Including Links in a Resume: Best Practices for Modern Job Applications

The modern job application process has evolved dramatically from the paper-based systems of previous decades. Today’s resumes exist primarily as digital documents, opening up possibilities that weren’t available when resumes were printed and mailed. Chief among these possibilities is the ability to include hyperlinks that connect hiring managers directly to additional information about your qualifications, work samples, and professional presence.

However, the ability to include links doesn’t automatically mean you should include every possible link you can think of. Strategic link inclusion can strengthen your application by providing evidence of your claims and offering deeper insight into your capabilities. Poorly chosen or improperly formatted links can distract from your message, appear unprofessional, or simply fail to work when clicked.

This comprehensive guide explores everything you need to know about including links in your resume: which links add value, how to format them properly, technical considerations for different submission methods, and common mistakes to avoid.

The Case for Including Links in Your Resume

Before diving into implementation details, let’s establish why links belong in modern resumes. Understanding their purpose helps you make strategic decisions about which links to include.

Links provide evidence for your claims. Anyone can write that they “built a successful marketing campaign” or “developed an innovative application.” Links to actual work samples, case studies, or live products transform assertions into demonstrated proof. This evidence-based approach resonates with hiring managers who’ve grown skeptical of unsubstantiated resume claims.

They show digital sophistication. In an increasingly digital economy, comfort with technology is assumed for most professional roles. A well-constructed resume with functional hyperlinks signals basic digital competence—a minimum expectation for knowledge workers.

Links allow depth without length. Resume space is precious, and convention limits most resumes to one or two pages. Links let you maintain concise resume content while providing pathways to detailed information for hiring managers who want to learn more. Your resume remains scannable while offering depth on demand.

They facilitate reference checking. Hiring managers increasingly research candidates online before interviews. By providing curated links, you guide them to the content you want them to see, rather than leaving them to discover whatever Google surfaces first.

Links demonstrate professional presence. A robust online professional presence suggests someone engaged with their field, building their reputation, and thinking about career development strategically.

Essential Links Every Resume Should Consider

Not all links are equally valuable. These categories represent the most commonly beneficial links for professional resumes.

LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile has become nearly as important as your resume itself. Including this link is essentially mandatory for professional positions.

Why LinkedIn matters: Many hiring managers will find your LinkedIn anyway—better to direct them to an optimized profile that aligns with your resume. LinkedIn also allows for endorsements, recommendations, and a more complete career narrative than a resume provides.

How to include it: Use your customized LinkedIn URL (you can customize this in your LinkedIn settings). A URL like “linkedin.com/in/yourname” appears much more professional than the default URL with random numbers.

Placement options: LinkedIn URLs typically appear in your contact information header, alongside phone number and email. Some candidates also include a small LinkedIn icon that hyperlinks to their profile.

Professional Portfolio or Personal Website

For creative professionals, technologists, consultants, and anyone whose work benefits from visual or detailed demonstration, a portfolio link can significantly strengthen your application.

Who benefits most: Designers, developers, writers, marketers, photographers, architects, and any professional whose work product can be displayed digitally.

What to include: Your portfolio should be curated and current, featuring your best work that’s relevant to the positions you’re targeting. Quality matters more than quantity.

Considerations: Ensure your portfolio website is mobile-responsive, loads quickly, and presents a professional appearance. A poorly designed portfolio can hurt more than help.

GitHub or Code Repositories

Technical candidates often benefit from linking to their code repositories, demonstrating coding ability through actual projects.

When to include: If you’re applying for engineering, development, or technical roles where coding proficiency matters, active GitHub profiles provide valuable evidence of your capabilities.

What matters: Quality of code, project diversity, documentation, and contribution activity all factor into how hiring managers evaluate GitHub profiles. A sparse or disorganized repository can work against you.

Presentation tips: Pin your best repositories to your profile, include clear README files, and ensure any code you’re showcasing represents your current skill level.

Published Work and Writing Samples

Writers, journalists, content marketers, thought leaders, and subject matter experts often strengthen their applications with links to published work.

Types of links: Blog posts, articles on major publications, white papers, research papers, guest posts, or your own blog can all demonstrate expertise and communication ability.

Selection criteria: Choose pieces that demonstrate relevant expertise, reflect your current thinking, and are hosted on reputable platforms. A Medium article might carry less weight than a guest post on an industry publication.

Project-Specific Links

Sometimes individual accomplishments on your resume warrant dedicated links.

Examples:

A mobile app you developed, linked to its app store listing
A website you designed, linked to the live site
A video you produced, linked to its YouTube or Vimeo page
A product you launched, linked to its landing page
A campaign you ran, linked to a case study

When to use: These work best when the linked content directly supports a specific bullet point on your resume and provides evidence that static text cannot convey.

Links That Usually Shouldn’t Appear on Resumes

Not every online presence deserves a resume link. Some categories typically hurt more than help.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles generally don’t belong on professional resumes unless your role specifically involves social media management and these profiles demonstrate professional capabilities.

