how to update my resume in linkedin

How to upload your resume in a LinkedIn profile or add it to a job application

• You can upload a resume directly to your LinkedIn profile, or via Easy Apply on job applications.
• Creating a custom resume for your LinkedIn profile is vital to stand out in the job market.
• If the Featured section is disabled, you can still add your resume via the "Add Section" option.

LinkedIn can be a useful tool for getting your name out there and in front of the right hiring managers. It can also help when it comes to directly applying for jobs, especially the thousands featured on the site. 

In order to take full advantage of these features, it's a good idea to have a resume uploaded to your profile. Here's what you'll need to do. 

Adding your resume to LinkedIn

If you don't have a resume ready, you could use LinkedIn's download feature , which takes all of the information you've included on your profile and converts it into a PDF resume. 

However, that downloaded resume is likely not as aesthetically pleasing as a resume you created yourself, and it will likely be longer than you want. So uploading a customized resume to your profile lets you tailor your employment information to better fit the job you're applying for so you'll stand out in the right ways. The same goes when you're applying for a job.

How to upload a resume in LinkedIn profile

1. Go to the LinkedIn website and log in to your account, if necessary.

2. Click the Me tab in the top toolbar underneath your profile photo.

3. Choose View Profile from the drop-down menu that appears. 

4. Scroll down to the Featured section and click the Add featured link if you haven't uploaded anything to the section. If you have, click the plus + icon at the top-right of the box, to the left of the pencil icon. 

If you don't see the Featured section, it might be disabled. In that case, scroll up to the top of your profile and select Add Section , then Featured , followed by Media . You can then skip to step #6 in this guide.

5. Otherwise, if you do have the Featured section and have clicked Add featured or the plus + icon , in the drop-down that appears, select Media .

6. In the file upload window that appears, locate the resume document you want to upload. Click it and select Open . 

7. A preview of the document will appear, as will boxes to give your resume a Title and Description . Only the Title is required.

8. Once you've filled out the title and description, click Save .

How to upload a resume in LinkedIn when applying for a job

1. Once you've found a job you want to apply to, click or tap on the job title to view details.

2. Click or tap the Easy Apply button.

Important: You must choose Easy Apply — not Apply — for this to work. Otherwise, you'll be directed to the hiring company's job application portal. And your resume must be less than 2MB and be formatted in either Word or as a PDF.

3. Add the required information and under Resume , select Upload resume .

4. Choose the desired file from the pop-up window and click Open .

5. Select Next and continue through the application until you reach the Review page.

6. Choose Submit application when ready.

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How To Upload Your Resume To LinkedIn (4 Options: Step-By-Step Guide)

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• Words and Phrases You Shouldn't Include in Your Resume
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Find a Job You Really Want In

LinkedIn is an online networking site that helps connect job seekers with recruiters, hiring managers, and advance professional networks. In the digital age, networking is done both in-person and online and LinkedIn is the place to be for the online version.

Your LinkedIn profile is like an online resume– it gives people an idea of who you are as a career professional. It includes job experience details, your education, and it can be completely customized to you.

If you are filling out your first LinkedIn profile or are updating an old one, you may stumble upon this question: “Should I upload my resume to LinkedIn?” The answer is, it depends on where you are uploading it.

Key Takeaways:

For most cases, it is best not to upload your resume to your LinkedIn profile.

It’s better to upload an application-specific resume to a job application through LinkedIn.

If you do upload your resume to your profile, remember to protect your privacy and know that your job search is no longer private.

How to Upload Your Resume to LinkedIn: Featured Media Method

How to upload your resume to linkedin: easy apply method, how to upload your resume to linkedin: linkedin profile, how to upload your resume to linkedin: linkedin post, should i upload my resume to linkedin, resume vs. linkedin profile, final thoughts.

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There are two ways to upload your resume to LinkedIn: add your resume as “Featured Media” or upload your resume as you apply for a job using LinkedIn’s Easy Apply feature.

We’ll cover the “Featured Media” method first, although we find it less useful than using Easy Apply. Here’s a step-by-step guide :

Go to your LinkedIn profile (beneath your profile picture )

Press “Add Profile Section”

Select “Featured” and then “Media” from the drop-down menu

Select your resume document from wherever it is located on your computer

As we said earlier, we don’t recommend posting your resume to your LinkedIn profile like this. At the very least, you should modify your resume so that the contact information you don’t want publically available is removed. After all, if someone sees your resume on LinkedIn and likes it, they can message you on LinkedIn!

While you can change your privacy settings so random people won’t see this stuff, recruiters and hiring managers who might be interested in you later are just random people right now, which makes this option a bit of a Catch 22.

On top of that, you can list your work experience elsewhere on your LinkedIn profile. The picture of your resume is basically unnecessary and will do more harm than good as a job seeker. Recruiters won’t notice an uploaded photo nearly as much as a regularly updated work history section on your LinkedIn profile.

Method two of uploading your resume to LinkedIn involves using the “Easy Apply” feature. We wholeheartedly recommend that you use this feature.

