Your LinkedIn profile typically provides a fuller picture of your experience, skills, recommendations, and connections, and it can be a helpful extension of your resume.
By incorporating LinkedIn thoughtfully, you give potential employers easy access to more details about your professional journey. However, knowing how to include your LinkedIn URL without making your resume look cluttered or unprofessional is key.
Here’s a guide on how to do it well.
Why Include Your LinkedIn Profile?
Your resume is often limited to the most relevant details about your skills and experience. LinkedIn, however, allows you to share more information, such as project portfolios, certifications, publications, recommendations from colleagues, and volunteer experience. Including a link to your LinkedIn profile can enhance your application by providing hiring managers with a place to learn more about you.
Some specific reasons to add LinkedIn to your resume include:
Expanding on Your Experience: LinkedIn allows you to list more roles and responsibilities than a short resume can accommodate.
Presenting Recommendations: LinkedIn recommendations from colleagues, managers, or clients provide additional credibility.
Highlighting Skills Endorsements: Skills endorsements can help validate the skills you’ve listed on your resume.
Showing Professional Connections: LinkedIn gives hiring managers insight into your network and professional relationships.
Sharing Projects and Media: If you’ve uploaded portfolios, articles, presentations, or project samples on LinkedIn, linking to your profile lets employers explore these materials.
Customizing Your LinkedIn URL for a Clean Look
Before you include your LinkedIn URL on your resume, make sure it looks professional and is easy to read. By default, LinkedIn URLs can be long and include a string of random letters and numbers. You can simplify your LinkedIn URL by customizing it, which will make it cleaner and more visually appealing on your resume.
To create a custom LinkedIn URL:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile.
- Click the pencil icon beside the “Public profile & URL” option on the right side of the page.
- Under “Edit your custom URL,” click the pencil icon to change your URL.
- Choose a simple, professional URL that ideally includes your name (e.g., linkedin.com/in/FirstnameLastname).
Where to Place Your LinkedIn URL on Your Resume?
Contact Information Section: This is the most traditional and widely accepted location. Adding your LinkedIn URL here keeps it easily visible without distracting from other content.
Formatting Tips for a Professional Look
When adding your LinkedIn URL, consider the following formatting tips to maintain a clean and professional appearance:
Match the Font and Style: Use the same font size and style as the other text in your contact information. This keeps the resume looking uniform.
Avoid Hyperlinks in Printed Versions: Hyperlinks work well for digital copies but aren’t necessary in printed versions. Make sure your URL is readable so hiring managers can type it in if they choose.
Adding LinkedIn Highlights on Your Resume
While your LinkedIn profile might contain more details, it’s a good idea to highlight some of the same impressive achievements on your resume. Here’s how you can incorporate LinkedIn highlights into different resume sections:
Professional Summary: Mention top achievements that are further expanded on LinkedIn. For example, if you’re a sales professional, your LinkedIn profile might show a portfolio or case studies, which you can briefly allude to in your resume summary.
Experience Section: Use LinkedIn to validate your listed experiences. If your LinkedIn profile includes detailed accomplishments or project examples, make sure those experiences align with what’s on your resume.
Skills Section: LinkedIn’s skills endorsements can reinforce your resume’s skills section. If you have a large number of endorsements for specific skills on LinkedIn, list these in your resume’s skills section to draw attention to the most endorsed ones.
When Not to Include LinkedIn on Your Resume
While LinkedIn can be a powerful tool, there are some cases where it may be better not to include it on your resume. Consider leaving out your LinkedIn URL if:
Your LinkedIn Isn’t Complete: If your LinkedIn profile doesn’t contain much information, it might be better to complete it before linking it to your resume. An incomplete profile could come across as a lack of effort.
The Information Isn’t Consistent: If the information on LinkedIn contradicts what’s on your resume, it could confuse hiring managers. Make sure both documents align.
Using LinkedIn to Enhance Your Resume Beyond the Link
Here are some ways to enhance your LinkedIn presence to support your resume:
Optimize Your LinkedIn Headline: Your headline appears right below your name and is one of the first things hiring managers see. Make sure it’s professional and aligned with your target industry/role.
Add Rich Media: LinkedIn allows you to upload media files to your profile, such as portfolios, presentations, and videos. If your role involves visual or project-based work, consider adding these for hiring managers to explore.
Get Endorsements and Recommendations: Endorsements for specific skills and written recommendations from colleagues or supervisors strengthen your profile and add social proof that complements your resume.
Engage on LinkedIn: Regularly posting about industry topics, sharing relevant articles, or engaging with others’ content can position you as an active professional in your field, which hiring managers might appreciate if they view your profile.
What to Do If You Don’t Have LinkedIn?
If you don’t currently have a LinkedIn profile, consider creating one, especially if you’re in a field where it’s commonly used. LinkedIn is one of the most popular platforms for professional networking, and many employers expect candidates to have a presence there. Even a basic LinkedIn profile that outlines your work history, skills, and education can be beneficial.
Need help integrating LinkedIn with your resume? Let’s create a cohesive professional brand – book a LinkedIn and resume service today!
