How to Include Your LinkedIn URL on Your Resume

One of the benefits of LinkedIn is that it gives prospective employers and professional connections a synopsis of your credentials. Viewing a LinkedIn profile is a quick and easy way to get insight into someone's career history.

You can create a custom LinkedIn URL to add to your resume, email signature, and anywhere else you'd like to market your credentials. Hiring managers will be able to easily access your LinkedIn profile and see recommendations and skill endorsements from your colleagues, clients, and managers.

Get advice on how to include your LinkedIn URL on your resume, create a custom URL, and make your profile stand out to employers.

Spiff Up LinkedIn Before You Add a Link to Your Resume 

You want your LinkedIn profile to be polished and robust. If your profile simply restates the same information that's included on your resume, it won't improve your chances of getting an interview.

A less-than-compelling LinkedIn could even hurt your candidacy. No one likes to feel that they've wasted a click, and hiring managers may assume that your sparse profile is an accurate picture of your qualifications.

What to Include in Your Profile

Here's what to include on your LinkedIn profile and how to give it a makeover, if it needs one.

Add a Summary

Along with listing your work experience, be sure to add a summary section to your profile. This is similar to a resume summary statement; it allows you to highlight your greatest strengths and work experience.

You can write your summary in the first person; this is an opportunity to be authentic and show a bit of personality.

Write a Headline

Be sure to write a headline at the top of your profile—this is like a resume headline, which is a short phrase that summarizes who you are as a professional.

Request Recommendations

LinkedIn recommendations are written references supporting your work. Job seekers should include a variety of recommendations with their profile to show that others respect the quality of their work. 

You can request these recommendations from clients, colleagues, professors, coaches, fellow volunteers, and subordinates as well as people who have supervised your work.

Include Skills

Skill endorsements are a way for your connections to verify that you have the skills and qualifications that hiring managers seek. LinkedIn does not provide a way to request skill endorsements, but you can encourage your connections to offer them by endorsing their skills first.

Add Samples

LinkedIn allows members to showcase samples of their work in the featured section of their profile. Incorporate writing samples, design samples, slide presentations, spreadsheets, websites, and other examples of your work. Include any information that demonstrates your skills. Of course, avoid sharing any proprietary information that would be damaging to your employer.

LinkedIn Custom URL Options

Creating a distinctive LinkedIn profile URL can help you to convey a strong brand as you network and job search. Unless you create a custom URL, LinkedIn will assign a URL that typically contains your name as well as some numbers and letters. It's much better to create your own short version for employers and connections to click on.

Here are options for creating an easy-to-remember URL.

Use Your Name

A custom URL can be as simple as just your name, which will be more memorable to prospective employers and networking contacts. If your name is taken, consider adding your middle initial or middle name to the URL.

Use a Phrase or Label

Another approach to customization is to include a phrase or label that might get picked up by search engines more readily. For example, someone who wants to establish an identity as a quantitative analyst might include "quantguy[name]" in their URL.

How to Create a Custom LinkedIn URL

Here's how to customize your LinkedIn profile URL:

• When you are logged in to LinkedIn, click on your own profile page. Then, click on the "Edit public profile & URL" link on the upper right corner of the page.
• On the right side of your public profile page, you will see your current URL. Immediately underneath it, you will see a link to "Edit public profile URL." Click on the pencil icon, and you will see a box where you can fill in your new custom URL.
• Type in a new URL composed of 3-100 letters or numbers, with no spaces, symbols, or special characters allowed.
• Click on "Save" just below the box, and you will be all set with your new custom LinkedIn profile URL.

Where to List Your LinkedIn URL on Your Resume

List your LinkedIn URL in the contact section of your resume after your email address.

How to List Your LinkedIn URL in Your Signature

Add Your Resume to LinkedIn

In addition to showcasing your LinkedIn profile on your resume, you can add your resume to LinkedIn, by either linking to it or uploading it. This is an excellent way to provide in-depth information about your employment history and expertise to prospective employers and business contacts.

You can either upload a resume file directly to LinkedIn or link to your resume document on another site. Here's how:

• When you are logged in to LinkedIn, go to your own profile page by clicking "Me" and then selecting "View Profile" from the dropdown menu.
• Go to the introduction section in the top right corner of your screen. This is the part of the page listing your name, headline, and location. Click "Add Profile Section."
• Open the "Featured" section, and select "Media."
• Upload your resume from your computer.
• Or: in the "Featured" section, select "Links" from the dropdown. Enter the URL of your online resume.
• Edit the "Title" and "Description" in the pop-up window.
• Click "Save."

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delete my resume from LinkedIn?

Deleting your resume from LinkedIn is just as easy as uploading the document in the first place. Scroll down to the featured section on your profile page. Click the pencil icon to edit. Then, click "Delete." This method works whether you've uploaded your document as a file or as a URL.

How do I update my resume on LinkedIn?

To update your resume, scroll down to the featured section on your profile page. Click the pencil icon to edit. Click "Edit" to tweak your title and description, or "Delete" to take down your existing resume and upload a new document.

Why is my resume blurry on LinkedIn?

Sometimes, resumes uploaded as PDFs to LinkedIn appear blurry due to image quality or compression issues. However, you can often work around this issue by hosting your resume on another site. Upload your PDF to your own website, then navigate to the featured section and add the URL instead of the document.

How do I list freelance work on LinkedIn?

There are several ways to highlight your freelance work on your LinkedIn profile:

• List your title in your headline (e.g., "Independent Consultant").
• Add descriptions of your work experience to your summary section.
• Add contractor roles to your experience section. To do this, click the "Add" icon at the top of the experience section, and fill in the relevant fields.
• Add work samples to your featured section by uploading links or documents.