Are You Making This Critical Mistake on LinkedIn

Are You Making This Critical Mistake on LinkedIn 1 â€" Web and print copy differ substantially in lengthâ€"and for good reason. Dumping your resume content straight into each section of LinkedInâ€"and calling it done? If you’re still assuming that your resume will stand in for your Profile, you’re doing yourself (and your job search) a disservice. Here’s why: your resume might be well-written and contain solid achievementsâ€"but that doesn’t mean it was developed for online reading or recruiter searches. Here are 3 compelling reasons that plopping your resume into LinkedIn is a significant mistake: 1 â€" Web and print copy differ substantially in lengthâ€"and for good reason. Web copy (which should be in your LinkedIn Profile) and your resume (written for electronic or hard-copy reading) employ different sentence structure, length, and strategy. Why is this important? Most people click through web copy much faster than they might scan a document, with different reading patterns and interest levels. When assembling your LinkedIn Profile, you’ll need to account for the short attention spans of most recruiters and employers, condensing each crucial point into tightly written, powerful sentence fragments. Consider this resume sentence (“Facilitated 253% EBITDA improvement by leading new product development from ideation, concept, and engineering to commercial launch in 21 newly discovered markets across the U.S.”)  with a much-shorter,  LinkedIn-ready version of the same sentence: “250%+ EBITDA increase with concept-through-engineering product development launch in 21 new U.S. markets.” Even when shortened, this sentence still carries the same message (albeit in an simpler-to-read, straightforward style). 2 â€" Your LinkedIn Profile needs much stronger keyword density than your resume. Your resume might be keyword-specific enough to describe your career goal and accomplishmentsâ€"but it’s probably not tailored to draw traffic from web searches. However, your Profile must be loaded with keywords (and continually tuned for MORE keywords to fit inside LinkedIns tight character limitations); otherwise, you’ll miss out on a critical way of attracting attention. This is most evident in the differences between the summary used on a resume, vs. what works in a LinkedIn Summary.   Consider the generalities in this resume summary (“Dynamic, innovative professional with extensive experience in hotel general management, using excellent interpersonal skills and ability to execute business strategies in competitive markets”) with this alternative adjusted for LinkedIn: “As an Operations and GM executive skilled in asset management and CAPEX strategies in hotel markets across Europe and the Americas, I have worked directly with CEOs, COOs, and RVPs while managing FB, mall, apartment, and resort properties.” See the difference in keywords?  Don’t be intimidated by keywords; these terms are just the skills employers look for in your target role. For example, most IT Directors probably need a combination of Infrastructure, Enterprise Architecture, Managed Services, Network Operations, Team Management, Business Continuity, and Project Management as keywords. A Sales Executive, however, might add terms such as Relationship Management, Negotiation, Revenue Growth, Closing, Sales Presentations, and similar skills found in sales job descriptions. This type of keyword content  helps elicit traffic, because employers who spend time on LinkedIn look for specific skills, rather than the character traits that might appear on your resume. 3 Your resume can employ a unique format, but your LinkedIn Profile doesn’t have that option. Resumes have evolved significantly in terms of design, strategy, fonts, tone, and style. (View cutting-edge samples of executive resumes to see today’s personal branding and presentation trends.) However, the elements used to capture interest on your resume aren’t available on your LinkedIn Profile. Therefore, that table of keywords must be incorporated in a different way, and those bullet points changed (in order to have the same impact). Here’s a tip: consider adding formatting elements to your LinkedIn Profile to help break up long lines of text and make it more interesting to navigate, rather than using huge paragraphs that no one will read. The lesson? Don’t rely on your resume content as the ultimate filler for your LinkedIn Profile! Instead, adjust the tone, content, and length of your career history for a keyword-dense, web-ready presentation of your skills. Need a competitive edge in your job search? As an award-winning executive resume writer, I create branded, powerful resumes and LinkedIn Profiles that position you as the #1 candidate PLUS arm you with the job search tools that will get you hired faster. My clients win interviews at Fortune 500 firms including Citibank, Google, Disney, and Pfizer, plus niche companies, start-ups, and emerging industry leaders. Get in touch with me  to experience the outstanding results my expertise can bring to your transition. Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CPBA, TCCS, COPNS, CIC