How to Add Your Resume on LinkedIn (Bonus Tip Included)

4 January
4 min read
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Looking to land your next job via LinkedIn?

No surprise there - LinkedIn is the social professional social media network out there, with over 3,000,000 new jobs posted on the platform per month in the US alone!

But before you start your job search via LinkedIn, you need to upload your resume to the platform.

In this article, we’ll teach you how to add your resume to your LinkedIn profile! Read on to learn:

  • How To Add Your Resume on LinkedIn
  • How to Add Your Resume on LinkedIn With Easy Apply
  • Should You Add Your Resume to LinkedIn? Pros & Cons
  • How to Download Your LinkedIn Profile As a Resume

So let’s dive right in! 

How to Add Resume to Your LinkedIn Profile

The first thing to know is that your LinkedIn already has a place reserved for your resume, and that’s your profile's About Me section. 

It’s a strategic position that allows anyone visiting your profile to notice your resume right away. 

Now, when it comes to uploading your resume on LinkedIn, the process is fairly easy. 

Follow these steps to upload your resume directly to your profile:

Step #1: Click the Me tab on the top toolbar below your profile photo.

Step #2: Choose View Profile from the drop-down menu that appears.

about-me-linkedin

Step #3: Scroll down and click the Add Featured link.

Step #4: If you don't see the “Featured” section, it might be disabled. If that’s the case, scroll to the top of your profile and select “Add profile section”, then “Recommended”, and then “Add featured”, and finally "Add Media".

Step #5: Otherwise, if your Featured section is enabled, click Add Favorites or the plus icon, and select Media from the drop-down menu.

featured-linkedin

Step #6: In the file upload window that appears, select the resume document you want to upload and click Open.

Step #7: A preview of the document will pop up, as well as fields to title and describe your resume. Only the title is required.

Step #8: After filling in the title and description, click Save.

And just like that, everyone will be able to view your resume in the Featured part of your LinkedIn profile.

Want to learn more about how to actively find a job with LinkedIn? Check out our guide to LinkedIn networking!

Applying for Jobs on LinkedIn? Add Your Resume Using Easy Apply!

Now, when looking for work, it’s best to tailor your resume to each position rather than use the same one for all applications. Customizing your resume to the job not only improves your chances of getting hired but also shows the recruiter that you're dedicated and detail-oriented.

And, unfortunately, simply adding your resume to your LinkedIn profile doesn’t allow you to tailor your resume to specific job positions. 

The good news? LinkedIn has thought about this. 

 

If you’re job hunting and applying to several positions, you can upload different, customized versions of your resume using LinkdeIn's “Easy Apply” function. 

Here’s exactly how you can do it: 

Step #1: For starters, check the job position you’re applying for. The Easy Apply function will allow you to upload your resume straight to LinkedIn. Any listing that just has an "Apply" tab will require you to submit your resume via a third-party website. 

easy-apply-linkedin

Step #2: If applicable, select Easy Apply. Scroll down until you see a button that says Upload Resume

apply-with-resume-linkedin

Step #3: To upload your resume, navigate to the resume file on your computer and select Open. 

Step #4: From here on, you can keep revising your application and, when finished, click the Submit Application tab. 

The best part? LinkedIn will save this version of your resume in case you need to use it for another job. 

Should I Add My Resume on LinkedIn? 

The answer is a clear “yes!”

When a potential employer lands on your LinkedIn page, they won’t have enough information just with your personal profile to see if you’re qualified for whatever job they’re considering you for.

Simply by adding a resume, you’re adding a new level of depth to your LinkedIn profile and making it more likely that prospective employers reach out to you.

How to Download Your LinkedIn Profile As a Resume (With Pros & Cons)

Just like it allows you to upload your resume online, LinkedIn also lets you download your profile on the platform as a resume. 

All LinkedIn profiles feature a “Save as PDF” tab that will take your LinkedIn profile and save it on your device as a PDF.  

This PDF will contain everything you’ve listed on LinkedIn, including your education, work experience, and skills.

To download your LinkedIn profile as a resume, the first thing you need to do is open LinkedIn in a web browser on your computer. 

After selecting the profile icon at the top, click View Profile.

view-profile-linkedin

On the profile page, right below the profile picture, click More and select Save to PDF.

linkedin-save-to-pdf

In a few seconds, your download will begin and the PDF will show all the information included in your profile.

Now, if you want to add, update, or omit certain elements from the profile before saving it, you can use LinkedIn’s resume tool to do so. Once you’re pleased with the result, you can hit Save. 

However, the real question here is, is using a LinkedIn profile as a resume a good idea?

The answer is no.

The LinkedIn resume is simply not that effective for several reasons:

  • It simply doesn’t look that good. And yes, your resume’s design does matter. The cleaner your resume layout, the easier it is to scan, and as such, more likely to get read by the HR manager.
  • It’s not comprehensive enough. Your LinkedIn profile should not be as detailed as your resume. The purpose of a LI profile is to act as a brief introduction to you as a professional, not to sell you as a candidate.
  • The output might be too long. Generally, you want to keep your resume length to one, maybe two pages max. A LinkedIn profile export can be longer than that.

Want to use a tried-and-tested resume template instead? Check out the Novorésumé resume builder!

It’s super easy to use and comes with 16 tried-and-tested templates. And the best part? Our resumes look super slick!

resume-templates-examples

Key Takeaways

And that about sums it all up about how to best combine your LinkedIn profile & your resume!

Before you go, though, let’s recap the most important points we covered in this article:

  • LinkedIn is much more than a CV on the internet. A LinkedIn profile should emphasize your ties to persons and employers, while your CV should present a clear professional goal. 
  • There are 2 simple ways to submit your resume to LinkedIn: directly through uploading or by using the Easy Apply feature for specific jobs.
  • When hunting for a job on LinkedIn, don’t just rely on your CV - make sure your profile is fully updated too.