Heavy Weight fight, LinkedIn Profile versus Resume!!

Over the last few months, I have dealt with a few candidates who, rather than supplying an up to date resume, want me to use their LinkedIn Profile. While I can understand why, the reality is a LinkedIn profile in most cases is not a resume. It is the next step up form a Cover letter but below a resume. Like a mini resume or mini bio, but not a resume. They usually do not supply all the information needed, they cannot be presented to hiring managers, or put in ATS systems.

The profiles are there to give general background, but not to tell the whole story and in most cases, they do not. Now some will say, and rightfully so, a resume does not tell the whole story. However it tells, allot more than a LinkedIn profile. So we need to make sure that the candidates understand this, and if they are truly interested in considering other opportunities, they should want to be presented in the best light, and the LinkedIn profile, by itself, does not do this. A resume does. Now of course there are stronger presentations than just a resume, but they all start and stop with a resume. The strongest presentation you can have is a LinkedIn profile, recommendations, combined with a resume and cover letter. The easiest way to do this is ensure you resume has your LinkedIn profile url on it.