The exception: If you’ve built a significant professional following related to your field (industry thought leadership, professional content creation), consider including it. But personal accounts with vacation photos and political opinions should stay off your resume.

Outdated or Poorly Maintained Sites

A portfolio you haven’t updated in three years, a blog with your last post from 2019, or a personal website with broken links does more harm than good. Either update these properties or leave them off.

Irrelevant Links

Every link on your resume should serve a purpose related to the job you’re applying for. Your amateur photography portfolio probably doesn’t belong on an accounting resume, no matter how proud you are of it.

Controversial Content

Anything that might alienate or offend potential employers should be excluded. Political commentary, religious content, or anything that might generate controversy usually doesn’t help your candidacy.

Paywalled Content

If hiring managers can’t access your linked content without paying or creating accounts, the link loses most of its value. Either find publicly accessible versions or skip the link entirely.

Formatting Links Properly

How you present links matters almost as much as which links you include. Proper formatting ensures links work correctly and appear professional.

Making Links Clickable

In digital submissions (which represent the vast majority of applications), links should be actual hyperlinks that hiring managers can click, not just text they’d have to copy and paste.

In Microsoft Word: Highlight the text you want to hyperlink, right-click, select “Insert Hyperlink,” and enter the URL.

In Google Docs: Highlight text, use Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on Mac), and enter the URL.

In PDF exports: Most PDF exports preserve hyperlinks from Word or Google Docs. Test your exported PDF to ensure links remain clickable.

Testing: Always click your links in the final submitted document to verify they work correctly. Broken links suggest carelessness.

Display Text vs. Full URLs

You have choices about how links appear visually on your resume.

Shortened display text: “View my portfolio at portfolio.yourname.com” or simply hyperlinking “my portfolio” looks cleaner than a full URL.

Full URLs: Sometimes the full URL is simple enough to display: “linkedin.com/in/yourname” is clean and recognizable.

Avoiding messy URLs: Never include URLs with long strings of random characters, tracking parameters, or complex file paths. Either shorten them or use descriptive hyperlink text.

Link Placement Strategies

Contact section: LinkedIn and portfolio URLs typically appear alongside other contact information, creating a natural header that collects all the ways to reach or learn about you.

Inline with experience: Project-specific links often work best embedded within relevant bullet points: “Designed the company’s e-commerce platform (link: www.example.com), increasing online sales by 45%.”

Dedicated section: Some candidates create a “Links” or “Online Presence” section, though this approach works better for link-heavy resumes (creative professionals, developers) than for resumes with just one or two links.

Tools like 0portfolio.com can help you organize and present your digital presence effectively, ensuring your links enhance your professional narrative.

Visual Formatting Tips

Icons: Some resumes use small icons (LinkedIn logo, GitHub logo, globe icon for websites) next to links. This can look professional if executed well, but ensure icons don’t disrupt ATS parsing.

Color: Hyperlinks traditionally appear in blue and may be underlined. You can keep this convention or format links to match your resume’s design—just ensure they’re obviously clickable.

Consistency: Whatever formatting choices you make, apply them consistently across all links on your resume.

Technical Considerations for Different Submission Methods

How you submit your resume affects how links function. Consider these technical factors.

Email Attachments

When emailing your resume as an attachment:

PDF format best preserves hyperlinks and formatting
Word documents work but may display differently on different systems
Test your attachment by opening it fresh to verify links work

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Many companies use ATS to process applications:

Some ATS strip hyperlinks from uploaded resumes
Text-based links (full URLs) may survive better than hyperlinked text
Consider including both: “linkedin.com/in/yourname” as visible text, hyperlinked for those who view it directly
Critical links (LinkedIn, portfolio) should be complete enough that someone could type them manually

Online Application Forms

When copying resume content into application forms:

Hyperlinks typically don’t transfer
Include full, typeable URLs for important links
Some forms have dedicated fields for LinkedIn, portfolios, or websites—use them

Print Considerations

While most hiring happens digitally, some situations involve printed resumes:

Hyperlinks are obviously useless on paper
For print applications, include clean, memorable URLs that someone could type
Consider whether any links are essential enough to include as plain text

Industry-Specific Link Strategies

Different industries have different expectations and norms around resume links.

