LinkedIn Profile vs. Resume

High Profile

The LinkedIn profile has emerged as at least the equal of the time honored resume or CV. Some even contend that it has surpassed the resume at the tool for job seekers (both passive and active) wanting to project their qualifications.  The profile is unparalleled as a candidate screening tool used by recruiters and employers.

Back in the day, the resume was the principal means of communicating and assessing qualifications in terms of experience and accomplishements to prospective employers. Boomers will remember getting their resumes type set on high rag-content paper in order to enhance their personal brands and gain a competitive edge.  But doing resumes that way made revisions difficult and expensive. Enter the word processor and the next evolutionary step, the electronic resume, packed with keywords for use on job boards. Then the biggest transformative change of all, the LinkedIn profile.

The LinkedIn profile has been called “resume of the 21st Century.”  According to Wikipedia, there are over 65 million registered LinkedIn users which, of course, explains its ascendency with job seekers and employers alike.

Will it totally eclipse the resume?  Yes and no.  LinkedIn with its profile and other tools will grow and evolve, offering enhanced features and functionality that complement the resume and CV.   The resume will remain the core source document used as a basis for creating the LinkedIn profile and key component in a dynamic career portfolio that should include SlideShare presentations, blog posts and other evidence of professional competency.