I am often asked by my coaching clients, “Should my LinkedIn profile be written the same way as my resume?”
The answer is yes and no! To explain the important differences I’ve created a table:
| LinkedIn Profile | Resume | |
| Purpose | Professional social networking, personal branding, to get found. | To get hired. |
| Audience | All audiences. | Hiring Manager and HR. |
| Privacy | Public. | Private. |
| Viewer experience | Dynamic and evolving. | Static. |
| Time period | Past, present and future. | Past and present. |
| Photo | Yes. | No. |
| Pictures, colours | Yes. | No. Use black and white or add one other colour. |
| Versions | One LinkedIn profile. | Multiple – tailored for each position. |
| Length | Shorter. | Longer. |
| Tone | Professional social tone. | Formal. |
| Tense | First person. | First or third person. |
| Importance of keywords | Search algorithms, search engine optimisation (SEO) | Database search, applicant tracking systems (ATS). |
It takes more than a well-written resume to be shortlisted for a position these days. You’ll need a polished LinkedIn profile, too.
For assistance with improving your LinkedIn profile and your resume, check out my eBooks here and career coaching options here.
Elite Human Capital 