As its name implies, it’s easy. Not to mention that it allows you to customize your resume for each job application, which is always a good idea. Here’s a step-by-step guide for that process:

Press the “Jobs” button at the top of the page

Look for a job with the “Easy Apply” tag on the bottom

Select that job and then press the “Easy Apply” button below the job title

Fill out your contact information and press “Next”

Press “Upload resume” and then select your resume document from wherever it is located on your computer; then press “Next”

Answer any additional questions about your years of experience and press “Review”

Review your information and click “Submit application”

Note that your resume must be uploaded as a DOC, DOCX, or PDF file.

By default, LinkedIn will automatically store recently uploaded resumes. To see these saved files and manage settings related to your resumes on LinkedIn, start by pressing “Jobs” at the top of the page.

Then, press “More” (on the top of the page, below “Jobs”). Select “Application Settings.” From there, you can manage your resumes and saved answers.

This option is probably the safest one and makes the best use of LinkedIn. Simply fill out all of the sections of your LinkedIn profile, and almost all of the important elements you’d expect on a resume will be there.

Sure, your work experience and summary won’t be perfectly tailored to the job you’re interested in, but they’ll serve well enough as an introduction for any recruiter who’s interested in you. If you’re having a tough time filling out your LinkedIn profile, we have tips that guide you through the most important parts of the process .

We still recommend coupling this strategy LinkedIn Easy Apply to make the fullest use of LinkedIn and all of its features.

Making a LinkedIn post of your resume is one option to let your network know you’re in the market for a job while also getting feedback. It’s not usually the best method, but it can be a lowkey way of putting out a feeler to all of your connections.

Here’s how to share your resume as a LinkedIn post:

Click “Start a Post.” This can be found in the oval box in the top-center part of your LinkedIn feed.

Click the “Add a document” icon. The icon looks like a document and is third from the left at the bottom of the “Create a post” screen.

Choose where to upload the file from. You can upload directly from your computer, from Dropbox, or from Google Drive. We recommend using a PDF file.

Select “Done.” At the bottom right of the screen.

People can now download this file from the post.

Before uploading your resume to LinkedIn, you should think about what kind of impact that could have on your job search and your privacy.

While it is an option, uploading your resume to your profile may not be the best decision and you should think carefully before you do.

Your LinkedIn profile is a public space — all of your connections (at the very least) will have access to that information. But the information posted on LinkedIn versus your usual resume has one huge difference: contact information.

On your resume, you may have your address, phone number, and other personal information. Do you want that readily accessible to anyone who is a connection of yours on LinkedIn?

For many profiles, if someone has your profile link, they can read everything posted on your profile. Don’t make it easy for your identity to get stolen.

If you upload your resume to your profile, you might come across as desperately looking for a job, which just fuels the question, “if they are such a good candidate, why are they so desperate?”

Your resume should be specific for each job, tweaked to perfection so that recruiters know you are specifically qualified for that particular position. If you put it on your profile, then you don’t allow room for tailoring the resume to job applications.

In other words, it can appear lazy to upload your resume to LinkedIn, especially if you do this instead of building a LinkedIn profile.

You may already have a job and want your job search to be private. If you add your resume to your profile, then your current employer could see that.

If you have your resume uploaded to the profile, then there are fewer reasons for a recruiter to contact you. It makes you feel less human as a candidate.

If you have an amazing profile, then recruiters will be intrigued and will contact you to learn more and to ask for a resume. Then the real conversation begins and it will help them connect you as a person with your skills detailed on your profile and resume.

However, if you want your resume to be as freely available as possible for recruiters, are fine with people know you are seeking jobs publicly, and can keep private contact details off your resume, then uploading your resume to your profile may be a good decision for you.

If you are not sure what to choose, it is best to err on the side of safety and keep it off your profile, but that doesn’t mean recruiters won’t be able to see it easily.

When you apply for jobs directly through LinkedIn, you can upload it with the job application. Then you can make your resume specific to the job application.

You may be tempted to upload your resume to LinkedIn and call it a day. But LinkedIn serves a completely different function than your resume.

Your resume is a formal history of your professional life that includes work experience, education , accomplishments , skills , and other sections depending on your format and experience level .

It’s perfectly okay to include a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile on your resume , so recruiters and hiring managers can peruse if they’re curious enough about you.

Your LinkedIn profile, on the other hand, is a little less formal. It’s a networking platform , so you’re still self-promoting, but in a more casual way. Use that to your advantage by letting your personality shine throughout your LinkedIn profile.

Hiring managers and recruiters want to see what you’re interested in (professionally), and LinkedIn is a great place to find out what actually makes you tick as a professional. Follow our tips for a perfect LinkedIn profile , and you’ll have no reason at all to throw a picture of your generic resume on there.

Applying for jobs can be a hectic time in your life. Knowing what to add to your LinkedIn profile and what to not add is important to make a good impression on future employers.

In most cases, it is best to avoid uploading a resume to your LinkedIn profile because of privacy concerns and the negative impression it can make on employers. However, direct applications for jobs through LinkedIn allows private, job-specific resume uploads.

