How to Put LinkedIn on Your Resume

In today’s job market, your LinkedIn profile is an extension of your resume—a digital portfolio that hiring managers routinely check when evaluating candidates. Including your LinkedIn URL on your resume isn’t just a nice touch; it’s become a standard expectation in many industries. A well-maintained LinkedIn profile provides additional context about your professional journey, showcases recommendations and endorsements, and demonstrates your digital fluency.

But simply copying and pasting a LinkedIn URL onto your resume isn’t enough. A default LinkedIn URL is long, ugly, and unprofessional looking. To make the right impression, you need to customize your URL, format it appropriately for your resume, and ensure your profile is optimized before sending recruiters there.

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about putting LinkedIn on your resume. From creating a clean custom URL to proper formatting approaches to ensuring your profile supports your candidacy, you’ll learn how to leverage LinkedIn as a powerful complement to your resume.

Why Include LinkedIn on Your Resume?

Before diving into the how, let’s establish why including LinkedIn matters.

Hiring Managers Check LinkedIn Anyway

Multiple studies confirm that the vast majority of recruiters and hiring managers look up candidates on LinkedIn during the hiring process. By including your LinkedIn URL, you make this easier for them and demonstrate proactive professionalism.

LinkedIn Provides Additional Context

Your resume is limited—typically one to two pages summarizing your career. LinkedIn offers space for:

Longer descriptions of your experience
Recommendations from colleagues and managers
Endorsements for your skills
Media, publications, or portfolio samples
Posts and articles demonstrating thought leadership
A more complete list of skills, certifications, and accomplishments

It Demonstrates Digital Presence

In most industries, having a professional LinkedIn presence is expected. Including it on your resume signals that you’re digitally fluent and maintain a professional online identity. In fields like marketing, sales, technology, and business, this is particularly important.

It Creates a Complete Professional Picture

Your resume, LinkedIn profile, and any portfolio sites together create a comprehensive view of your professional identity. Pointing to LinkedIn invites hiring managers to learn more while controlling the narrative about where they look.

Creating a Custom LinkedIn URL

The first step to putting LinkedIn on your resume is creating a custom URL. Default LinkedIn URLs include strings of numbers and letters that look messy and unprofessional.

Default URL example: linkedin.com/in/john-smith-45678a9b0

Custom URL example: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith or linkedin.com/in/john-smith-marketing

How to Create a Custom LinkedIn URL

Log into LinkedIn and navigate to your profile page.
Click “Edit public profile & URL” on the right side of your profile page (desktop version).
Find “Edit your custom URL” in the top right corner of the next screen.
Click the pencil icon next to your current URL.
Type your preferred custom URL in the text field.
Click “Save” to confirm your new URL.

Choosing Your Custom URL

When selecting your custom URL, aim for:

Use your name: The ideal URL is simply your first and last name: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

Add middle initial if needed: If your name is taken, try adding your middle initial: linkedin.com/in/johndsmith

Add a professional descriptor: Another option is adding your profession: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith-marketing or linkedin.com/in/johnsmith-cpa

Keep it simple: Avoid long strings, random numbers, or anything that doesn’t clearly identify you.

Avoid these:

Numbers that aren’t meaningful: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith12345
Cutesy nicknames: linkedin.com/in/johnny-the-salesman
Hard-to-remember strings: linkedin.com/in/j-k-smith-jr-mba-pmp

Your custom URL should be professional, easy to read, and easy to type if someone were to enter it manually.

Formatting LinkedIn on Your Resume

Once you have a clean custom URL, the next question is how to include it on your resume.

Placement Options

In your contact header: The most common approach is including LinkedIn with your other contact information at the top of your resume.

Example header layout:

John Smith San Francisco, CA | (555) 123-4567 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

Alternative layouts:

John Smith
San Francisco, CA • (555) 123-4567
[email protected] • linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

Or vertically: John Smith 123 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (555) 123-4567 [email protected] linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

URL Formatting Options

Several formatting approaches work well:

Full URL (without http): linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

This is clean and professional. The “http://” or “https://” is unnecessary and adds clutter.

Shortened to profile name: LinkedIn: johnsmith

Some candidates simply list “LinkedIn:” followed by their profile name (the part after “/in/”). This is acceptable but slightly less clear.

With LinkedIn label: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

Adding “LinkedIn:” as a label provides clarity, especially if you’re including multiple online profiles.

Hyperlinked (for digital resumes): If your resume will be viewed digitally, make the URL clickable. In most word processors, you can add a hyperlink to the text. The visible text can be shortened while the hyperlink goes to the full URL.

