LinkedIn Is Not Your Résumé: Here’s What to Do About It

I've rewritten hundreds of résumés for job seekers. Too often, after handing over a polished, targeted document, I watch clients paste it directly into LinkedIn and assume the work is done.

That’s when I realized: many professionals treat LinkedIn like a public copy‑and‑paste of their résumé. It isn’t. Your résumé is a private, one‑time sales sheet. Your LinkedIn profile is a public, always‑on landing page. Treat them the same and you lose opportunities on both sides.

If you're using your résumé as your LinkedIn profile, here are 8 changes you need to make—based on common mistakes I've seen repeatedly.

1. Public vs. Private

Everyone—boss, peers, competitors—can read every word on LinkedIn.

What to do: Write accomplishments in a way that feels professional without revealing sensitive information. For example, say “launched a major platform upgrade across departments” rather than “led restructuring due to budget cuts.”

2. Single Profile vs. Many Résumés

You can tailor a résumé for every application, but LinkedIn must make sense to all visitors.

What to do: Craft a unifying headline and About section that connect every role you play—such as AI researcher, cybersecurity specialist, or graduate student—under a clear, consistent theme.

3. Search Behavior vs. Human Filtering

Résumés are often filtered by minimum required qualifications—exact matches like "SQL" or "Python." LinkedIn, however, is driven by search behavior. Recruiters might search broader or related terms like "MySQL," "Data Engineer," or even "ETL." If your profile isn’t optimized for how people search—not just how companies filter—it won’t show up.

What to do: Research common search terms in your industry and use them intentionally in your headline, About section, and job titles. Think about variations: "SQL" and "MySQL," "data pipelines" and "ETL." The goal is visibility, not just accuracy.

4. Headline‑First

On LinkedIn, your headline is one of the first things people see, especially in search results. Unlike a résumé where bullets or a summary come first, here the headline is what gets them to click.

What to do: Use the headline to show your role, focus, and credibility. Go beyond just a title, add your domain and a trust signal if you can.

Example: Product Manager | AI Privacy @ AdTechCo | Ex-Microsoft

If you hold multiple roles, separate them with a vertical bar: Adjunct Professor | Product Manager. Use the @ symbol to show current affiliations: Head of Engineering @ AdTechCo.

Make your headline clear, searchable, and worth clicking.

5. Fixed Layout vs. Free Layout

LinkedIn forces plain‑text sections—you can’t bold, indent, or format text like in a résumé.

What to do: Break up your writing into short paragraphs and use spacing for readability.

On posts, emojis help structure long text. In your actual profile, be sparing or skip them to keep things clean. That said, if you choose to use them, stick to a minimal, practical approach—use them as visual markers (e.g., ✅ for achievements or ▶️ for actions), not decoration. The goal is clarity, especially when formatting options are limited.

6. Character Caps vs. Page Caps

Each LinkedIn experience entry is capped at 2,000 characters (roughly 300 words). A single position—especially one held over several years—can easily take up an entire page on a résumé, which typically allows 3,000 to 3,500 characters per page. That means you have to fit nearly double the detail into a smaller space.

What to do: If you've done a lot in one role, you'll need to make a compromise. Either highlight your top accomplishments to focus attention, or list key projects if specific work matters more to your audience. Choose the format that best communicates your value, given the space constraints.

7. Positioning With a Photo vs. Anonymous PDF

LinkedIn includes your photo, which strongly influences first impressions. There's no equivalent on a résumé, and you'd be surprised how much people pay attention to your photo—even if unconsciously.

What to do: Make your photo work for you. Upload a high-resolution, friendly, forward-facing headshot. If you can't take one yourself, it's worth getting help. Avoid selfies, or anything too casual—this is about how you’re positioned, not just identified.

8. Company Context vs. Stand‑Alone Doc

On LinkedIn, viewers can click your company’s name to see its page, giving instant context—something you can't do on a résumé. That click gives people immediate access to company size, industry, and brand perception.

What to do: Make sure your profile links to the correct company page. You usually don’t need to explain what the company does—LinkedIn handles that automatically. Only add a brief one-liner if the company page is missing or unclear.

Use Both Tools for What They Do Best

Your résumé gets you through the door; your LinkedIn profile opens doors you didn’t even knock on. Treat them differently, and they’ll work together: résumé for targeted applications, LinkedIn for ongoing discovery.