Experts Debate LinkedIn Profile vs. the Executive Resume

Experts on LinkedIn vs. the executive resume

A few months ago I posted an update to my LinkedIn stream about the LinkedIn profile vs. the executive resume, which highlighted my blog post, Does LinkedIn Make the Executive Resume Obsolete.

I hoped the update would generate some conversation, while providing valuable information to job seekers.

I included the following content in the update itself, and used hashtags and tagged the people noted. (Please note that this update will vanish from my stream after 6 months, so the link here won’t work.)

With the popularity of LinkedIn and the undeniable necessity of having a presence there in executive job search, many people claim that the executive resume is dead, or dying.
. . . that it’s no longer needed, or valuable.
. . . that a robust, fully populated LinkedIn profile is, in fact, the new resume.
What’s your take?

Then I tagged several colleagues of mine who are LinkedIn and resume experts. To tag them, I manually added each name, using the “@” character preceding each person’s name. And I included several relevant hashtags at the end.

Select (Meaningful) Responses To My “LinkedIn Profile vs. Executive Resume” Update

At this writing, my update has received close to 10,000 views and many comments, likes and shares. [More below about how powerful tagging people and using hashtags in LinkedIn updates can be.]

Of the many comments that came in, I’ve included below the ones that should be the most helpful.

Kevin D Turner

Executive Career Management has become more complex and multifaceted with the advent and reach of social media in the establishment and communication of their personal brand with platforms like LinkedIn becoming core exposure opportunities.

The business model behind LinkedIn is to provide and capitalize on developing the worlds largest database of Digital Resumes (Profiles). It is estimated that 75%+ of LinkedIn’ $1.6B+ revenue comes from one product, Talent Solutions, that packages members up as products to be sold to recruiters.

A LinkedIn profile must never conflict or replace Executive Resumes. It supports them and may even enhance them. Once a recruiter is interested in an executive they will reach out to them and the first thing they will ask for is a copy of their Resume.

Effective LinkedIn profiles are often built from professionally written Resumes and repurposing the majority of the content, which LinkedIn and the Search Engine supported ATS Plagiarism Filters credits to the profile owner.

Protect Your Profile Content: Go to LinkedIn Privacy Settings and turn off Microsoft Word collection and sharing of your wording through it’s Office 360 Resume Assistant.

[More about Resume Assistant in my post, How LinkedIn’s Resume Assistant Can Negatively Impact Your Personal Brand]

Jacqui Barrett Poindexter

Always a timely topic, Meg! First, no it does not. Just last week, when coaching + putting final content strategy touches on a senior exec’s LinkedIn profile, it reinforced for me both the VALUE + LIMITATIONS of LinkedIn. Client has had minimal need for a robust LinkedIn profile in her tight-knit industry where networking + word-of-mouth, including conference leadership, etc., have spurred career advancements.

When her search began, the career RESUME story was the primary career tool to launch her message, followed by LinkedIn. And, while we both were excited at the opportunities for adding YouTube videos + other media to LinkedIn that complemented her story (by the way, and I know I’m speaking to the choir, those can be added into a Word story, too), my client discovered the limitations on #s of characters, methods of formatting + order of key strategic information. While I’m acutely aware of this, many execs are not.

Moreover, there is sensitive information that she would include on her resume, etc., inappropriate for public LinkedIn.

Finally, the strategy to build a robust resume shouldn’t be shortcut; the essential nature of that strategy feeds LinkedIn, not the other way around. Thank you for including me in the ‘ask,’ Meg!

Wendy Schoen

Let me, an executive recruiter get my two cents in. There are only a very few individuals who can get away with no resume. And those that can usually have a well-developed firm or company bio that can stand in its stead. The potential employer ALWAYS wants something in hand to which they can refer when trying to learn about the person coming to see them. And, while LinkedIn profiles are great, they rarely give all the goods that either an employer or a candidate want on the table..

These items need to work together.