Visible: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith Hyperlink: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

Best Practices for Formatting

Be consistent with other contact information: If your email and phone are in 11pt Arial, your LinkedIn should match.

Don’t include https:// or www.: These are unnecessary and waste space.

Make it scannable: Hiring managers scan quickly. Your LinkedIn should be easy to spot without searching.

Consider the resume format: For chronological or traditional formats, including LinkedIn in the header is standard. For more creative formats, you might place it elsewhere but keep it prominent.

If you have multiple online presences: Some candidates include both LinkedIn and a portfolio website. Keep the formatting parallel:

[email protected] | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith | johnsmith.com

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile Before Including It

Including LinkedIn on your resume sends recruiters to your profile. Make sure what they find helps, not hurts, your candidacy.

Profile Photo

Your LinkedIn photo is often the first thing visitors notice:

Use a professional headshot
Ensure good lighting and quality
Wear appropriate professional attire
Use a neutral or blurred background
Smile—looking approachable matters
Make sure it’s recent

Headline

Your headline appears right below your name and in search results:

Don’t just use your current job title
Include keywords relevant to your target roles
Communicate value, not just title

Basic: “Marketing Manager at ABC Company” Better: “Marketing Manager | Digital Strategy & Brand Growth | Driving Revenue Through Data-Driven Campaigns”

Summary/About Section

Your summary provides context your resume can’t:

Write in first person (more engaging than third)
Open with a compelling hook
Highlight key achievements and value proposition
Include keywords for searchability
Add personality while remaining professional
Include a call to action (how to reach you, what you’re seeking)

Experience Section

Your LinkedIn experience should complement your resume:

Include more detail than your resume (you have space)
Use similar language for ATS consistency
Add media, documents, or links where relevant
Ensure dates and titles match your resume exactly

Important: Any discrepancies between your resume and LinkedIn raise red flags. Double-check that job titles, company names, and dates align precisely.

Skills and Endorsements

Curate your skills list strategically:

Include skills relevant to your target roles
Arrange your top three skills to display prominently
Remove outdated or irrelevant skills
Seek endorsements from colleagues for key skills

Recommendations

Recommendations provide social proof that sets LinkedIn apart:

Request recommendations from former managers, colleagues, or clients
Aim for at least 2-3 quality recommendations
Ensure recommendations speak to relevant skills and achievements
Diversify recommendation sources (not all from one company)

Additional Sections

Depending on your background, consider:

Publications
Certifications
Volunteer experience
Courses
Honors and awards
Projects

Use sections that add value; remove empty sections.

Activity and Posts

Your LinkedIn activity is visible. Before including your profile on your resume:

Review recent posts and comments
Ensure nothing controversial or unprofessional appears
Consider whether your activity demonstrates thought leadership
Hide or delete anything that doesn’t reflect well on you professionally

Tools like 0portfolio.com can help you maintain consistent professional branding across your resume, LinkedIn, and other career documents.

When NOT to Include LinkedIn

While LinkedIn is generally valuable on resumes, some situations call for omission:

If Your Profile Is Incomplete

An incomplete or sparse LinkedIn profile hurts more than it helps. If you haven’t maintained your profile, either optimize it before including it or leave it off your resume entirely.

If Your Profile Contradicts Your Resume

Discrepancies between resume and LinkedIn create serious concerns. If you can’t reconcile them (perhaps due to complex circumstances), consider omitting LinkedIn until you can align them.

If Your Industry Doesn’t Expect It

Some industries and roles haven’t fully embraced LinkedIn. If you’re applying in contexts where online presence isn’t valued or expected, the space might be better used for other information.

If You Have a More Relevant Online Presence

Designers, developers, writers, and other creatives might have portfolio sites more relevant than LinkedIn. While you can include both, prioritize what best showcases your qualifications.

If Privacy Is a Concern

In some circumstances—job searching while employed at a company that monitors LinkedIn, for example—including LinkedIn might create complications. Consider your specific situation.

Special Circumstances and Variations

Different situations call for different approaches.