No matter what you choose, be conscious of what you want to be public and private on the internet. And with these tips, you can be sure that your resume and LinkedIn profiles land you your next job.

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Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.

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How to Add Resume to LinkedIn? (Super Easy, With Screenshots)

• Kaja Jurcisinova , 
• Updated January 16, 2024 4 min read

One of the first things you should do in preparation for a job search is to update your LinkedIn profile. Listing your work experiences or filling in your profile is relatively easy, but how to add resume to LinkedIn?  

Well, there are two main ways of doing it:

• Adding your resume to LinkedIn profile to share it with your network
• Uploading your resume to LinkedIn for future job applications

You should choose the method that matches your reason for adding your resume to LinkedIn. So, thinking about the reason and the end goal of your LinkedIn profile update is where you should begin. 

This article goes over which of the two ways is more suitable for your situation as well as includes a step-by-step guide with screenshots for both.

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

Why add your resume to LinkedIn? 

1. how to add resume to linkedin to share it with network, 2. how to upload your resume to linkedin for future job applications , why your resume doesn’t belong on linkedin, key takeaways: how to add resume to linkedin.

Ask yourself. Why exactly do I want to upload your resume to LinkedIn?

• Do I want to upload it to my profile to share it with my network?
• Do I want to use it to apply for jobs via LinkedIn ?

In both cases, uploading your resume to your LinkedIn is relatively easy, and this guide will show you how to do it. 

However, you can also consider not uploading at all, since, in most cases, it isn't the best idea to do so. This guide will also explain to you why.  

If you want to add resume to LinkedIn for everyone in your network to see, you should upload the document directly to your profile.  

This is how to do it: 

1. First, go to your profile.  

2. Click on the grey button “ Add profile section ” button.

3. Expand the “ Recommended ” tab.

4. Select “ Add featured ” and then click the “ + ” button. 

5. Proceed to choose “ Media ” and then select the resume file from your computer (e.g. “resume.pdf”). 

6. Click “ Save ” or “ Done ".

Et voila! If you do this, everyone will be able to see your resume under the Featured section of your LinkedIn profile. 

This is what it will look like:

When adding your CV to your LinkedIn profile while applying for a job via the LinkedIn job board, you can upload your resume: 

• Before applying for a job and using it later;
• During the actual LinkedIn application process;

What's great is that any resume that you upload this way will remain in your profile, so you can reuse it in any of your future job applications. 

So, let's take a look at how to upload your resume this way:

1. Click on “ Jobs ” in the top bar.

2. Then go to “ Application Settings ”. 

3. Select the " Upload resume" button and then just upload the document file from your device. 

Done! LinkedIn now remembers the resume, and you can find it in the “Recent Resumes ” section the next time you apply for a job through LinkedIn.

Of course, uploading your resume to LinkedIn during the job application process is fine. After all, most employers still want to see your resume and don’t satisfy themselves with looking at your LinkedIn profile. 

However, if you’ve been meaning to include your resume in your LinkedIn profile for the whole world to see, you may want to reconsider. Here’s why: 

• Your contact details become public. First, you'll receive more spam emails. That’s almost a given. Second, if you include your phone number or a postal address as well, you may even be risking your safety. 
• You announce your job search to the world. Does your current employer know that you want to change jobs? Because in most cases, you want to keep your job search a secret until you have a new job offer. 
• It’s redundant. If your LinkedIn profile is correctly filled out, it already includes most information from your resume — and more. 
• You lose control over your professional document. Not only can your resume be downloaded and distributed by literally anyone now, but you’re also giving up the advantage of tailoring your resume to a specific role and employer (which is something that you always want to aim for). 
• It may appear like you don't understand LinkedIn. LinkedIn serves different purposes than your average job board. By putting your resume on LinkedIn, you communicate that you don’t know how the platform works.

Ultimately, you should focus on creating a strong LinkedIn profile that will show you in the best possible light. Who knows, if it's good enough, you may not need that resume at all.

To achieve just that, check out our ultimate guide to getting noticed on LinkedIn.

Have a LinkedIn profile but no resume?

Convert your LinkedIn profile into a resume in one click and impress HR managers.

While in many cases adding a resume to LinkedIn isn't a great idea, there are situations when it can help you in your job search.

If this is the case for you, your first thought should go into which of these two ways of adding resume to LinkedIn applies to you:

Also, consider hiding your contact information in order to protect your safety.

Finally, the Internet (and by extension LinkedIn) can be a bitter place, which is why everyone should know how to block people on LinkedIn .

This article was recently updated. The original article was written by Martin Poduska in 2020.

Kaja Jurcisinova is a junior copywriter at Kickresume. Kaja completed her undergraduate degree in Art History at the University of St Andrews in 2018 and graduated with a Master’s in Arts and Culture from the University of Groningen in 2021. She was an intern at multiple cultural institutions across Europe, including the Dutch Museum Association in Amsterdam, the Matter of Art Biennale in Prague, and the European Cultural Centre in Venice. At the moment, she resides in Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland.

