them to connect even if I do not have a job match for them at the time.
Clarification added August 18, 2008:
I would put it in with my contact information.
Octavio B.
Global Thinker ★ Corporate Strategist with focus in 2.0 Technologies
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Hi Ben
I am already using a link to my Linkedin profile on my resume.
If you have the willingness of using Linkedin to gain access to a new job, you could create a polished and well-written Linkedin profile where you may have a chronological relation of goals what you have achieved along your professional career development and your educational grades. Additionally, you could include adding value to your profile a lot of meaningful and valuable recommendations endorsed by your co-workers, managers and clients.
I believe that a well designed Linkedin profile is complementary with the classic resume, and in some occasions surpasses it with features and possibilities that hardly could be included in a typical and static resume. Let see us why:
- A well designed and complete Linkedin profile has the same structure of a resume: Introduction; Education, Career Development; Recommendations by co-workers, managers and/or clients and associations to professional groups, with the difference of being inserted in a social and dynamic networking context where sociability and collaboration traits of the job applicant may be easily assessed.
- A Linkedin profile is a needed resource to apply to any job offer posted in the Linkedin Jobs & Hiring feature. If we a have a growing number of recruiters and a population of professionals in Linkedin over 25MM around the world, the possible interactions between recruiters and passive and active and passive job applicants apart of being richest and diverse, surely will have a profound impact in the way that recruitment is made.
- The collaborative nature of the job applicant and him/her demonstrated expertise in Linkedin Answers is other criteria to be considered in the assessment of the job applicant potential to work effectively in the offered job position. By analyzing carefully expertise earned by Best Answers responses a recruiter can have information in advance about what could be the assortment of skills and knowledge of a potential job applicant to qualify to an opened job position.
- The recommendations given for the job applicant and by the way, the recommendations received by past co-workers and clients are, if carefully analyzed a glimpse about what have been the appreciation of others regarding perception of any past work experience showed by the job applicant. A recruiter with a Linkedin Premium account has the capability to communicate via InMail with anyone of the 25 MM+ users of Linkedin to make a checking of the job’s applicant career development.
- The resume like a traditional and a first-hand tool of deciding about the fate of job candidates in the recruitment process probably will be favored by recruiters over online tools like jobsites, blogs or profiles in Linkedin for the years to come. Nevertheless, is easy envisioning a scenario where Linkedin profiles will acquire a growing relevance until become in the preferred method to initiate a recruitment process.
Complementary to this theme I include the links to 3 questions that I have posted in Linkedin Answers:
1. Have been the social networks as Linkedin really useful to improve your job as a manager or leader? If so, how?
2. How do you use Linkedin to build your Personal Branding?
3. Are you satisfied with your Online Life?
I hope this helps you.
Octavio
Links:
Daniel J.
Division Leader with Primerica Financial Services
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I would not put a link on your resume, as your profile will not add anything relevant to it. I would mention on your resume that you are a member. Either the person reading your resume is familiar with LI, in which case he can look you up if he wants. Or if not, it might start a conversation about your expertise in utilizing online networking.
Devesh D.
Management Consultant | Business Coach | Speaker | Mentor | Entrepreneur
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I would do it... Actually its a great idea because in order to keep our Resume sharp and short we cut the details many a times, you can be as elaborate on your LI as you wish and the employer if very much interested can open your public profile to see the details plus your "Recommendations". Also in certain professions like recruiting, marketing and sales etc, actually a well connected LI profile can be a tool that you can leverage to show how well connected you're and how good of a networker yor're et all to stand out of the rest of the crowd :)
David C.
General Partner, The Baird Group - Technical Writing, Editing, and Custom Training Materials - LION - LIONs - LI-aires
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Hi,
Many of us have functional resumes. A LinkedIn profile is chronological. They are complimentary approaches to the same information.
Pat M.
President at The Meehan Group since 1991 - (812) 422-1105 - Website: http://www.themeehangroup.com
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Ben
It would be safe to leave it off. Many corporate people still don't know what Linkedin is. It would be better to put your icon in the signature of your email.
All the best,
Pat
Jim Y.
business technology advisor, partner and collaborator
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Do you mind working for a boss or company that would dismiss a resume due to the inclusion of a LinkedIn profile or one that has no understanding of what LinkedIn is to begin with?
Dan L.
Creative and dependable. Accomplished leader. Strengths in strategy, marketing and technology.
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I did.
On the resume: www.dlucarelli.com, in the same section as the contact info. I own the domain, and it redirects to my public LinkedIn profile.
