Combining LinkedIn and Your Resume for the Perfect Dish
Combining LinkedIn and Your Resume for the Perfect Dish
If your resume is the appetizer, your LinkedIn account is the main course. Just go with me on this. Like an appetizer, your resume is meant to entice and satisfy, while still compelling the diner to want more. This is where your LinkedIn profile comes in: a larger, more satisfying and more intricate dish.
It’s easy to see how either dish can go terribly wrong without the right approach. To determine whether your resume and LinkedIn account fit together in an appealing yet complimentary manner, consider the following criteria.
Two high-quality yet distinct dishes
No one wants to go to a restaurant and have the same thing for an appetizer and a main course. Your resume should serve as an amuse-bouche: it should impress potential employers and make them hungry for more. For your LinkedIn profile, maintain the general flavor palate of your resume but add elements that make it stand apart.
Small and packed with flavor
Brevity is the soul of wit, but it can also be the center of a memorable dish. And not enough job-seekers have mastered the ability to be both concise and detailed—qualities potential employers are looking for. Keep your resume short and sweet, and refrain from appearing too colorless and bland. If you have a hard time being succinct in your resume, start by creating your LinkedIn profile first, then cut it down to its most appealing parts for your resume.
Meld tastes instead of placing them on the side
Most hiring managers consider your educational history to be a top priority for determining whether or not you are suited for the position. For this reason, you should enhance the educational section of each as much as possible, while specifically indicating how it contributes to your professional abilities. Include all of your educational endeavors, from online degrees to foreign language certifications. Remember: entice the employer by emphasizing your most notable accomplishments in your resume. For example, “Graduated summa cum laude” or “Published a term paper on such and such subject” should be listed in your resume, and details of your academic performance or a copy of the published paper can be featured in your LinkedIn profile.
Both your resume and your LinkedIn profile are hot
Placing a cold dish in front of a potential employer is one of the best ways to get dismissed immediately. If your resume or LinkedIn account are out of date and unaesthetic, most employers won’t even be willing to give you a try. In this competitive job market, you need to constantly keep your resume comprehensive, enticing and up to date in order to maintain appeal and show a potential employer that you put effort into your professional image.
Cater to the employer’s tastes
While your own personal tastes will come into play when you craft your LinkedIn account and your resume, you should take care to make it palatable to employers with a variety of tastes. Instead of serving up a flat resume that focuses on the same skills, tailor your resume to fit each position for which you apply, and detail your fit for the various positions you’re interested in. Doing so can help you accommodate different preferences and tastes.
While your resume and LinkedIn profile aren’t exactly like a dining experience, you can still approach it with zest. Craft each with attention to detail and variety, and you could have employers approaching you with gusto.
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![Higher Learning Leads to Higher Earnings, Especially for Men [InfoGraphic]](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4340939642_374fbff6e3_m.jpg "Higher Learning Leads to Higher Earnings, Especially for Men [InfoGraphic]")