Let me repeat: Even if your route to a job is through a personal connection, and even if you are at the very, very top of the organization, the potential employer is STILL going to want to see paper on you to learn who they are being strong-armed into seeing!

Adrienne Tom

Both LinkedIn and the resume play unique roles in an executive job search and a resume remains relevant at certain stages of the hiring process. A savvy executive will have both tools well prepared – which can be leveraged uniquely in different circumstances to tell their story, gain visibility, and open doors.

Jacqui’s point that certain, more sensitive details don’t belong on LinkedIn is very true. A lot of my executive clients would prefer not to disclose all the facts on this public platform. The resume is the best place to house select facts which can then be strategically distributed. I also believe that the resume and LI should complement one another: each with similar messaging, branding, and value – but never be direct replicas.

Dorothy Dalton

This is that old favourite chestnut, Meg, but we live in a fast changing environment and both possibilities have value. The go-to data base for 99% of recruiters is LI. But a robust CV is still important and no matter how someone submits it, it has to be retrievable, because it will almost certainly be scanned and stored digitally.

It’s also possible to put information on a targeted resume that isn’t possible in the public domain.

In Europe with GDPR we have to be additionally mindful how long we can store CVs and with whom we share them, which adds another layer of complexity.

So whether someone is a job seeker or an established professional, keeping both a LI profile and a CV updated is vital.

Laura Smith-Proulx

This subject is near and dear to so many of us, Meg, and I’m glad you asked it. An executive resume, particularly at Board and C-levels, will never go away, even as LinkedIn remains a strong tool in a job hunter’s arsenal. My clients are constantly navigating how and where to disclose confidential information … cognizant of their options while striving to be represented in the best light.

Nearly all the leaders with whom I engage ask the same thing: how can I update LinkedIn and maintain currency on social media, without giving myself away? How will my Board, shareholders, team, and executive peers look at my LinkedIn Profile – and can they deduce that I’m in the midst of a search? Privacy and confidentiality are often foremost in the minds of leaders experiencing career transition.

I might add that those who are vocal about the “death” of the resume should consider how they’d feel if their bosses (or the CEO of any major company in which they do business) were openly advertising their credentials on LinkedIn.

As others have noted here, there will always be hiring committees, Board members, and other interviewers who aren’t as interested in reading your online credentials as your resume. I can’t see that changing anytime soon.

Virginia Franco

I stand in the camp that the resume serves an invaluable purpose during job hunt, while LinkedIn is invaluable both before, during and after the hunt.

Hannah Morgan

I’ve always been a resume-hater! People do not know how to write their own promotional materials! That’s a huge problem for another day. The resume is dying but not dead. HR and recruiters ultimately drive the need. Whatever they ask for, job seekers will have to provide.

To rely solely on LinkedIn is dangerous, however. Software comes and goes. So what happens when someone builds their personal brand on LinkedIn and that goes away? For now, the resume is the backup. This is one more reason to have a personal website that you own! No one can take that away.

The Power of LinkedIn Updates with People-Tagging and Hashtags

Whether you’re in executive job search, mindful of healthy career management and/or building your business, get into the habit of regularly posting updates to your LinkedIn stream, in which you tag people and include hashtags.

Here’s where to read about tagging people on LinkedIn and hashtags:

Smart Personal Branding: Posting LinkedIn Updates vs Updating Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn Hashtags: A Smart Personal Brand-Building Tactic

This powerful strategy:

Keeps you top-of-mind with your network and followers on LinkedIn.
Demonstrates your subject matter expertise and thought leadership to potential employers.
Generates chemistry for you as a job candidate
Provides compelling information about you for people assessing you as a candidate.
Builds brand evangelism for your unique value-offer.

Select (Meaningful) Responses To My “LinkedIn Profile vs. Executive Resume” Update

The Power of LinkedIn Updates with People-Tagging and Hashtags

Here’s where to read about tagging people on LinkedIn and hashtags:

More About LinkedIn Profiles vs. Executive Resumes

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