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How To Upload Your Resume to LinkedIn in 4 Easy Steps! (2023 Updates)

How to Add Your Resume to LinkedIn

Can you still do it after LinkedIn’s last redesign?

Short answer: yes, you can.

Long answer: with LinkedIn’s last major website and app redesign, LinkedIn dropped the old “Import resume” feature.

How to add your resume to your LinkedIn profile (the NEW way)

Since LinkedIn removed the old “Import resume” feature, sharing resumes on one’s LinkedIn profile is much less common.

If you want to do it, though, you can still can:

1. Go to “Me” with your profile image. Click “View Profile.”

2. Scroll down until you see a subsection titled “Featured.” If you’re unable to find this section, go to the button titled “Add profile section”, under your bio.

3. Go to the Recommended tab and then on “Add featured.” Click the + sign to be prompted with a drop-down menu where you’re able to add media.

4. Upload your resume with a proper file name.

Viola! Your resume will appear shortly in your Featured section.

Psst… what is your LinkedIn photo saying about you?

Does your body language look friendly, timid, or even aggressive?

Choose your best picture using hard data with Photofeeler .

Photofeeler tells you how you’re coming across — if you look likable, smart, trustworthy, fun, confident, and more.

Go to Photofeeler.com now and give it a try!

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How-To Geek

How to use the linkedin resume assistant in microsoft word.

Use the Resume Assistant to see experience examples, top skills, helpful articles, and more.

Quick Links

Table of contents.

Resumes are important for job seekers but can also be tough to create. If you'd like extra help with which skills to include or how to best write your work experience, check out the LinkedIn Resume Assistant in Microsoft Word.

The Resume Assistant is available to Microsoft 365 subscribers. It's a feature in Word for Microsoft 365 on both Windows and Mac. You can also use it with Word online using your personal account, but not with a work or school account. The tool is an English language feature.

Related: How to Change the Language in Microsoft Word

Work Experience Examples

Top skills for the position, articles to help write your resume, additional language refinements, suggested jobs, visit linkedin, turn on the linkedin resume assistant in word.

You may already have the Resume Assistant enabled and ready for use. To check, open a Word document and head to the Review tab. You should see the button for "Resume Assistant" on the right side of the ribbon.

If it's there, you can move on to the sections below. If you don't see it, you can enable it in just a few clicks on Windows and Mac.

Enable the Resume Assistant on Windows

With any Word document open, click the File tab and select "Options" in the bottom-left corner.

In the Word Options window, select General on the left and go to LinkedIn Features on the right. Check the box for "Enable LinkedIn Features in My Office Applications" and click OK.

Enable the Resume Assistant on Mac

With any Word document open, click Word > Preferences from the menu bar. Select "General."

In the Settings area at the top, uncheck the box for "Turn Off Resume Assistant." You can then close the Preferences window.

Use the LinkedIn Resume Assistant in Word

You can use the Resume Assistant with a blank document, existing resume, or resume template. Go to the Review tab and click the "Resume Assistant" button in the ribbon as shown above. A sidebar will open on the right of your document.

Before you click "Get Started," make a note of the statement at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. If you agree and want to continue, go ahead and click "Get Started."

Enter the role (job position) and optionally, the industry, in the corresponding fields. As you begin typing, you'll see suggestions in a drop-down list. Select the one that fits your situation best.

The remainder of the sidebar will populate with helpful information for your resume based on the position and the industry listed (if you've entered one).

Starting at the top, you'll see job experience examples from LinkedIn. These are small snippets of how you might word your experiences. Click "Read More" to do exactly that for any of the examples.

You can also use the filter at the top of that section to narrow down examples by top skills.

Below the work experience examples, you'll see the top skills needed for the position you're seeking. These are proficiencies that other job seekers in your field highlight in their resumes.

This is a good way to get an idea of the skills potential that employers are looking for. Add them to your resume if they apply to you.

Next in the sidebar is a list of articles you can check out for additional help. If you select an article, it'll open in your default web browser where you can read it in full.

This is a great section to browse through for suggestions and recommendations when you're writing your resume.

Before you head over to the next section, there's a toggle you can turn on for more help with your resume writing. This editor checks your resume in progress for things like style problems, inappropriate verbiage, and more.

Related: How to Create a Professional Résumé in Microsoft Word

Next, you can have a look at the Suggested Jobs area of the sidebar. This displays open positions, along with their titles, locations, descriptions. Expand the section to read more and see the link to view the job directly on LinkedIn.

Finally, you have a link to head straight over to LinkedIn and work on your profile. Click "Get Started on LinkedIn" to open it in your default web browser.

With its examples, lists, and resources, the LinkedIn Resume Assistant in Word is definitely worth your time spent composing or editing your resume. The first two sections (with examples and top skills) are the most useful. But take a look at the other helpful features, too. They might just give you the edge you need as a job seeker.

For more information, take a look at the best and worst ways to send a resume .

Related: The Best and Worst Ways to Send a Resume

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A Checklist For Updating Your Resume in 2024

Need an updated resume but don’t have time to start from scratch? Follow these 17 simple tips to quickly update your existing resume in 2024.

