It has become a trend already to discuss the value of a resume comparing it to the value of a LinkedIn profile. Some career experts say that today such social network account as LinkedIn is a way more powerful tool for job search. Other experienced professionals believe the opposite - LinkedIn will not be able to replace a resume in the shortest time. As the discussion goes on we have decided to share our thoughts on this topic. We don't want to say that our opinion is what matters the most. This is just our point of view based on years of experience in resume writing and career assistance services.
Why LinkedIn Profiles Won't Replace Resumes
At Prime-Resume we believe that having a powerful LinkedIn profile is a great bonus in addition to your resume or CV. However, having such a profile without a resume or CV will make your job search significantly harder. The thing is that most companies still require resumes from candidates no matter if you like it or not. That's where most people who believe in the exclusive role of a LinkedIn profile end up - they have to sit and create their resume from scratch. Obviously, the information in the profile will ease the task. This only proves our assumption that these two should work together, having their own value. Another thing you have to keep in mind if you are choosing between a resume and social network profile is how flexible you can be with listing information about your professional experience. The career stories of individuals differ but social networks offer only sections and headlines to choose from. One cannot come up with own section names or headlines let alone use a different structure of listing information. When writing a resume you are not confined to such limitation as you can choose headlines, sections, and order of listing information as much as you want. There are no word count limits. If you have ever read our blog before you probably know that it is a must for every job seeker to tailor one's resume (CV) for every job opening. It is unlikely you will be changing your profile information after you apply for different jobs. Besides, the information posted online is public which means anyone can look it up. With a resume, you can make sure only those who you want will be able to see the information posted. More than that, your LinkedIn profile doesn't even belong to you in accordance with their policies. On the other hand, a resume is your document and you can do with it whatever you want.
Both Are Good Marketing Tools
Our main message is that both a LinkedIn profile and resume (CV) can be a great marketing tool. Job seekers shouldn't choose one or the other. For a better effect, one should use both tools to achieve better results. Don't just copy information from your resume to the online profile or vice versa. Make sure these both tools have their own value. In other words, make use of all benefits provided by different formats and attract more employers with the help of all tools possible.
You can also check our article on Resume vs Linked.
