Will LinkedIn Replace Resumes?

I’m sure you’ve noticed the option on online job applications to apply with your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn’s own Easy Apply option gives the impression that a resume isn’t necessary anymore when you have a profile.

So, is LinkedIn on its way to replacing resumes altogether?

The quick answer is no, but it’s likely that something like LinkedIn will replace document or file-based resumes in the foreseeable future.

Today, I'm addressing the role that LinkedIn does and can play in your career as well as why embracing and utilizing a platform like LinkedIn is in your best interest, especially if you intend to continue working and even advance in your career for the next 5-10 years or even longer.

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There is so much more to LinkedIn than your profile. Many of the job seekers I work with created a profile because someone said they should—someone from the college or university they attended or someone they work with—but they don’t really know what to do with it besides logging in once a week (but probably less often), spending 30 seconds or so scrolling through your feed, and skimming over your notifications and messages before switching over to Facebook or TikTok.

If you treat LinkedIn like social media, which it’s not, you won’t see the benefits it offers.

LinkedIn As A Networking Platform

The difference between LinkedIn and social media platforms is this.

LinkedIn is a professional networking site that enables and encourages users to find and interact with like-minded individuals in their field or industry. Social media platforms are designed primarily for sharing photos and videos with people you already know or would like to know you.

LinkedIn isn’t just designed for connecting job seekers with job opportunities. It’s a great tool for establishing yourself as an expert in your field to attract opportunities for speaking engagements, media placements, board memberships, consulting or freelance projects, mentorship opportunities, and community involvement opportunities.

Once you’ve completely filled out your profile, LinkedIn takes those details you’ve provided to recommend people you may know or with similar interests for you to connect and start conversations with. It’s not considered stalking, creepy, or inappropriate to connect with people you haven’t met in person before either. It’s expected and encouraged as long as you give some context as to why you want to connect with them.

These conversations you start and continue can happen in both private messages and post comments. These conversations are where the networking magic happens. LinkedIn even has data that states 1/3 of casual conversations on LinkedIn Messaging has led to a new opportunity. 

LinkedIn As An Applicant Tracking System

According to the Society of Human Resource Management, 84% of organizations use social media to recruit their employees - and LinkedIn is often the first stop for sourcing applicants and conducting background checks.

This is because profiles are searchable. If you’re using your profile to describe your career goals, skills, and experience using keywords that recruiters would use to find someone like you, then it may be the first impression you give a potential employer instead of your resume - especially if you’re not actively looking for a new job but open to a new and better opportunity if it presented itself.

LinkedIn is an Applicant Tracking System or ATS that recruiters use to find and communicate with candidates for jobs they’re looking to fill. The paid platform for recruiters also uses artificial intelligence and automation to recommend profiles that match job descriptions before candidates even have a chance to apply. It prioritizes LinkedIn users who have engaged with that company on LinkedIn in the past and has connections with employees who work at the company.

These are all strong reasons to not only create, complete, and optimize a LinkedIn profile but start networking with others on the platform.

Why LinkedIn Isn’t Going To Replacing Resumes

The pandemic normalized remote work overnight, so the competition to fill jobs has skyrocketed. Technology like LinkedIn helps recruiters find and communicate with candidates all over the world.

But according to Jobvite surveys, the number of recruiters using LinkedIn is dropping from 92% in 2017 to 77% in 2018 to 72% in 2020 to 65% in 2021. Keep in perspective that 6 out of 10 isn’t a low enough number to gamble with and say LinkedIn won’t make a positive impact on your job search. 

There are several reasons why this is happening, but the most prominent may be because LinkedIn is just one platform. There are recruiting tools entering the market that make it easier for recruiters to gather information on candidates from multiple sources at once. 

Another reason is that a large number of LinkedIn users just aren’t actively using the platform for networking, personal branding, and other career-boosting activities until they are actively looking for a new job. Relying on what may be an outdated profile or an inactive user makes it difficult to find good candidates.

One LinkedIn profile also can’t adequately address the specific challenges a company is facing or the goals of a specific role pursued since these can vary by job title, company type or size, and industry. A resume, however, can be tailored to present you as the best fit for that specific opportunity and increase your chances of landing an interview.

As technology evolves and new tools emerge, it’s possible that online profiles may replace resumes in the hiring process but it likely won’t be LinkedIn that monopolizes this shift in hiring.

If your LinkedIn profile isn’t attracting the right profile views, your Headline may not be keyword-optimized or clickable!

Answer just 5 questions and you can get 5 attention-catching LinkedIn Headline options with my free LinkedIn Headline Generator…