9 months ago   •   9 min read

If you aren’t actively job searching — and sometimes even if you are — you probably haven’t updated your resume recently . This might not seem like a big deal, especially if you’re happy in your current position, but it’s always a good idea to have a current resume available. After all, if the perfect job landed in your lap tomorrow, wouldn’t you want to be ready?

When to update your resume

Let’s start with the basics: How often should you update your resume? Best practice is to update your resume every 3-6 months , or whenever you:

• Move to a new role or company
• Gain a promotion
• Develop a new professional skill
• Acquire a new certification or qualification
• Take on new responsibilities
• Complete a significant project
• Change your personal or contact information
• Are applying for jobs but not hearing back from employers

Related : How to Revise a Resume

17 things to update on your resume

If you’re worried about not having enough time: don’t be! Here are 17 tips for updating your resume in 2024 (and beyond) that will make a big impact in a small amount of time.

If you have 5-15 minutes

Short on time? Maximize your impact with these quick resume updates.

Refresh your resume header

Your resume header is the first thing recruiters see, so make sure the information on it is current.

Do include:

• Email address
• Phone number

Don’t include:

• Street address
• Social media
• Personal information
• Multiple contact details

Estimated time: 5 minutes

Related: The Ultimate Do’s and Don'ts of Resume Writing in 2024

Add or delete resume sections

In addition to your contact information, your resume needs to have your work experience and a brief education section. Everything else is optional.

Depending on your background and the job you're applying for, you might want to include a skills section, resume summary, certifications, publications, honors, awards, projects, extracurricular activities, or other information — but not all of those. Stick to 1-2 additional resume sections at most and make sure they have plain headings — "Work Experience" and "Education" rather than "What I Learned" and "My Work So Far."

Estimated time: 10 minutes

Use synonyms

Do a quick scan of your bullet points. How many of them start with the same word?

Unless your answer is ‘none,’ it’s time to vary your word choice with some synonyms for common action verbs . Instead of saying ‘led’ for the third time, try ‘managed,’ ‘spearheaded,’ or ‘coordinated.’ Rather than saying you ‘ worked with ’ a team, how about more interesting verbs like ‘collaborated,’ ‘partnered,’ or ‘advised?’

Looking for more suggestions? Check out our database of resume action verbs .

Estimated time: 15 minutes

Highlight promotions

Hiring managers want to see evidence of career progression on your resume, especially if you’re applying for mid-level and up roles. Highlight promotions and other types of career growth by showing progression in your job titles, emphasizing increased responsibilities, and explicitly pointing out promotions — especially if they were fast-tracked or otherwise ahead of schedule.

Here are some bullet points you can use to highlight a promotion:

• Promoted within 12 months due to strong performance (6 months ahead of schedule).
• Offered an early promotion to Senior Developer after 2 years; the only member of a cohort of 50 to be fast-tracked.

Include remote work accomplishments

If you’re applying for a hybrid or remote position, including accomplishments specific to working remotely is a must. Even if the role you’re applying for isn’t fully remote, it can be beneficial to point out how you’ve managed remote employees, collaborated with teams remotely, or managed your own workload and productivity as a remote worker.

Here are some sample remote work accomplishments you can use:

• Oversaw transition to remote work for team of 12 direct reports, resulting in 20% increase in productivity
• Led remote design sessions with client teams on 20+ projects to develop functional and technical requirements
• Increased overall departmental sales by 10% in a single year while working remotely

Optimize your resume for ATS

Up to 75% of companies now use some form of ATS or automated resume screener, and that number is likely to keep growing. Make it past the first hurdle by ensuring a computer can read your resume — that means creating it as a Word or Google Docs file, saving it as a PDF, using a single-column layout, and avoiding Photoshop or online resume building programs, which can result in a non-highlightable image that ATS can’t process. One super quick way to check that your resume is ATS-ready is to highlight the text — if you can’t, that means it isn’t compatible with ATS.

For even more tips, check out our guide to everything you need to know about applicant tracking systems .

If you have 20-30 minutes

Have a little more time? There resume updates will make a big impact — but still won't take you all day.

Add keywords

Having the most well-written resume in the world won’t help you if you can’t get past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Increase your chances of making it onto a hiring manager’s desk — and onto the ‘yes’ pile — by including relevant keywords.

How do you know what keywords recruiters are looking for? Check the job description for essential skills and make sure you’ve included the exact job title somewhere on your resume. You can also use our skills and keywords finder to search for industry-specific keywords you can include.

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Remove unnecessary information

The problem with your resume may not be that it doesn’t have enough information, but that it has too much. Here’s how to trim outdated information from your resume:

• Get rid of jobs that are older than 10-15 years — in most cases, your resume doesn’t need to go back further than that.
• Consider removing jobs that you held for less than 3-6 months (e.g. the ones you might have left early), as you’re unlikely to be able to point to significant accomplishments.
• If you’ve been out of school for more than 8-10 years, make your education section more concise by removing details like coursework, GPA, and the year you graduated.
• Unless you’re a current high school student, high school information doesn’t belong on your resume at all.
• If your resume contains any variation on the phrase “references available upon request,” get rid of it immediately!

