From Résumé to LinkedIn Profile — GVSU PRSSA – Grand Valley State University Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

As young public relations professionals, it is constantly stressed how important a résumé and a solid LinkedIn network is for landing our first jobs. You may have your résumé set and ready to show employers, but how do you showcase those skills on your LinkedIn profile without directly copying word-for-word and giving a bit more insight into who you are? Here are some guidelines to help you transfer your résumé to the social media of the professional world; LinkedIn.

Before you start improving your LinkedIn, check to see if your résumé could use some polishing by utilizing tips from a previous GrandPR blog about résumé optimization. Once you’ve perfected your résumé, use these 5 pointers to make your LinkedIn profile stand out:

1. Update and customize your headline

LinkedIn automatically puts the job title you currently have as your headline. You can make this headline more interesting as a way to grab attention, utilize keywords, and inevitably pop-up in more employer searches. Here is how to edit your headline on LinkedIn. The headline should still be less than 15 words to keep things concise, but can be much more informative than just your job title, such as “Account Associate.”

2. Add skills to your profile

There are many skill assessments that LinkedIn offers that you can add directly to your profile, but it can also be as simple as listing your skills and certifications in the appropriate section. This is simply another way to utilize key search terms employers are looking for in your profile. An easy way to find the skills to add to your “skills section” is to look at job descriptions of the positions you want to apply for on LinkedIn. These skills can also be “endorsed” by professionals in your network.

3. Make sure it stays consistent with your résumé

This one seems relatively straightforward, but it is still important to note. Make sure your résumés career path aligns directly with your LinkedIn profile. A disconnect between your public and private job experience may cause employers to be suspicious of what experiences are real. Do not copy the exact descriptions on your résumé. Instead include interactive links such as websites or files that you can’t add directly to your résumé.

4. Utilize and update your photos

LinkedIn found that users with a profile photo had an average of 21x more profile views and 36x more messages than those without a profile photo. Not only is it important to utilize your profile photo, but you can also use the background photo as a way to show a bit more into who you are. People choose to put photos related to their career field, their city, or a photo of other interests (such as a photo of the ocean for surfing, tents for camping, mountains for hiking, etc.). If you choose to include a photo of other interests, make sure you explain in your “About” section that it may be something you like to do in your free time.

5. Change your LinkedIn URL

Most likely your URL was at one point a random default link that may have included your first and last name mixed in with a bunch of random letters and numbers. It may look like something like this www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-beasley-a05257141/ when it could simply be something a lot simpler like www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-beasley. Here’s a LinkedIn tutorial on how to change your URL to make your profile simply more searchable.

There are many ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile in a way that can not only list the highlights of your résumé but also showcase you as a person. You are allowed to be creative and fun with it while remaining professional. In fact, it’s encouraged! If you feel like you want to do more to enhance your profile, LinkedIn provides plenty of content on how to improve your profile and LinkedIn experience.

About Hannah:

Hannah Beasley is a senior at Grand Valley State University studying advertising and public relations. Currently, Hannah is serving as a Design Associate in her second semester with GrandPR and interning as a Public Relations Manager for MNTN co. She is enthusiastic about public relations, specifically in the hospitality and tourism industry.