Do You Need A Resume If You Have A LinkedIn Profile? Yes!

Having been a Career Counselor for 20+ years, I’ve heard a lot of comments that the resume is dead, and yet it is still here and just as necessary as ever.  Recently jobseekers are asking if they need a resume when they already have a LinkedIn profile – and the answer I give them – an unequivocal yes!  While LinkedIn is exceptionally important from both a job search and career management standpoint, in order to develop a quality profile that encourages the reader to ask for your resume, you still need to write a resume. 

LinkedIn was never intended to be your resume, it was meant to entice a reader to find out more about you.  Putting your entire resume on LinkedIn can in fact overwhelm the reader, and you may lose them before you ever get a chance to exchange an email.  Possessing a great resume gives you the option to pick and choose what you put in your LinkedIn profile.  Furthermore, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), interviewers, recruiters, and sometimes networking contacts desire a copy of your resume, not just your LinkedIn profile. 

I advise my clients to do both, and use them both as intended.  No, the resume isn’t dead, nor will it be anytime soon, but will continue to morph with the times and adapt to technology, and be used to enhance both your personal brand/social media presence and your overall job search or career management marketing strategy.