Estimated time: 20 minutes

Skim your resume

Most hiring managers only spend a few minutes at most looking at each resume. What does that mean for you? If you have a super impressive accomplishment buried at the bottom of your resume or in a dense paragraph, chances are the person reading your resume won’t even notice.

Avoid falling into this trap by reading over your resume like a hiring manager would. Quickly scan your resume and see what jumps out at you. Do you notice important skills and keywords? Relevant job titles and accomplishments? Essential qualifications? If there’s something you want to highlight that isn’t immediately obvious, try these tricks to emphasize it:

• List career highlights — including must-have skills or particularly impressive accomplishments — in a resume summary at the top of the page
• Put the most important information higher up on your resume
• Make your bullet points shorter and more varied to hold a recruiter’s attention
• Use formatting tricks (bold, italics, font size) to make different sections stand out

Estimated time: 20-30 minutes

Proofread your resume

It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised to learn how many mistakes slip through onto finished resumes. Some hiring managers may not mind — or even notice — the odd typo, but for others, it could be a dealbreaker. Avoid taking chances by thoroughly proofreading your resume.

Here are some tips ensuring your resume is 100% error-free:

• Read it aloud. It's easy for our eyes to skip over small mistakes, but reading out loud forces us to slow down and listen to what's actually on the page.
• Use text to speech. Similarly, using the built-in text to speech function in your browser or Microsoft Word can help highlight any errors or awkward sections.
• Read it backward. It sounds silly, but it works. Reading each section — or even each word — in reverse order allows you to spot mistakes you might otherwise miss.
• Ask someone else. It's much easier to spot mistakes in other people's work than in something you wrote yourself. Ask someone you trust if they have a few minutes to look over your resume for obvious mistakes.

If you have 45 minutes+

Looking to do a complete resume overhaul? Deep dive into potential resume problem areas with these tips.

Update your work experience bullet points

Now that you’ve gotten rid of information that doesn’t need to be on your resume, you should have more room for the things that matter, like your accomplishments.

Under each job title on your resume, list 3-6 accomplishments in bullet point format using the formula [action verb] + [what you did] + [what the result was]. Use concrete numbers whenever possible — if you’re stuck, here are some easy ways to quantify your resume .

Estimated time: 1 hour

A good way to check if your resume has enough uses of concrete numbers and quantifiable accomplishments is to upload it to the tool below — it’ll scan it and let you know if you have shown enough quantifiable accomplishments that hiring managers look for in a resume.

Tailor your resume to the job you want

Keywords aren’t the only way to target your resume. You should also:

• Include a resume title that matches the job you’re applying for
• Write a resume summary highlighting key skills and experience
• Make sure your job title reflects your actual responsibilities
• Prioritize your most relevant accomplishments — reorder your bullet points if necessary
• Customize your skills section
• Run your resume through our Targeted Resume tool to check your resume against the job description

Estimated time: 45 minutes

If you’re unsure how to tailor your resume to the job you want, use the hard skills and keywords tool below to search for the job and it’ll give you a list of skills relevant to the job. For example, search for Graphic Designer and it’ll give you a list of skills specific to the graphic design industry.

Update your LinkedIn

Potential employers look at more than just your resume when you’re applying for jobs. It’s fairly common for hiring managers to get a better feel for applicants by looking at their LinkedIn profiles, so make sure that yours is up to date and consistent with your resume. To improve your LinkedIn profile, optimize it using this tool .

Once it’s up to scratch, include a link to your profile in your resume header to make it easier for recruiters to find you if they want to know more.

Polish your formatting

The content of your resume is what matters most, but that won’t count for much if hiring managers can’t read it. Your resume should use plain, consistent formatting. Make sure to:

• Choose a basic, easy to read font — and use the same font throughout your resume
• Use bold and italics to emphasize section headings
• Write your accomplishments in bullet points, not in paragraphs of text
• List jobs in reverse chronological order , with your most recent position at the top
• Don’t use fancy templates, colors , images, or infographics — keep it simple
• Leave plenty of blank space — this makes your resume easier for recruiters to quickly skim
• Download an ATS-friendly resume template to do most of the work for you

Estimated time: Up to 1 hour

Future proof your resume for 2024

If you find you're having to start from scratch every time you update your resume, here are some things you can start doing now to make sure your resume is always up to date.

Use a modern resume template

Do you spend so much time formatting your resume that you're bored by the time you start adding content? Take a shortcut by downloading a professional, ATS-optimized resume template . Sticking with a modern but simple template is the key to avoiding resume trends (like bright colors or infographics) that will look dated in a few years.

Have a master resume

While it's important to have more than one resume, depending on how many jobs you're applying for and how different they are, it can also be a pain to keep them all updated. Avoid this by creating a single master resume that contains all of your information. That way, you can keep a single file updated and pull from it to create more targeted resumes as needed.

