Why Your LinkedIn Profile is More Important than Your Resume

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Do you know why your LinkedIn profile is more important than your resume?

Launched in 2003, the main purpose of LinkedIn is to help people network professionally. With now more than 550 million users on LinkedIn, one would think that professionals would have a better understanding of how important this platform is and how to use it to their full advantage. I have found, however that this is not the case. Most people tend to only use LinkedIn when they are job searching to search job postings to which they can submit their resume. Their primary focus is to get their resume updated so that they can start sending it out to recruiters.

But the fact is, LinkedIn is the #1 resource used by recruiters to find and research candidates prior to even seeing their resume. Here's the thing, if you have designed your LinkedIn Profile correctly and are even just minimally active on LinkedIn, recruiters and jobs will come to you! So yes, you LinkedIn Profile is more important than your resume!

Anyone who is currently in the workforce must have a LinkedIn profile—whether they are looking for a job or not. There are so many opportunities LinkedIn can afford you and that go way beyond just your job hunt. No resume can do that!

So, let's talk about some of the differences between the two and why if given the option of focusing on just one, your LinkedIn profile is more important than your resume and should always take priority.

What a LinkedIn Profile Can Do that A Resume Cannot

Grows your network – LinkedIn is, after all a professional networking platform and there is no faster way to connect and get introduced to other professionals. Even if you are an introvert, networking has never been easier than with LinkedIn. And because the vast majority of jobs are never posted but spread by word of mouth, the larger your network, the more opportunities you will have.

Increases your visibility – Because you have unlimited exposure (literally around the world and around the clock), your LinkedIn profile gives you the opportunity to spread a wide net and reach a much broader audience than just sending your resume out to individual recruiters.

Provides you with a platform with which to establish your credibility – You can upload copies of or include links to your work, upload letters of recommendation, and even include links to any online articles you have written or have been the subject of in your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn allows you to do all of this and then some!

Allows you to have a less formal and more natural voice – Because LinkedIn is a social networking platform, (albeit a professional one) whose purpose is to connect professionals together, it is easier to be more natural and conversational than the limited formal structure of a resume.

Affords you the opportunity to brand yourself – Using the Headline, Profile and Background photos, and Summary section you have the opportunity to deliver a much more complete and compelling branding message than with a resume. Watch this quick video to learn how easy it is to upload your own customized background photo.

Provides the tools with which to demonstrate your Unique Value Proposition – One of the challenges of a resume is the limited amount of space you have. While it is possible to demonstrate your Value Proposition on your resume, (I do this for my clients all the time), your LinkedIn Profile is better than your resume in that you can send your messaging from so many different angles (background photo, 2,000 character Summary Statement, media uploads, and participation in groups are just a few)

What a LinkedIn Profile Is Not

LinkedIn is not just a copy of your resume – What pains me the most in my profession is when I see people underutilizing LinkedIn and treating it as only an online resume. There is so much more to all of us than our resumes. I can assure you that if you make just a little effort with LinkedIn, you will almost not even need a resume!

A tool to use only when you are looking for a job – The main function of LinkedIn is to help you create, nurture, and grow your professional network. Just as we spend time on Facebook or Twitter conversing with others, we should be doing the same on LinkedIn. Don't just set it and forget it, engage and connect with others! Your career and your bank account will thank you!

Source: https://yourbestdesignedcareer.com/linkedin-profile-is-more-important-than-resume/