Resumes vs LinkedIn Profile: Which one is more important for Job Seekers?

Here is the dilemma many job seekers face: How do I use my resume for marketing my skills without it looking like an exact duplicate of everyone else's? Can LinkedIn be used instead, or in addition to your resume to grab a recruiter's attention?

"While both resumes and LinkedIn profiles serve similar purposes, they are not interchangeable," said Paul McDonald, president of Career Directors International, a firm specialising in career management solutions for clients worldwide. "These two documents require completely different formats and content."

The following information covers the various ways you can highlight your work history and professional strengths using two distinctly different mediums.

1. The Advantage of LinkedIn Over Your Resume Many job seekers believe their resumes have been outclassed by the online social network LinkedIn. According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, 70 percent of U.S. workers believe that their LinkedIn profiles can showcase more information about work history and qualifications than resumes can. However, most job seekers will see an employer's name and job title from their LinkedIn profile -- if even that much information is made public. Furthermore, when you apply for a specific position on LinkedIn, your resume may not show up in front of recruiters because it has been optimised only for general hiring processes through TheLadders. A recently updated study from CareerBuilder cited some critical statistics about both documents’ popularity: 63 percent of employers received more than 200 resumes per month; most applicants used bullet points to highlight their skills and career goals. This type of résumé is generally not an excellent fit for the digital generation.

"Millennials are focused on well-being, but 'well' doesn't just mean keeping your body healthy," according to Mary Shores, president of TalentSmart. "People will feel more fulfilled in their jobs when they can tap into their sense of purpose." LinkedIn Profiles: 94 percent of recruiters use this resource to research candidates; 35 percent reported finding an outstanding candidate through LinkedIn every month. The emphasis here is on two-way communication between job seekers and potential employers -- mainly because it allows you to learn more about each other before deciding whether or not you would like to make an official application.

2. Focusing on Your Skills and Experience On a resume, it's crucial to include your job title in the heading of each position you are applying for; detailing previous positions is optional depending upon the type of job you are looking for. Writing an objective statement is unnecessary with this format - get right to the facts (we'll talk about LinkedIn profiles later). As long as you're accurate and honest, there should be no problem if you change jobs frequently -- such as when going from one contract assignment to another in compliance with immigration laws. Focus on skills rather than dates; recruiters will know how far back they need to look within your history.

When writing your profile summary, use the 3-box rule, says Alan Newman, an HR professional and author of the book "Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies ." Begin by describing your career summary, emphasising years of experience in your industry. The second part is about how you can add value to your employer or clients; you list each skill you possess that will benefit this relationship. Finally, provide specific examples of how these skills have been used in the past -- again, focus on relevance.

3. Creating a Personalized Profile Summary In a resume profile summary, make sure high-value words are placed strategically throughout the document; save vague terms for descriptions supporting each line item. If someone were reading it aloud, they would want it to sound natural and captivate the right level of interest for the audience. Recruiters and hiring managers are trying to find reasons to disqualify candidates; they do this by seeing if they can understand a candidate's qualifications with just a glance at their profile summary.

In your LinkedIn profile, it's even more essential to use high-value words because these professionals have already done their research ahead of time about you -- which means they should know exactly who you are and what makes you stand out from other applicants in the talent pool. Here, you introduce yourself as a whole person using specific details that paint an accurate picture of your personality, values, goals, and interests. The heading section includes vital information such as previous work experience, education skills, languages you speak, additional skill sets (technical expertise), etc.

