LinkedIn vs. The Resume: What’s The Difference and Why Are Both Important
In our digital age, job searching has taken on new dimensions. While traditional resumes have always been the cornerstone of the application process, LinkedIn has emerged as a valuable and powerful tool to showcase one’s professional journey. But, one of the biggest mistakes I see when people build their LinkedIn profile is simply cutting and pasting their resume onto their profile. Your LinkedIn profile should not mirror your resume. It is an additional tool to help curate the entire picture of who you are as a professional, a human being, and a potential candidate.
So, let’s break down the differences between LinkedIn and the traditional resume and better understand why both are critically important.
The Resume: A Snapshot Of Your Credentials
Okay, imagine this: You’re handing out bite-sized nuggets of information about yourself, and you’ve only got 10 seconds to impress someone. This is basically the resume. It is a snapshot of your career, focused on the relevant and awesome things you’ve done wrapped up in a neat little package. Think of it like the trailer to the movie, not the whole thing.
Why It Is Important:
Okay, friends, I’m going to state the obvious here. You need a resume because many applications and hiring processes require one. But there are many more reasons why you need a good resume. The resume is easily customizable so you can tweak them to show off the skills and experiences that matter most for the job you are applying for. Because it is just a snapshot, you are forced to break down your awesomeness into bite-sized nuggets. And it is flexible and easily sharable, making them needed for networking and in-person interviews.
Great, right? Well, the resume is not the end all be all in your job search. Let’s talk about LinkedIn.
LinkedIn: Painting The Picture Of Who You Are
Now, say hello to the cool kid in the professional playground – LinkedIn. It’s like Facebook’s professional cousin, but before you cringe and say how much you hate Facebook, let’s talk about why it is needed in your job search.
Why It Is Important:
LinkedIn is like the resume plus. Yes, it allows you to showcase your skills, experiences, and credentials just like your resume, but it also allows you to shine! This is the place where you get to flaunt your personality, your victories, and your smarts to the world. It shows prospective employers not just what they will get if they hire you but who they will get. In addition, you also get exposure to people and companies that you might never have crossed paths with utilizing just a traditional job search. This is where the doors open.
Mixing And Matching: Why You Need Both
Here is where things get good. LinkedIn and the resume are not rivals; they are like the power couple. They work together to build an image of this killer professional. I love to say, it’s using all the tools in your toolbox. If you are going to build a house, you need a lot of different tools. Right now, we are building your career dream house!
Leveraging both a resume and a LinkedIn profile will allow you to go more in-depth and validate your skills, keep you visible at all times, be proactive in your job search (rather than only allow you to react to a job post), and hook you up with hidden opportunities. Just having a resume won’t allow you to do any of that!
So there you have it. In a world that is all about #careergoals, LinkedIn and the resume are your dynamic duo. Embrace both and you’ll be ruling your job search in no time.
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