How do I add a link to my LinkedIn profile on my resume?

Why Include Your LinkedIn URL on Your Resume

In today’s digital age, most hiring managers will review your LinkedIn profile in addition to your resume during the hiring process. Including your LinkedIn URL on your resume makes it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to quickly view your full online professional profile.

There are several key benefits to adding your LinkedIn URL to your resume:

• It shows you have an established online professional presence.
• It allows recruiters to verify and expand on the details listed on your resume.
• It demonstrates your communication skills and ability to showcase your qualifications.
• It gives recruiters insight into your connections and recommendations from coworkers or managers.
• It provides evidence of your involvement in professional groups and associations.

Overall, adding a link to your LinkedIn profile is an easy way to provide supplementary information and give recruiters a more well-rounded view of your experience and qualifications.

Where to Include Your LinkedIn URL on Your Resume

The most common and recommended place to include your LinkedIn URL is in the contact information section of your resume. This section is typically located at the very top of your resume, underneath your name and contact details.

Here are some examples of how to properly format your LinkedIn URL in the contact section of your resume:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourusername
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yourusername
• LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/yourusername

Be sure to customize the URL to match your unique LinkedIn profile web address. Double check that you have the correct personalized URL before adding it to your resume.

You can also include your LinkedIn URL along with other social media handles or professional website links in a separate “Links” or “Social Media” section of your resume. This is generally included at the very bottom of your resume, after the core content.

Here are some examples of how to list your LinkedIn URL in a links section:

• Links:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourusername
• Personal Website: www.yoursitename.com
• GitHub: github.com/yourusername
• Social Media:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourusername
• Twitter: twitter.com/yourusername

Only include other relevant links on your resume. As a best practice, keep the Links or Social Media section concise, with just 2-4 of your most important online profiles.

How to Customize Your LinkedIn URL

To customize your LinkedIn URL on desktop:

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile and click “View profile” to view your public profile page
2. Click the “Edit public profile & URL” button located just below your profile photo and cover image
3. Find the “Your public profile URL” section
4. Click the pencil icon to edit your custom URL
5. Type in the new custom URL you want (using dashes instead of spaces)
6. Click the “Save” button

Your new customized LinkedIn URL will now appear on your public profile. The URL should follow this format:

www.linkedin.com/in/your-custom-url

For example: www.linkedin.com/in/john-smith

On mobile:

1. Tap your profile photo in the top left
2. Tap “View profile”
3. Tap the 3 dots icon in the top right
4. Select “Edit public profile & URL”
5. Tap “Edit” next to the URL field
6. Type your new custom URL
7. Tap “Save”

Setting a customized LinkedIn URL makes your profile look more professional and personalized. It also makes it easier to include on your resume.

Tips for an Impactful LinkedIn Profile

Here are some key tips to optimize your LinkedIn profile so it puts your best foot forward when recruiters view it:

• Craft a compelling headline that highlights your current role and industry. Summarize your experience and skills in just a few words.
• Use a professional profile photo – a friendly headshot or picture of you speaking at an event are ideal options.
• Include a detailed summary that outlines your background, qualifications, and career goals. Use keywords from the jobs you are applying to.
• Showcase your work experience – be sure to include all relevant roles and use bullet points to demonstrate results and impact.
• Add multimedia like photos, videos, Slideshare presentations, etc. to provide evidence of your skills.
• Collect endorsements and recommendations from managers, clients, or colleagues to back up your qualifications.
• Join relevant industry groups and follow influencers and thought leaders in your field.
• Be active by posting updates, sharing articles, commenting on posts to demonstrate expertise.
• Customize your LinkedIn URL as mentioned above for a polished look.

Investing time in your LinkedIn presence can really pay off in your job search by giving recruiters a favorable and well-rounded view of your background.

Should You Include Links to Other Social Profiles?

In addition to LinkedIn, you may wish to list links to some of your other social media profiles or professional websites on your resume. However, you should be extremely selective.

As a rule of thumb, include links only to professional sites that are relevant to the job and showcase your qualifications. Personal sites or accounts that do not add value for employers are better left off your resume.

Here are some social media sites that may be appropriate to include:

• GitHub – if you are in technology or engineering and want to showcase coding samples
• Behance – for creatives to exhibit design work or portfolios
• Dribbble – to present web design, UI/UX projects
• Angellist – relevant for startup roles to feature your experience
• Stack Overflow – good for developers to exhibit knowledge and problem-solving
• Medium – to highlight writing samples or publications
• Personal Website – to showcase professional projects, blogs, consulting work

Avoid listing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Youtube, Pinterest, or other primarily personal profiles that do not add professional value for the specific roles you are applying to. You can provide these sites separately if an employer requests them.

The key is choosing profiles that demonstrate your qualifications, expertise, thought leadership, and communication abilities relevant to your target jobs. Carefully select just 2-4 of your most important professional sites to feature.

Should You Include the Links Section if You Don’t Have Many Profiles?

Featuring just your LinkedIn URL in the contact section is sufficient. You do not need to force a Links or Social Media section on your resume if you only have 1-2 sites to list.

Hiring managers will not view a lack of multiple profile links negatively. They will focus on judging your resume and LinkedIn profile based on the qualifications, background, and substance presented.

However, if you have some websites or online portfolios that would provide value, including just 1-2 relevant links can still be beneficial. The key is making sure they strengthen your resume and candidacy.

For example, as a designer you could list:

Links:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourusername
• Online Portfolio: www.yourdesignportfolio.com

Or as a developer:

Links:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourusername
• GitHub: github.com/yourusername

So it can be worthwhile to list a short Links section even with just 1-2 professional sites or profiles beyond LinkedIn that showcase your abilities and experience. But only include the most relevant ones that add value for each specific role.

Should You Include Your LinkedIn URL if You Are Not Actively Using Your Profile?

If you have a LinkedIn account set up but have not updated your profile recently, it is better not to include the URL on your resume. An outdated or sparse profile reflects poorly on your candidacy.

Instead, spend time sprucing up your LinkedIn presence first before adding it to future resumes. Follow the optimization tips outlined above to build an impressive profile that lives up to your resume.

As you update details like your work history, skills, education, certifications, and multimedia content, you can feel confident driving traffic to your profile through your resume.

Some quick ways to polish up an outdated LinkedIn profile include:

• Adding new roles and jobs you’ve held, even if no longer active on the site
• Joining relevant industry groups and following thought leaders
• Getting endorsements and recommendations
• Posting recent updates and sharing articles
• Uploading visual content like photos and videos
• Customizing your profile URL

Put in the effort so your LinkedIn presence becomes an asset that strengthens your candidacy rather than a liability. Then you can add your URL to resumes knowing it puts your best foot forward.

Conclusion

Adding your LinkedIn profile URL to your resume is an excellent way to provide supplementary information to hiring managers and showcase your professional digital presence.

Be sure to customize your profile URL and include it in the contact section of your resume. You can also list it along with 1-2 other relevant professional sites or portfolios in a Links or Social Media section.

Optimize your LinkedIn profile fully before directing employers to it by providing detailed work history, skills, recommendations, multimedia content and more. A robust, up-to-date profile allows recruiters to gain additional insight into your background and qualifications.

Carefully curating your LinkedIn presence and linking to it from your resume can give you a competitive edge in the job market today. Use these best practices to effectively integrate your LinkedIn profile and land more interviews.