An informative LinkedIn profile can be a crucial asset to any job seeker. In which circumstances should you choose to include LinkedIn on your resume?
LinkedIn offers many more opportunities for a job seeker to tell their story than a resume. The multimedia aspects of a LinkedIn profile combined with the social proof of an active network make it a compelling place to visit for any employer who wants to do a deep dive on their future employee. It can be a valuable addition to a resume and cover letter.
The answer to the question “Should you include LinkedIn on your resume?” is a resounding “Without a doubt!” for many and a “nice to have” for others—with one caveat: you need a decent LinkedIn profile in the first place.
In this guide we explore the nuances of including LinkedIn on your resume, including why to add it, where to place it, who benefits most, and when to leave it off. Job seekers should make the most of every opportunity to sell themselves. LinkedIn opens up a whole new dimension of storytelling potential.
Expert tip
Do employers look at LinkedIn?
If you were looking to make a critical hire for your business, would you want to find out as much about candidates as possible? Recent research suggests that the vast majority of recruiters review applicants' LinkedIn profiles—whether or not the link is on the resume. Including the URL in your resume header simply makes it easier for them to access. For most job seekers, it's a no-brainer.
Why do I need to put LinkedIn on my resume?
Over the past decade, LinkedIn has become an essential piece of the job search puzzle. It is a place to find jobs and be found for jobs. You can network with potential hiring managers, identify influential recruiters in your industry, and read industry insights from leading thinkers to inform your career choices.
If you are not on LinkedIn—with certain exceptions—you signal that you are not invested in your career. The majority of job seekers choose to put their LinkedIn profile on their resumes, but profile quality varies considerably. Ask yourself whether your profile would be interesting for a potential hiring manager. If it is not, either improve it or do not put it on your resume.
Not telling your career story in a different way on LinkedIn would be a missed opportunity. The more time an employer spends considering your application, the more cemented your candidature is in their mind. It is like dwell time on a video or social post—keep those eyeballs on your story for as long as possible.
Is LinkedIn important for a job search?
95%
of recruiters review candidates' LinkedIn profiles during hiring
Expert tip
Top 5 (unusual) tips for optimizing a LinkedIn profile
You will have read the normal tips for optimizing a profile, so here are five ideas that may sit outside the usual lists:
- Use your headline for the “future” you (talk about your next role, not the last one).
- Write your “about me” in the first person—be personal as well as professional.
- Include one piece of multimedia per job—you must be able to find something.
- Include as many previous recommendations as possible—they will be read.
- Create a compelling featured section and link to your resume there.
Where to put LinkedIn on a resume?
The link to your LinkedIn profile should ideally be included in the header section of your resume. Do not hide it somewhere towards the end as it may not be noticed.
It is important to personalize the URL and you can often include a hyperlink (without the www). Even if a hyperlink is not possible, the web address does not take long to type.
Alex Morgan
Marketing Specialist
Adding a LinkedIn profile at the top of your resume is a subconscious hint that you have much more to say beyond what is in the resume document. If a hiring manager is interested in you, they may visit many times—and you may see them in your “who's viewed my profile” section. You can then connect before the interview to build rapport. LinkedIn is really that important.
You might choose to use the LinkedIn icon in your resume, but it is best to stick to a plain text link as an icon may not be recognized by certain types of ATS software.
Expert tip
How do I personalize my LinkedIn profile URL?
Personalize your LinkedIn public URL. Instead of linkedin.com/in/yourname-hw6rfn8bs1d use linkedin.com/in/yourname. The option is in Settings → Privacy → Public profile → Edit public profile. Many popular names will have been taken, but you can add numbers, middle names, or initials. Make sure it sounds professional—nicknames are not advised.
Who would benefit from putting LinkedIn on their resume?
An astounding 80 percent of professional job seekers would benefit from creating a compelling LinkedIn profile and including it in their resume header.
There are exceptions, as listed in the next section, but in a world where your LinkedIn profile is a tap or two away on an interviewer's phone screen, even including one extra piece of multimedia there could make the difference.
So many jobs have been secured by saying “If you would like to see my portfolio, it is on my LinkedIn profile.” The interviewer then views it there and then, during the interview.
It goes without saying that anyone in HR, sales, marketing, or management should be active on LinkedIn as part of their day job. As recruiters from every industry source candidates on LinkedIn as their go-to database, everyone should be “in it to win it.” If you are there, your profile should be impressive enough for a recruiter—and if that is the case, it should also be impressive enough for an employer.
Expert tip
Does engagement matter?
Unless you are going to be working in social media, marketing, or sales, your employer won't care if there is not a ton of engagement on LinkedIn. It might seem like a popularity contest, but unless this is a key metric of your role, don't worry about it. Frantic attempts at farming “likes” might seem desperate and put off a potential employer. Your LinkedIn profile is a window onto your professional life for those who are interested—potential employers will visit, for sure.
When should LinkedIn be removed from a resume?
There is certainly no blanket requirement for LinkedIn to be included on a resume. In certain scenarios it would be the exception rather than the rule.
Your profile is not ready / impressive
If you find yourself applying for a job out of the blue and your LinkedIn profile is not ready for a potential employer to view, do not include it. Ideally, this would be rare. Most job seekers will consider optimizing their profile as one of the earliest priorities in their job search because that is how employers can find them. Even so, if it is unimpressive, leave it off.
Certain professions would not be expected to be on LinkedIn
Being active on LinkedIn would not affect the career trajectory of a nurse, teacher, lorry driver, firefighter, or many administrative workers, to give a few examples. They may wish to use the multimedia aspects of a LinkedIn profile to share certain videos or presentations to showcase aspects of their careers, but this would not be expected by an employer.
If it is lazy regurgitation of your resume
It reflects incredibly poorly on the job seeker if they have simply copy-pasted their resume employment history sections onto their LinkedIn profile. The character limits on LinkedIn are more generous, so take the time to tell a more expansive story.
As previously mentioned, the profile “About me” section is the key selling area. This is where you showcase your most impressive career stories. You obviously can't tailor it for each role, so it will have to be general, but don't copy your resume summary. Use every opportunity to sell yourself to the maximum extent. Other candidates will be.
Key takeaways
Any job search is hard work and creating a worthy LinkedIn profile is certainly not an easy task. Having said this, you get out of your job search what you put in. Creating an amazing LinkedIn profile and displaying it proudly on your resume could make all the difference.
- Go beyond the basics to really impress potential future employers.
- Personalize your profile URL and put it prominently in your resume header.
- Don't worry too much about engagement if LinkedIn isn't your day job.
- Understand the circumstances when LinkedIn may not be required.
- Put simply, shout about your career stories in every possible way.
If LinkedIn can help you do that, then you simply must put it on your resume.
Tools & guides mentioned in this article
- How to Write a Resume Header
Where to place your LinkedIn URL alongside contact details.
- AI Resume Builder
Build an ATS-ready resume with AI writing help and live preview.
- Resume Summary Examples
Align your LinkedIn about section with a strong resume summary.
- Tailor Resume Per Job
Keep LinkedIn and resume aligned for each application.