Your LinkedIn profile serves as an online resume or CV that showcases your professional background, skills, accomplishments, and more. If you want to download or share your LinkedIn profile as a resume document, LinkedIn makes it easy to turn your profile into a printable CV with just a few clicks.
Viewing Your Full LinkedIn Profile
Before downloading your LinkedIn profile as a resume, it’s important to make sure your profile is up-to-date and includes all relevant information you want to showcase on your CV. To view your full profile:
- Open the LinkedIn app on your mobile device.
- Tap on your profile photo in the top left corner.
- This will open your public profile page. Tap “View profile” to see your full profile.
Review each section of your profile – including About, Experience, Education, Skills, Accomplishments, Interests, and more. Make any updates or additions so your profile fully represents your background.
Downloading Your LinkedIn Profile as a PDF
Once your profile is ready, downloading it as a resume is simple:
- From your full profile page, tap the “More” icon (3 dots) in the top right corner.
- Select “Save to PDF.”
- On the next screen, select whether you want to include your profile photo and customize other settings.
- Tap “Save PDF.”
This will generate a PDF version of your LinkedIn profile that you can access from the “Me” tab in your LinkedIn app. The PDF will include all the information currently displayed on your profile.
Sharing and Using Your LinkedIn Resume
Once you’ve downloaded your LinkedIn profile as a resume PDF, you have a few options for using it:
- Email it directly to hiring managers or recruiters as part of a job application.
- Print copies to bring to interviews or career fairs.
- Upload it to job application portals that require a resume copy.
- Share it with business contacts, colleagues, mentors or your professional network.
Keep in mind you’ll want to update your LinkedIn resume PDF whenever you make significant updates to your profile, such as changing jobs or adding new skills and accomplishments. Maintaining an up-to-date PDF ensures you always have the most current version of your professional resume on hand.
Customizing Your LinkedIn Resume
While downloading your profile as-is provides a quick resume option, you may want to customize your LinkedIn profile specifically for your resume PDF. Here are some tips:
- Edit your profile headline to read like a resume title, emphasizing your top skills or areas of expertise.
- Reorder profile sections so your most relevant information is on top – such as Work Experience above Education.
- Expand your profile summary to include key achievements, skills, and qualifications.
- Add more details to your work entries, like key accomplishments and skills used.
Pay attention to layout, formatting, and length when customizing for a resume. You can always switch back to your original profile layout after generating your CV.
Custom Sections
Adding custom sections is another way to tailor your LinkedIn profile for a resume:
- Core Competencies or Skills – List out 8-10 key skills or competencies relevant to the positions you are targeting.
- Career Highlights – Call out awards, major projects, or accomplishments under this resume-style section.
- Certifications – Highlight professional certifications that set you apart.
- Testimonials – Choose 1-2 top client recommendations to showcase.
These kinds of customized sections allow you to format your profile explicitly for a powerful resume.
Using LinkedIn’s Resume Builder
In addition to downloading your profile, LinkedIn also offers a standalone resume builder tool. You can find this under the “Jobs” section of LinkedIn.
Benefits of using the resume builder include:
- Let’s you cherry pick which profile sections to include.
- Offers templates to control resume format and styling.
- Makes it easy to reorder and customize content.
The resume builder pulls data from your profile but lets you present it in a customized way for a more polished, professional resume format tailored to different job openings.
Choosing Your LinkedIn Resume Type
Should you use your full profile, customize your profile, or use the resume builder? It depends on your needs:
Option | Pros | Cons |
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Full profile PDF |
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Customized profile |
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Resume builder |
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Evaluate which approach best suits your needs and the type of resume you aim to create from your LinkedIn profile.
Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile for Your Resume
No matter which download method you choose, make sure your profile is tailored to highlight your top skills, achievements, and qualifications throughout. Here are some optimization tips:
- Showcase measurable wins and tangible results in your experience descriptions, not just responsibilities.
- Incorporate relevant keywords and terminology from the positions or companies you are targeting.
- Emphasize transferable skills that apply across roles and industries.
- Quantify your accomplishments and impact wherever possible – increased sales by 30%, managed a team of 5, led project with $500k budget, etc.
An optimized profile allows you to shape the narrative and put your best professional foot forward on your LinkedIn resume.
Conclusion
Turning your LinkedIn profile into an impressive, polished resume is simple and straightforward. By downloading your profile as a PDF, customizing sections, or using LinkedIn’s resume builder, you can quickly generate a professional CV document that highlights your skills and achievements. With a customized, downloadable resume straight from your profile, LinkedIn provides a convenient way to maximize and share your personal brand online.