4. Highlighting Objectives in Your Resume One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is confusing a resume with an objective statement, which explains why most candidates' documents look precisely alike when comparing them closely. An objective, however, has been replaced by your LinkedIn Profile Summary Section, where you can genuinely let your personality shine through in a way that would be awkward to write on a piece of paper and impossible to do effectively at the top of a traditional résumé format. Here's where you divulge personal information about yourself - beyond what should go into the profile summary - like family status, hobbies, travel goals; this is especially valuable if it pertains to the job you are applying for.
5. Writing a Compelling Profile Summary In your LinkedIn profile, your objective is to sell yourself by sharing your talents, skills, and experience so that hiring professionals will be interested in learning more about you. It would help if you were compelling enough that someone would want to meet you in person or at least read everything else on your page. An excellent way to do this is by utilising keywords from the job description, especially for a position similar to the one you've held before; however, don't include the full title of that occupation, just the main category. If you're a recent graduate looking for an internship (and not necessarily a full-time position), then use language typically associated with internships, such as "seeking an entry-level internship" or "seeking a college internship."
6. Creating a Resume Profile Summary Outline: The Summary Section should be listed first in a LinkedIn profile. This is where you describe yourself in terms of your accomplishments and value -- especially if you are looking for employment. Before writing your summary, make sure it's tailored to accurately represent who you are at this stage in your professional development; if you've done something noteworthy (like won an award), emphasise that here instead of on your work experience section.
7. Highlighting Personality Traits in Your Resume It's also essential to highlight personality traits in LinkedIn; some professionals advise adding quotes from others about how they perceive you personally. However, this should be done very cautiously as it's not a good idea to try and tell potential employers how they should feel about you -- especially if the quote is from someone who doesn't know you very well. Here are some techniques:
8. Emphasizing Your Education in LinkedIn As with your résumé, listing details of your college experience in LinkedIn can help showcase your personal qualities. You may also want to note other formal education sources, such as professional conferences or workshops that furthered your training; however, these would be pointed out in a different section other than work history. If you were educated outside of the U.S., make sure to mention it here; employers like to see international candidates so long as they're qualified, so this can be an asset. If you're concerned that your foreign-based experiences aren't related to the position you are applying for, then emphasise the skills specific to international business and cultural practices you acquired in school or through travel.
9. Highlighting Languages Skills in LinkedIn: Some professionals recommend including a copy of your resume as an attachment to LinkedIn, specifically when it is extensive enough such that it might take up too much space on the profile itself; however, most job seekers prefer not to do this because it looks unprofessional and unreliable if someone does want to click on the attachment and see what's inside. If your language skills might help get you hired (such as being fin English but applying for a job site that requires knowledge of a specific foreign language), then mare they are listed separately in your LinkedIn profile. Applicants who have several years of experience with a computer language (like Java or C++) should list this information here, especially if the company you're looking to work for uses this type of software.
10. Being Creative with Linkedin   Including links to your social media profiles like Twitter and Facebook makes it easier for hiring professionals to learn more about you; however, many people choose not to include these because they may see it as unprofessional, so use them at your discretion. You can also add videos by uploading them to YouTube and then linking directly from your profile -- be careful not to allow any offensive content showing up on YouTube when you do this, or your brand could suffer. Finally, you can also use your LinkedIn profile to syndicate all of your social media posts by selecting the RSS feed icon located on some platforms like Facebook; this makes updates easier for people to see in one place and makes it more likely they'll notice them.
11. Getting Attention Through Your Linkedin Profile URL: You should almost always list an "HTTP" before your profile URL; if not, companies will probably get a generic page when they try to find out more about you. Most job seekers prefer not to display their actual email addresses on their profiles. It may make them vulnerable to spam mail; however, some professionals recommend creating a separate email address just for professional correspondence because they want to be more easily found for job opportunities. Another option is setting up a "catch me here" account that only lets people email you through LinkedIn and may give the impression you're busier than you are.
12. Being Attention-Getting with Your Photo: A good picture is a requirement when creating your profile; it's the first thing companies will notice, so make sure they see someone who looks professional and friendly at the same time (don't smile with your teeth showing). If any of your pictures can cause negative impressions (such as being drunk at a bar or carrying a sign protesting an organisation), don't include them on your profile; instead, make new ones specifically for this purpose and stay away from other information. One final note: if you don't want people to know what your gender is, then make sure you're only using a headshot and not showing any other parts of your body.
13. Getting Hired Through LinkedIn with More Than Just Your Resume: Your resume is essential, but so are the rest of your credentials (especially if they are directly applicable to the position). If you have certifications or training from schools like the  Entrepreneur Training Institute or international ones like  GRI, embed links now into your profile; otherwise, consider including short descriptions of why these are valuable. Also, bear in mind that carefully timed posts on social media can help increase traffic to your LinkedIn profile -- do this by interacting with others who talk about relevant topics or by posting information in real-time after a company contacts you.
14. Using Your Profile as an Online Business Card: You can also use your LinkedIn profile to showcase any certifications or speciality fields that might make you stand out; for example, if you know another language fluently (like German), note this on your profile. In addition, if you have any awards, endorsements and/or achievements that are directly related to the position you're trying to get hired for, then list these as well. Finally, be sure not to add too much extra data on here, though, because it may overtake your message and turn employers off; stick with the basics and use other places online for additional details.

Final Thoughts

Most professionals hope their LinkedIn profiles can help expand their network, get them found by recruiters and even entice hiring managers to contact them directly; however before you create yours, make sure that your resume (and any other information on the web) is up-to-date. Also, bear in mind that just having a profile is not enough -- it's also imperative that you actively manage it.

Linkedin profiles and resumes are equally crucial for a professional to apply for any job. Many companies still use both resumes and Linkedin profiles in their hiring processes, so it's essential to make this document as impressive as possible. In today's competitive job market, you'll want all the tools at your disposal to help land that dream position.