Keep a running list of your accomplishments

Have you ever sat down to update your resume and wished you could remember more of your accomplishments? Instead of straining to remember months (or years) worth of accomplishments at once, try keeping a running list of your accomplishments and adding to it every time you achieve something noteworthy. This could be a "brag folder" where you drop projects you're proud of, a word document where you copy glowing performance reviews, or even a handwritten notebook where you jot things down as they happen.

Spread the word

How to improve your resume: a guide for job seekers in 2024, what should a resume look like in 2024, keep reading, how to show bilingualism on your resume (with examples), oops what to do if there’s a mistake on your resume, getting the basics right: resume line spacing, subscribe to our newsletter.

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• How to Put LinkedIn on a...

How to Put LinkedIn on a Resume (with Examples)

10 min read · Updated on March 27, 2024

Here's how to best represent LinkedIn on your resume so you receive the right type of attention

It's common knowledge that LinkedIn is the top professional social media site used. Unlike other older social media sites that have declined in popularity over the years, LinkedIn has maintained its popularity and has been actively used since its launch in 2003. With more than 1 billion users worldwide and 67 million companies on the site, it's a go-to resource to network, recruit, find and apply for jobs, promote your expertise, and more. 

So, if you're not on LinkedIn, create an account as soon as possible. For those of you who are on LinkedIn, you might be wondering if you should include LinkedIn on your resume. Great question! 

In this post, we'll cover:

Why you should include LinkedIn on a resume

How to update your LinkedIn profile so it's safe to share your URL

How to create a custom LinkedIn URL

Ways to personalize your LinkedIn URL

Where and how to put LinkedIn on your resume

When not to include LinkedIn on your resume

How to include LinkedIn Learning on your resume

Should you put LinkedIn on a resume? 

It's true that your resume is the first impression employers have of you when you apply for a job. With that said, count on LinkedIn being impression number two, given that more than 78% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find and research candidates. Some research even indicates 40% of employers won't consider you if you don't have a LinkedIn profile. In other words, as soon as your resume grabs the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager, it's likely that they're going to quickly do an online search to learn more about you, starting with LinkedIn. 

So, if you've been wondering if recruiters and hiring managers really do check LinkedIn, now you know that they do. As a result, you should definitely include your LinkedIn URL on your resume. But, before you take that step, you must ensure that your profile is current and professional. 

How to update your LinkedIn profile before sharing your URL

Even if you choose not to include your LinkedIn URL on your resume, based on the stats above, it's still probable that hiring teams will look for it anyway. So, first things first, you need to ensure your LinkedIn profile has all the necessary elements and is professionally written. The last thing you want is for a hiring manager to find your profile halfway complete - that scenario is likely to put your resume in the thanks-but-no-thanks pile. 

While it's true that your LinkedIn profile and resume need to align with each other, the great thing about your LinkedIn profile is that it gives you the chance to share more about yourself than your resume can highlight - another reason to be sure to include LinkedIn on your resume. Your LinkedIn profile provides you with a unique opportunity to showcase your personality and all of your professional history - it's a way to highlight your personal and professional brand. 

To ensure your profile is up to par and does what it's meant to do (land an interview and help you to get hired), you want to customize it as follows:

Include a professional photo and cover image

Craft a catchy headline

Add a standout summary in the “About” section

Add your work history in detail

Include all of your skills

Seek endorsements

Include your education , training, licenses, and certifications

Request recommendations

Add work samples, if possible

Complete all relevant sections

For more detailed information on how to best complete your LinkedIn profile, refer to “ 12 Ways to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out .” 

If you don't currently have a LinkedIn profile, use caution when rushing to create one. Yes, you want to have a profile up and running as soon as possible - especially if you're in the market for a new job - but don't create it in haste. Instead, when you're ready, give it some thoughtful consideration and take the time required to ensure it's a profile you're proud to share with employers. 

Another essential step to take before adding your LinkedIn URL to your resume is personalizing it. Yes, you could use the LinkedIn-generated URL that includes your full name followed by a string of seemingly random numbers and text at the end, but doing so looks unprofessional. In the examples below, if you compare how a LinkedIn-generated URL looks with how a customized URL looks, which is better? 

LinkedIn-generated URL : linkedin.com/in/carry-groove-521a7699744/ 

Customized URL: linkedin.com/in/carrygroove

Not only does the customized URL look more professional, it's also easier to recall. Plus, not customizing your URL can make you come across as being lazy or not caring enough about your job application.

Now that you're clear it's essential to customize your LinkedIn URL, here are the steps to do so:

Log into your LinkedIn profile

On the upper middle to right side of the LinkedIn navigation, click on the “Me” icon

From the menu that appears, click on “View Profile”

Select “Edit public profile & URL” from the top right corner, which will take you to your public profile settings

Click on the pencil icon below and to the right of “Edit your custom URL”

Customize the last part of the URL where you can enter information and click “Save”

Ways to customize and personalize your LinkedIn URL

LinkedIn allows you to customize your URL with 3 to 100 numbers or letters. When choosing what to use for the customized aspect, first remove any random string of text or numbers following your name. If your name alone isn't available, the next best option is to use a variation of your name that is still recognizable and professional. You can also include your job title or profession for URL customization.

