With LinkedIn being one of the most popular professional networking platforms, job seekers are always looking for ways to make their profiles stand out. One way some have tried is by adding video resumes. However, LinkedIn does not currently support uploading custom videos directly to your profile. While you cannot upload a video resume, there are some workarounds using the LinkedIn features that exist today.
Uploading a Video to LinkedIn
LinkedIn does not allow users to upload custom videos to their profiles. The only video support is for LinkedIn Learning courses. When you complete a LinkedIn Learning course, you have the option to add the course video to the “Courses” section of your profile. However, these are specific course videos and not a custom video resume you create.
Some users have tried uploading video resumes by providing links to videos hosted on other platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. However, there is no dedicated place within the LinkedIn profile to enter this type of link. You would have to creatively add it into one of the other text fields for your profile, such as the Summary or Experience descriptions.
Adding an external video link in this way is not a best practice, as LinkedIn wants you to publish content natively within the LinkedIn platform. Links to other sites are referred to as “off-site content” and too many may cause LinkedIn to limit the visibility of your profile and content.
Alternatives to Video Resumes on LinkedIn
While you cannot upload a custom video directly to LinkedIn, there are alternatives using LinkedIn’s existing features that can achieve similar goals as a video resume:
Record a Voice Introduction
LinkedIn allows you to record a brief voice clip to introduce yourself and spice up your profile. This voice introduction appears in the Intro section near the top of your profile. The clip can be up to 30 seconds long. This is the closest thing LinkedIn offers compared to uploading a custom video.
Showcase Media Experience
If you have examples of videos you produced or participated in, you can add them to your LinkedIn profile under the Accomplishments section. For each example, you can provide a title, URL link to the video, description, date, and an image thumbnail from the video. This allows you to showcase video work as part of your experience.
Add Rich Media to Posts
When creating posts on LinkedIn to share updates, you have the option to add rich media. This includes the ability to embed videos from platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, and more. While not exactly a resume, you can create video content that shows off your skills and embed it directly in your LinkedIn posts.
Showcase Skills in Your Summary
Without a dedicated video upload option, the summary section offers the most flexibility to describe your skills and experience. Take advantage of the 2,000 character limit to detail your background, work history, skills, and qualifications. You can get creative in highlighting video production experience by describing specific projects, achievements, and the types of videos you have produced. Use keywords that video recruiters may search for.
Best Practices for Video on LinkedIn
Here are some top tips to keep in mind when showing off video skills on LinkedIn:
- Keep your profile summary succinct and descriptive – summarize your video production experience rather than listing every project
- Utilize rich media options when posting content to showcase video examples
- Record an introduction voice clip to personalize your profile
- Detail your video accomplishments, skills, and certifications in the Accomplishments section
- Creatively link to video content hosted externally by mentioning it in your profile sections
- Engage your network by commenting on video posts and participating in video-focused LinkedIn groups
Why LinkedIn Doesn’t Allow Video Resumes
There are a few potential reasons why LinkedIn does not allow users to upload custom video resumes directly to their profiles:
Encourages Standardized Profiles
LinkedIn aims to create a standardized professional networking platform. Adding the ability for users to upload any type of videos could clutter user profiles and make them less uniform. LinkedIn likely wants to keep the experience focused on its core profile sections and publications.
Technical Complexity
Allowing video uploads would add engineering complexity. LinkedIn would need to build video uploading capabilities, transcoding, storage, and streaming into its platform. This would require additional technical resources.
Content Moderation
All user-generated content brings moderation challenges. LinkedIn would need to monitor and moderate uploaded videos to ensure appropriate content. This adds more operational overhead.
Bandwidth Costs
Hosting and streaming a large number of videos can increase bandwidth costs significantly. As primarily a text-based platform, LinkedIn’s bandwidth needs are likely lower compared to video-centric platforms.
Security Concerns
Uploaded videos pose potential security risks that LinkedIn may prefer to avoid. Videos could be used spread malware or embed illicit content.
The Future of Video on LinkedIn
While LinkedIn currently does not allow video resumes, the demand for video capabilities on the platform is growing. Here are some potential video features we may see on LinkedIn in the future:
- Native video uploading – Allow users to upload videos natively to their profiles or posts, similar to other social media platforms.
- Enhanced rich media – Expand the types of video embedding supported in posts beyond just the major platforms currently allowed.
- Profile intros – Expand the length of voice/video intros on profiles beyond 30 seconds.
- Live video – Support live streaming video capabilities for company pages, groups, and events.
- LinkedIn Stories – Mimic the popular social media Stories format using short user-generated videos.
As video becomes more critical across social media, LinkedIn will need to evolve its platform. But for now, uploading true custom video resumes remains limited on LinkedIn.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn does not currently allow users to upload custom video resumes to their profiles. The only video support is for LinkedIn Learning course videos. While you cannot add a dedicated video resume, you do have alternatives to showcase your video production skills on LinkedIn:
- Record an introductory voice clip
- Detail your video accomplishments and projects
- Embed video content in posts using rich media
- Creatively link to videos hosted off LinkedIn
- Engage with other video content from your network
With video becoming more popular on social media, LinkedIn may add more native video capabilities in the future. But for now, you will need to get creative within the existing LinkedIn profile structure to highlight your video skills and experience.
