You know you need a resume and you know you must have a LinkedIn page. Why can’t you just use the same information on both? You can’t. Keep reading to find out why. What if you are applying to two or three different job titles or changing fields? How does that play out in your resume and on your Linked in page?
Three things in common
Resumes and LinkedIn profiles have three things in common. Both provide an advertisement for you – brand you as an expert, a successful professional in your field. Both have a summary of your accomplishments, a list of key words and a job history. Both are reviewed by hiring managers, search firms, recruiters, and potential employers. And that is where the similarity ends.
Three differences
1. You can have only ONE LinkedIn page. You can have several resumes, each one targeted to a specific job title and include the key words, skills and accomplishments related to that job target. If you are applying for a management position in one field but a technical position in another, you need two different resumes. If you are changing fields you need to highlight accomplishments and skills that are transferable to the new field.
Your Linked in page has to incorporate ALL of the key accomplishments, skills and key words. Use the 140 characters on the top of your LinkedIn profile next to your name to list as many key words or job titles that relate to ALL of your job targets.
2. Tone – A resume is written in a concise business-like manner. It is usually written in formal language in the third person. The LinkedIn page, on the other hand, allows you to write in a more informal tone of voice and tell a more personal story about your career journey. You can use the first person “I” to tell your story.
3. Resumes should never include references. Your LinkedIn page, however, can and should include several recommendations – written by people who know your work as colleagues, supervisors or clients. Recommendations written by people who worked with you, for you, or supervised you are the best way to show your effectiveness on the job. The list of skills at the bottom of the LinkedIn page with the photos of people who recommend you might look good but they are much less effective than testimonials.
Your resume needs to be “pushed out” to potential employers. Your LinkedIn page is available for searching by hiring managers, HR managers, search firms, and executive recruiters. That is why it is imperative to use language that mirrors the job descriptions you are targeting. SEO or Search engine optimization…. use key words that the hiring managers are using to search for you.