Here are some examples of how to personalize your URL:

Add an available and easy to remember number at the end: linkedin.com/in/jamesjones25

Use your title or area of expertise: linkedin.com/in/jamesjoneshrgeneralist

Include your credentials: linkedin.com/in/jamesjonesCPA  

Add a phrase that relates to your personal brand: linkedin.com/in/jamesjonesmortgageloanexpert

Add your middle initial: linkedin.com/in/jameszjones

Where to include a LinkedIn URL on your resume

You're likely not surprised to learn that your LinkedIn URL should go at the top of your resume with your contact information . It's typically the last piece of contact information you'll include, following your phone number and email address.

When sending your resume by email, it's also wise to include your hyperlinked LinkedIn URL in your email signature. This offers easy access to your LinkedIn profile before the recruiter or hiring manager even looks at your resume. It's a good idea to include your LinkedIn URL in the contact information section of your cover letter , too.

How to put your LinkedIn URL on your resume

When listing your LinkedIn URL:

You don't need to include the "https://www." at the beginning. Only listing the rest of the URL is sufficient - for example, linkedin.com/in/karenjohnson22

You don't need to include a LinkedIn label for the URL - the employer will know what the URL is referencing since all LinkedIn URLs begin with "linkedin.com/in/" 

Hyperlink the URL in electronic versions of your resume

On the rare occasion that you might mail a hard copy of your resume, be sure the URL is easily legible and remove the hyperlink

How to put LinkedIn on a resume: example

When you've added your LinkedIn URL to your resume, it could look like this: 

[email protected] | 555.555.5555 | linkedin.com/in/marysmith11

When not to include a LinkedIn URL on your resume

It's clear that putting LinkedIn on your resume adds value in most instances. However, there are a few scenarios where you shouldn't include LinkedIn on your resume. 

Don't include your LinkedIn URL if:

You haven't customized your LinkedIn URL. As mentioned earlier, not customizing your URL might make you appear lazy to recruiters and hiring managers. Since the LinkedIn-generated URL also tends to be long and odd-looking, it could be distracting to human readers vs. adding value the way you want it to.

Your profile is out-of-date and incomplete. Again, it's imperative that your LinkedIn profile is current and complete if you're in the job market and share your URL on your resume.

You don't feel good about your profile. Even if your LinkedIn profile is current, if you don't feel good about it or don't feel it represents you in the best light possible, don't include the URL on your resume. Instead, wait until you've made the updates and changes that make you want to share it. With that said, since employers tend to look you up even if you don't include your URL, try to make those changes with thoughtful consideration sooner rather than later - especially if you're currently applying for jobs. You also have the option of switching your profile to private until you're ready to make it public.  You can always seek professional support to help you update your profile if you're struggling to do so yourself. 

Your LinkedIn profile merely mirrors your resume. A benefit of including your LinkedIn URL on your resume is that it gives hiring teams insight into additional skills and experiences you have, as well as who you are as a person. If your LinkedIn profile and resume are virtually the same, then hiring teams might wonder why you included the URL at all. 

How to add LinkedIn Learning to your resume

If you have a LinkedIn learning certificate, it can be a valuable addition to enhance your job marketing materials. Here are some ways to include LinkedIn Learning on your resume:

Include it in your Certifications section. The most obvious place to include a LinkedIn Learning certificate is in your list of certifications, if you include such a section on your resume. 

Share it in your Education section . Suppose LinkedIn Learning is your only certification or additional training beyond your education. In that case, you can choose to list it with your education. For this scenario, some good naming conventions for the section are “Education & Certifications” or “Education & Credentials.”   

Reference it in your resume summary. You might mention your LinkedIn Learning certificate in your resume summary , if it helps to fill in any skills gaps you have or if you lack relevant work experience for the position.

Add it to your skills or competencies list. If you don't need to emphasize your LinkedIn Learning training in your summary, or are forgoing a Certifications section on your resume, then you can opt to list it in your skills or competencies list. 

LinkedIn on your resume is expected

In today's world, employers expect to see your LinkedIn URL on your resume. Be sure to include your personalized URL with your contact information and, simultaneously, ensure your LinkedIn profile is professionally written and up to date. Hiring managers will thank you! 

And if you have any LinkedIn Learning training that's relevant to the job, be sure to include it where appropriate. Doing so can further enhance your resume and prove you're the perfect candidate for the job. Good luck!  

Do you want to know whether your resume correctly represents your LinkedIn URL as well as other pertinent elements? Why not submit it for a free resume review by our team of expert resume writers ? They'll work with you and show you exactly what to include and how to include it to create the best resume possible!  

Recommended reading:

How to List Certifications on a Resume (with Examples)

5 Easy Ways to Spring Clean Your Resume

How to Check if My Resume is ATS-Friendly for Free

Related Articles:

What are Social Skills and Why Are They Important in Your Job Search?

How to Upload Your Resume to LinkedIn - Step by Step Guide

Should You Use LinkedIn Easy Apply?

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