Uploading your resume to LinkedIn is a very easy – and effective – way to search for your next great job.

Most people know LinkedIn as a professional networking site, but it's also one of the world's largest job-posting sites. In fact, many potential employers prefer LinkedIn over other job boards because of its large pool of potential candidates and its wide range of filtering options.

However, just having a great LinkedIn profile – as important as that is– will not always be what grabs an employer's attention. You should also upload your resume to LinkedIn because each one has a specific role to play in your job search.

Why add your resume to LinkedIn?

Your LinkedIn profile and resume actually complement each other – especially when both are well-crafted.

  • Your resume is a concise, professional, and fact-based document tailored for a specific career or job position that employers use to determine if you're qualified for their specific position. 

  • Your profile, on the other hand, presents a broader picture of yourself using more personable/conversational language and can include information that wouldn't be on your resume.

So, while a resume and LinkedIn profile work hand-in-hand to present a wider and more complete picture of what you can bring to the table, employers will still want to see a customized resume, not just your profile.

Four options for uploading resume to LinkedIn

There are four different ways you can get your resume onto your LinkedIn profile. 

  1. Use the 'Easy Apply' option

  2. Add it to the 'Resumes and application data' page within the Jobs section

  3. Upload it to the featured section of your profile

  4. Put it in a post on your feed

Option 1: The 'Easy Apply' process for uploading resume to LinkedIn

With this option, job seekers can upload and save numerous resumes to use when applying for specific jobs. This ensures you are able to use tailored versions of your resume that include the required keywords that future employers will be searching for.

Here are the steps for using Easy Apply:

  1. In LinkedIn, click the 'Jobs' tab in the navigation bar.

  2. Search for a job by title or location. Click on a job title to get details, and then press the 'Easy Apply' button on any jobs you want to apply for. A note from LinkedIn: “If you see the 'Apply' button instead of the 'Easy Apply' button, you'll be routed to that company's website or job board to continue the job application process.”

  3. Upload your resume to include it in the job application. LinkedIn will save the last five resumes you uploaded, along with the date you last used each version, so you can easily apply for similar jobs in the future.

A good tip is to vary your resume file names to keep track of which ones are for which jobs so you can easily find them with a search. For example, Richard.Jones.Programmer.doc or Richard.Jones.Data.Analyst.doc.

Remember that a resume on your LinkedIn account should still follow the rules of good resume writing that you'd use for applying on other sites. Be professional and concise, and customize each resume to the specific position you're after using your title, summary section, and the keywords from the job description.

Option 2: Resumes and application data space for uploading resume to LinkedIn

LinkedIn has a dedicated page on which you can store your different resumes. Ultimately, this is where they're saved when you use the 'Easy Apply' feature that we talked about for Option 1. You can add your resumes to this 'Resumes and application data' page without weeding through job listings to find those with the 'Easy Apply' option. Additionally, you can navigate to this landing page to update the resumes that LinkedIn pulls from when you apply for jobs. 

This is also the place to turn the saved resumes feature on or off. There are toggle switches for 

  • Saved resumes and application data (this is for email addresses and telephone numbers – default-type information)

  • Sharing resumes with recruiters

  • Self-ID information (this is for personal demographic details like your gender, race/ethnicity, and disability status)

Option 3: Uploading resume to your LinkedIn profile

This option makes a “general” copy of your resume available as a separate document on your LinkedIn profile. We don't recommend this choice for several very good reasons:

  • No Privacy: Unless you've taken certain steps to keep your job search private, all of your information will be publicly available from your resume with this process. This is a bad choice if your job search is confidential.

  • Lack of Control: When your custom resume is uploaded in this way, anyone can see it, copy it, download it, or use it without your knowledge or consent.

  • Prevents Customization: Uploading a “general” resume means it's not customized for a particular job opening, which means It will be ignored by most hiring managers.

  • Poor Knowledge of LinkedIn: Because it's not really a regular job board, posting your resume in your profile tells recruiters that you don't understand how LinkedIn actually works. Don't substitute your resume for your profile. Focus on creating a detailed profile that works with your resume to give a complete view of your job experience and skills.

If you do choose to use this option, here's how it works:

  1. In your profile, scroll down to the “Featured” section and click on the plus sign on the right-hand side to open a drop-down box. 

  2. Click on the plus sign in the “Media” section at the bottom of the drop-down box to upload your resume.

  3. Click on your resume file to upload it as part of your “Featured” section. Save it as “[Your Name] resume mm/yyyy” so you can locate it quickly if needed.

Option 4: Creating a new post on your feed for uploading resume to LinkedIn

It can be easy to forget that LinkedIn is, first and foremost, a social media site. The first thing you see when you type in LinkedIn's main URL is your feed. Here, you can see things that other people have posted. Some people opt to include their resumes in a post that the other folks in their network can see, like, and comment on. 

All you have to do is start typing in the “Start a post” box at the top of your feed. Avoid uploading your resume to the feed without taking the time to write a post that goes with it. There has to be a reason you're uploading your resume to your feed, or else people will likely ignore it. 

  • Are you actively looking for a new job?

  • Do you want to expand your network?

  • Do you want people in your network to give you feedback on your skills and perhaps suggest professional development opportunities?

  • Is your goal to set yourself up as an expert to try to get a promotion at work?

  • Do you want to contribute to the professional community by sharing insights and using your resume as a backup to prove your expertise?

  • Do you want to share a major accomplishment?

When you click the “Start a post” box, a new window will open that asks, “What do you want to talk about?” Use that space to talk about your reason for sharing your resume. Then, click the three dots at the bottom of the window to expand your options and find the icon to add a document. Click that icon, locate your resume on your computer, and click “Done” to add it to your post. 

Important note: When you add your resume to a post, people will be able to download it as a PDF. 

Uploading your tailored resume on LinkedIn

A few final notes for when you upload your online resume to LinkedIn.

Remember that recently uploaded resumes posted to LinkedIn can be subject to scanning by an Applicant Tracking System, or ATS, just as with other online job sites, so make sure your targeted resume is ATS optimized with the appropriate keywords and formatting before you upload.

Attach a customized resume to each LinkedIn job application. This gives you the best chance of standing out to the ATS and recruiters, which can lead to an initial interview.

LinkedIn is a very effective place to find a job, provided you know the best ways to include your resume when you apply for new job applications.

Is your resume document ready to upload to LinkedIn? Check today with a free resume review. 

This article was originally written by Lisa Tynan in 2022. It was updated by Marsha Hebert in 2024.

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