Recent Graduates

If you’re new to the workforce with limited experience:

LinkedIn can help by showing coursework, projects, and activities
Include volunteer work and campus leadership
Seek recommendations from professors, supervisors, or mentors
Ensure your profile shows you’re actively building your career

Career Changers

When switching industries:

Update your LinkedIn to reflect your transition narrative
Highlight transferable skills in your headline and summary
Reframe past experience in terms relevant to target roles
Consider if your current LinkedIn supports or undermines your new direction

Senior Executives

For executive roles:

LinkedIn can showcase thought leadership and influence
Board positions, speaking engagements, and publications add credibility
Consider premium LinkedIn features that demonstrate serious professional presence
Executive profiles should match the sophistication expected at senior levels

Creative Professionals

For designers, writers, marketers, and similar roles:

LinkedIn should complement, not replace, portfolio sites
Include both if space allows
Ensure LinkedIn samples and projects are current
Consider whether LinkedIn or portfolio deserves priority placement

Technical Professionals

For developers, engineers, and technical roles:

GitHub, Stack Overflow, or personal sites might be equally important
Include technical certifications on LinkedIn
Your LinkedIn should communicate technical expertise clearly
Consider including multiple relevant profiles with consistent formatting

International Applications

When applying internationally:

LinkedIn is globally recognized
Different regions have different expectations for profile content
Research local norms for your target market
Ensure your profile reflects international awareness if relevant

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Learn from others’ errors:

Using the Default URL

The messy string of numbers looks unprofessional and is hard to type. Always customize your URL.

Including an Outdated Profile

If your LinkedIn shows different jobs, titles, or dates than your resume, employers notice. Keep them aligned.

Sending Recruiters to an Incomplete Profile

Don’t include LinkedIn if your profile is sparse. Better to omit it than to send someone to an empty shell.

Including LinkedIn but Not Maintaining It

Once LinkedIn is on your resume, you’ve implicitly promised to keep it current. Abandoned profiles look bad.

Including HTTP:// or WWW.

These prefixes waste space and look dated. linkedin.com/in/yourname is sufficient.

Using an Unprofessional Photo

Your LinkedIn photo matters. Selfies, party pics, or cropped group photos undermine professionalism.

Forgetting to Check Privacy Settings

Make sure your profile is public or that the key sections are visible to people who aren’t connections. Test by viewing your profile logged out.

Inconsistent Information

Different job titles, date discrepancies, or contradictory information between resume and LinkedIn raises immediate red flags.

The Technical Details

For those who want specifics:

Making LinkedIn Clickable in Digital Resumes

If submitting digitally (email, applicant portal), a clickable link improves user experience.

In Microsoft Word:

Highlight the LinkedIn URL text
Right-click and select “Hyperlink” (or Ctrl+K)
Enter the full URL (https://linkedin.com/in/yourname)
Click OK

In Google Docs:

Highlight the text
Click Insert > Link (or Ctrl+K)
Enter the full URL
Click Apply

In PDF: Links created in Word or Google Docs typically transfer to PDF when you export or save as PDF.

Testing Your Link

Before sending resumes with LinkedIn:

Export or save your resume in the format you’ll submit
Open the exported file
Click the LinkedIn link to verify it works
Check that it goes to the right profile

QR Codes (Advanced)

Some candidates include QR codes linking to their LinkedIn. This is more common for printed resumes handed out at networking events:

LinkedIn generates a QR code for your profile (in the mobile app)
Include the QR code on your resume only if space allows and it suits the context
This approach is unusual and may seem gimmicky in traditional industries

Future-Proofing Your LinkedIn Presence

LinkedIn continues to evolve. Stay current:

Keep Your Profile Updated

Make updates a regular habit—after projects complete, when you learn new skills, or when you change roles.

Engage Meaningfully

Active LinkedIn users appear more attractive to recruiters. Occasional thoughtful engagement demonstrates ongoing professional development.

Monitor Your Public Visibility

Periodically check how your profile appears to non-connections. LinkedIn changes privacy settings and features; verify your information displays as intended.

Evolve with Your Career

Your LinkedIn should mature as your career does. What worked at one level may need updating as you advance.

Conclusion: LinkedIn as Your Digital Handshake

Your LinkedIn profile has become the digital equivalent of a professional handshake—an impression that matters. Including it on your resume invites hiring managers to learn more about you in a controlled, professional environment that you curate.

Take time to create a clean custom URL that looks professional on your resume. Format it consistently with your other contact information. Most importantly, ensure your LinkedIn profile is complete, current, and aligned with the story your resume tells.

When your resume and LinkedIn work together, they create a comprehensive, compelling picture of who you are professionally. That coordination doesn’t happen by accident—it requires intentional alignment and ongoing maintenance. But the payoff is a professional presence that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Your resume opens doors. Your LinkedIn invites people to step through those doors and learn more. Make sure both sides of that threshold present you at your best.

Your professional presence extends across multiple platforms, and consistency across them matters. Whether recruiters first encounter you through your resume, LinkedIn, or another channel, they should find a coherent professional story. Invest time in maintaining that consistency, and your job search materials will work together rather than against each other.

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