While there are clear differences between your resume and LinkedIn profile, they should (for the most part) look the same. But why? What will happen if you have inconsistencies on your resume and LinkedIn profile?

Before we can dive into this important job search issue, we must first understand the purpose of a resume and LinkedIn profile.

The Purpose Of Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile

For job seekers, the purpose of your resume and LinkedIn profile is not to get you a job. It’s to get hiring managers and recruiters to call you.

Optimizing your resume and LinkedIn profile is the key to getting your job application in front of the right people. Your resume should be optimized with the right keywords so it can get past the ATS, and your LinkedIn profile should be optimized so it comes up in search results when a hiring manager or recruiter is looking to hire professionals with specific skills or experience.

If you do these two things, your job application will end up in the hands of the hiring manager. But, that’s not enough; you need to stand out against the other job applicants.

The best way to stand out in the screening process is to quantify your work experience—on both your resume and LinkedIn profile. But, you don’t want to give too much information away. You want to include just enough information on your resume to make hiring managers and recruiters say, “This person looks qualified. They have the right skills and experience, and also some impressive accomplishments. But I want to know more. Let’s give them a call.”

See how that works? The purpose of your resume and LinkedIn profile is to land you an interview. It’s to get employers to call you back. And it all comes down to optimizing your resume and LinkedIn profile and quantifying your work history on both.

Now that you understand the purpose of your resume and LinkedIn profile, you’re probably wondering why they need to look the same. The answer is simple: hiring managers and recruiters watch out for inconsistencies in your work history.

Hiring Managers Need To Know Which Version Of Your Work History Is Correct

When the information in your “Experience” section on your LinkedIn profile doesn’t match up with the information in your “Work History” section on your resume, that’s a red flag to employers. They’re left wondering which version of your work history is correct, or the most accurate. This inconsistency could be the difference between getting a call from an employer and having your resume tossed.

Yes, since your resume and LinkedIn profile are different, they will look different at first glance. But when someone looks closely at your work experience, they should notice that the information is the same. This doesn’t leave any room for doubt in an employer’s mind about how qualified you are.

Ultimately, hiring managers and recruiters don’t like a bait-and-switch when it comes to your job application. Keep your work experience the same on your resume and LinkedIn profile to stand out in the hiring process and land an interview.

​Do Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile Look The Same?

If you’re reviewing your resume and LinkedIn profile and realize that there are some inconsistencies in your work history, be sure to fix them before you apply for your next job. You want to impress hiring managers, not confuse them!

Need help with your resume and LinkedIn profile? Sign up for our FREE Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp today!

During this bootcamp, you will learn:

How to properly format and optimize your resume.How to optimize your LinkedIn profile.How both of these tools can help you stand out.

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