Use Your Resume to Update Your LinkedIn Profile

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Your LinkedIn profile should align with your resume, although the two should not be exactly the same. The work history listed in your profile should definitely match up with your resume — this is an easy check for prospective employers to make. However, your profile should complement — not duplicate — your resume.

The most important pieces of your LinkedIn profile are your profile Headline and your LinkedIn Summary. These two things are the first items a prospective employer will review. While the resume uses third-person language, your LinkedIn Summary should be a first-person narrative that appeals to a prospective employer’s needs by identifying what makes you a good candidate.

You should also use the same accomplishments that are on your resume in your LinkedIn profile, although you can elaborate on them a bit more in the Experience section. If you’ve prepared Challenge-Action-Result (CAR) statements for interviews, you may want to integrate these your LinkedIn profile in the Experience section.

Finally, make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete. Post your photo, fill out all of the sections (including current and former positions and your education), populate the Skills & Expertise section, and request (and offer) Recommendations. LinkedIn profiles that are “complete” receive 40% more opportunities than incomplete profiles.