A good recruiter or thorough corporate HR person will find it anyway. I say provide it up front.
Links:
Gary C.
Human Resources Manager, NTELOS
Best Answers in: Resume Writing (2), Job Search (1), Career Management (1)
Put it on if it adds a lot of value to your resume - otherwise skip it. I did a quick check of recent resumes I've received. Only 4 out 585 had a link to their profiles.
Seth M.
Strategies for Succesful Development
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Not generally. A resume should stand basically alone; I and most of the hiring managers I've worked with read resumes for away from a computer--it's the only way to get the time without interruptions.
I do put a link in cover and query letters, though, and I might mention LinkedIn recommendations in an interview.
Jennifer A.
Nationally Published Resume Expert & Career Strategist
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Some resume writers have started recommending this, but at this time, I have not. It's just more clutter. And like Rob stated, people who are on LinkedIn automatically go and look for your LinkedIn profile anyway. :)
Recruiters will likely search LinkedIn for you anyhow so you might as well make it easier for them to find you by including a link to your LinkedIn profile (and not the profile of someone else with a similar name).
It's becoming more and more important to present yourself professionally online. VisualCV is a great way to do this and is an excellent replacement for a paper-based resume.
Anyone who views your VisualCV can contact you or share a VisualCV with you. However, if they also want to connect to you on LinkedIn, you can simply add your LinkedIn information to your VisualCV. With a click of a button, they can visit your profile at LinkedIn and make a connection.
(full disclosure: I work at VisualCV, and helped build out the video tutorials on linking VisualCV and LinkedIn).
Links:
Sharon T.
HR and Small Business Operations Consultant
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Ben:
See Clif's answer as it is the best one noted and I would agree 100%.
Career seekers should use every tool at their disposal to find a job. Someone reviewing your resume can choose to look at your LI profile or not, but most likely will if they're on LI (and your best recruiters and HR people are). As Clif notes, what your LI profile can showcase that your resume cannot is your activity in the Q&A area (Not answering questions to demonstrate your expertise? You should be.), and your recommendations (again, you should be getting these).
A resume is not and should not be your only marketing tool.
Good luck,
Sharon
Links:
Ian R M.
Recruiter and Professional CV Writer
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There are hundreds if not thousands of things to put in your CV/Resume before links to off paper items. The purpose of a CV/Resume is to get you the interview. Hence, once you have created enough interest and momentum for the potential employer to pick up the phone for a chat, THEN and only then is it worth to you adding additional elements like your LinkedIn profile to the discussion to further substantiate claims in a CV/Resume that you take issues like professional development, knowledge and networking seriously, and can show that with real evidence that makes a positive difference.
Others have pointed out that a LinkedIn profile is like a CV/Resume - its not, its a professional career summary at best focused on networking with like minded people and not an initial document to get you an interview.
Here's a though - what happens if you do make space to put it in? You probably have to leave something else out or use a smaller font. If you leave it out, and focus on answering the "get the interview" skills questions, and hence your CV/Resume makes it past the paper shift - then if they are a member of LinkedIn, they can easily find you, right? Then and only then does it add value.
It is your decision at the end of the day, because its your job application - but the balance of opinion professionally at present is no!
Good Luck!
Jane P.
Senior Consultant at Improving Enterprises
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I put a link to my LinkedIn profile on online version of my resume.
LinkedIn provides HTML code and an icon to make it easy, see links.
There is no reason to put a link on the paper copy.
If a person with a paper copy of my resume wants to learn more about me, they are going to Google me, not type in links provided. My LinkedIn profile will come up, as well as my online resume.
Links:
Al A.
Value Engineering Manager at ECC
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I am referring to my LinkedIn profile in my cover letter, but not my resume. The profile actually contains more information than most firms are seeking in a resume.
The trend is towards a 1-2 page capsule resume, which doesn't give you much space to convey who you are and what you do. You have maybe 30-seconds of scan time to catch the attention of the recruiter, or target audience. Hence, a longer form resume / CV won't work for getting you in the door or on the phone.
The LI profile an serve as the bridge between your capsule resume and your long form CV. Care must be taken in what is posted to the LI profile; your story lines must be consistent. The groups you are a member of also tell something about you that may not otherwise appear in the profile; i.e., religious or political interests. The groups can be a pro or a con depending on who is viewing your profile.
Michael C. D.
Senior Supplier Contracts Manager at Flextronics
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I have not done so but I have seen the link included on the resume header.
