We all know by now that sending out your resume and cover letter to multiple job openings isn't enough to get the job. It might be enough for some job seekers but for the most part, it is one of many job search steps. Social networks have already become a popular method for job seekers to attract the attention of employers as well as if they have become a common tool for hiring authorities to check the candidates. Out of all social networking sites, LinkedIn and Facebook stand out the most. In this article, we would like to address the problem of LinkedIn profiles' similarity to the content of resume and CV. In the future, we plan on providing some tips on having a professional Facebook account while explaining how it can help get you hired.
LinkedIn is Not Your Online Resume
Most job seekers don't wish to spend much time on developing a LinkedIn profile and as a result, they just copy-paste the information from the resume or CV. After doing so they feel better as they believe they have made one more step toward getting a job. While this is true one could have made a much bigger step toward the set career goal if he/she took time to work on a LinkedIn profile a little bit.
First of all, a resume and LinkedIn profile serve different functions and that is why it is wrong to have the identical. Your CV or resume is meant to communicate the most important information about your accomplishments and experience in a concise form. LinkedIn profiles have almost no value for the hiring manager who has read your resume if it contains identical information. It should rather be a place where you can say things you couldn't have said in the application documents. You can start developing your profile by checking whether your basic information on a resume matches the content on your profile page. If a hiring manager spots an inconsistency in employment dates, name of the company or something like that it would send a signal that you wanted to hide something. So double check the information and make sure you don't have any inconsistencies. One of the differences between a resume and social network profile is that employers expect you to have a profile picture on LinkedIn. An appropriate image that represents you is what hiring authorities expect to see if they decided to check your social network account. No matter how bad you wanted to include recommendations to your resume or CV it is inappropriate. Guess where you can list them? LinkedIn allows listing references so that appears a wonderful opportunity to share what others have to say about your qualifications. Recommendations from former colleagues or supervisors can make a difference, especially if a potential employer reads them before interviewing you. This is, by the way, something you could do too for your friends who are looking for a job and have a LinkedIn profile.
Another benefit of using LinkedIn for job search purposes is the publisher option. You don't have to be a certified writer or anything like that to use this option. Just writing several professional articles about your recent projects and/or accomplishments can make all the difference. This is something you can't do on a resume because you don't have space. Here you can have it all. You could explain the challenges you overcome, the initiatives you launched and many other things that could help a potential employer to get a better glimpse of who you are. Don't ignore your hobbies section too. This will help the hiring managers to better understand your personality, something they can't really do with just a resume and cover letter.
You can check some more advice on LinkedIn-resume differences in our newer blog.
