LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networks and one of the best job search sites. While its main purpose is connecting recruiters and people searching for jobs, you can also use it to track someone down or to find out who’s looking for you online.
If you’re using this network to find a new job, you might run across some issues, like how to add or update your resume on LinkedIn. Although, the question you should ask yourself first is whether you should be uploading your resume on LinkedIn at all.
Should You Add Your Resume To LinkedIn?
At first, the answer seems obvious – of course, you should attach your resume to your LinkedIn profile. The sole purpose of your profile on the network is to land you a job.
Adding your resume to LinkedIn can help in more ways than one:
- Your future employer doesn’t need to scroll through your LinkedIn profile to find the information they’re after. It’s all condensed in a one-page summary that is your resume.
- It gives the employer quick access to your contact details. If they’re interested, they can contact you directly avoiding long conversations on the network.
- Your LinkedIn profile is probably rather broad, displaying all your past professional skills and experience in different work spheres. But your resume can be a narrowed-down version of that, tailored to the job you’re searching for.
- Finally, you already put so much effort into creating an attractive resume that speaks about your talents and accomplishments. Why not show it off to your potential future employers?
However, there can be some downsides to attaching your resume to your LinkedIn profile that you shouldn’t ignore.
The biggest one of them is risking your personal data being shared publicly online. Once you upload your resume, you will no longer have any control over who downloads it and gets access to your private information, like your email address, phone number, maybe even your physical address. It also means that everyone on LinkedIn can now download, copy, and use your resume as they wish.
One more thing you should consider before you add your resume to LinkedIn is what it will look like to your current employer if you have one. When you upload your resume, your job search status on LinkedIn becomes active. That may send the wrong message to your colleagues at your current place of employment.
All in all, once you upload your resume, it sends a message that you’re actively looking for a job. Some recruiters might find it handy (that you have your resume right on your LinkedIn page), while others might find it desperate. In the end of the day, it’s up to you what you think works best for building your LinkedIn presence.
How To Add Your Resume To LinkedIn
If, after you consider all the pros and cons of adding your resume to your LinkedIn profile, you still want to do it, here is how to upload your resume.
Before, you used to be able to add your resume to the summary section of your LinkedIn profile. Now the layout has changed, and you have to add your resume to the Featured section to have it displayed on your profile.
- On your profile, either scroll down to the Featured section or tap the Add profile section button.
- From the pop-up menu, choose Media.
- Find your latest resume on your computer, and select Open. Make sure your document has a clear name like your name + resume.
- After you click save, your resume will be featured on your LinkedIn profile.
How To Upload Your Resume For Easy Apply Applications
LinkedIn offers a second (and less obvious) option for adding your resume to your profile. You can save up to three different resumes when applying for jobs on LinkedIn using the Easy Apply function.
To save your resume when applying for a job on LinkedIn, follow the steps:
- From LinkedIn’s navigation bar, select Jobs.
- From the positions offered, find one that has the Easy Apply icon on it. Those are the jobs that you can quickly apply to using a saved resume on LinkedIn.
- When prompted, click Upload Resume and attach your latest resume to the application. If you’re using different resumes for different positions, make sure to use distinctive names for each of your saved resumes.
How To Update Your Resume On LinkedIn
One thing you want to look out for when having your resume on your LinkedIn profile is making sure it’s always up to date. You don’t want to seem sloppy to your future employers with a resume that’s a few years (or few jobs) old.
To update your resume on LinkedIn, you’ll have to delete your old one and upload a new document. Once you have your updated resume ready, go to the Featured section of your profile.
Click on the resume you’d like to replace, and select Delete. Once you delete the item, follow the steps described under the How To Upload Your Resume On LinkedIn section of this article.
To avoid any confusion from potential recruiters, keep an eye on your resume on LinkedIn and make sure it’s always fresh and up to date.
Build Up Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is a great network for anyone looking to further their career. Even the basic free version allows you to showcase your professional skills and accomplishments, paint the best picture of yourself for any potential employers, and apply for as many positions as you like. That of course though takes time and effort.
If you’re looking to jump over a few steps straight to the top of the career ladder, consider investing in LinkedIn Premium. The Career tier comes with a lot of useful perks like applicant statistics and visibility insights that will help you upgrade your LinkedIn profile.
Did you add your resume to your LinkedIn profile page? Do you think it helps your job search or hurts it instead? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