Technology and Engineering

Tech industry resumes often feature robust link sections:

GitHub or GitLab profiles are nearly expected
Personal technical blogs demonstrate thought leadership
Links to deployed projects, apps, or tools you’ve built
Stack Overflow profiles for those with strong contribution histories
Technical conference talks or podcasts

Creative Fields

Designers, writers, and creative professionals rely heavily on portfolio links:

Portfolio website is often the most important resume element
Behance, Dribbble, or similar platform profiles
Links to published work, campaigns, or projects
Video reels for video professionals
Photography portfolios for visual creatives

Marketing and Business

Business professionals benefit from different link types:

LinkedIn with strong recommendations and endorsements
Published thought leadership content
Case studies or white papers
Speaking engagements or webinars
Media appearances or press coverage

Academic and Research

Academic candidates have specific link expectations:

Google Scholar profile
Research Gate or Academia.edu profiles
Links to published papers (ideally to open-access versions)
Personal academic website with CV, publications, and research interests
Lab or research group websites

Healthcare and Regulated Industries

Conservative industries may have different norms:

LinkedIn remains appropriate
Personal websites should be highly professional
Fewer links overall, as these fields often value traditional approaches
Certifications or license verification links when relevant

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Learn from others’ errors to ensure your links strengthen rather than weaken your application.

Broken Links

Perhaps the most damaging mistake is including links that don’t work.

Prevention: Test every link in your submitted document. Check them again if you’ve edited your resume recently. Use a fresh browser or incognito window to ensure you’re not seeing cached versions.

If links break: Update your resume immediately when you notice a broken link. If you’ve already submitted, you may need to contact the employer with corrected information.

Inconsistent Information

Your linked profiles should align with your resume.

Common problems: Different job dates on LinkedIn vs. resume, inconsistent job titles, conflicting information about responsibilities or accomplishments.

Prevention: Update all your profiles simultaneously when revising your resume. Do a thorough consistency check before major job searches.

Unprofessional Linked Content

Everything you link should present you professionally.

Red flags: Typos or errors on linked websites, outdated information, controversial opinions, unprofessional photos, or content that contradicts your resume’s narrative.

Quality control: Review every linked page through the eyes of a hiring manager. Would this content make you more or less likely to interview this candidate?

Too Many Links

More isn’t always better.

The problem: Excessive links dilute your message and suggest you can’t prioritize. A resume with 12 links scattered throughout comes across as unfocused.

Better approach: Limit yourself to essential links—typically LinkedIn, one portfolio/website, and perhaps one or two project-specific links for key accomplishments.

Poorly Formatted URLs

Long, messy URLs look unprofessional and are impossible to use for those who might need to type them.

Solutions:

Use URL shorteners (but be aware some organizations block them)
Customize URLs where possible (LinkedIn vanity URLs, custom domains)
Use hyperlinked text instead of displaying full URLs
Clean tracking parameters from URLs before including them

If hiring managers can’t access your content without creating accounts, your link fails its purpose.

Check accessibility: Open your links in incognito/private browsing mode to see what visitors see. Ensure portfolio sites, writing samples, and project links are publicly accessible.

Creating Link-Worthy Content

Sometimes the challenge isn’t how to include links, but what to link to. If you’re lacking linkable content, consider building your online presence.

Developing a Portfolio

If you don’t have a portfolio:

Start with free platforms (Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com, Notion)
Include any relevant work, even from school projects or personal endeavors
Focus on quality over quantity—a few strong pieces beat many mediocre ones
Update regularly to keep content fresh

Building Your LinkedIn Presence

An optimized LinkedIn profile should include:

Professional photo and compelling headline
Complete work history with descriptions matching (but expanding on) your resume
Skills section with relevant endorsements
Recommendations from colleagues and managers
Activity showing engagement with your professional community

Creating Work Samples

If you lack publishable work samples:

Create spec work demonstrating your capabilities
Write blog posts on professional topics
Contribute to open-source projects
Volunteer your skills and document the results
Take on freelance projects to build your portfolio

Establishing Thought Leadership

Publishing content establishes expertise:

Guest post on industry blogs
Start a professional blog on Medium or LinkedIn
Create video content explaining concepts in your field
Speak at meetups or conferences (many recorded and posted online)

Final Checklist for Resume Links

Before submitting your resume, verify:

Link selection:

Every link serves a clear purpose related to the job
Links demonstrate claims made in your resume
No inappropriate or controversial content is linked
All linked content is current and professionally presented

Technical functionality:

All links work correctly (tested in the final document)
Links function in the submission format (email, ATS, online form)
URLs are clean and professional in appearance
Hyperlink text is descriptive and appropriate

Content alignment:

Linked profiles match resume information
No contradictions between resume and linked content
Linked content represents your current capabilities
All linked content is accessible without login requirements

Professional presentation:

Link formatting is consistent throughout resume
Links don’t clutter or distract from resume content
Important links are prominent but not overwhelming
Overall resume maintains professional appearance

Conclusion: Links as Strategic Assets

Including links in your resume is no longer optional for most professional positions—it’s an expected element of modern job applications. The question isn’t whether to include links, but which links best support your candidacy and how to present them effectively.

Approach your resume links strategically. Each link should serve a purpose: demonstrating a claim, providing evidence of capability, showcasing your professional presence, or offering hiring managers a pathway to deeper information about your qualifications.

Quality matters more than quantity. A single strong portfolio link that perfectly demonstrates your capabilities provides more value than a dozen scattered links to various online properties. Be selective, be strategic, and ensure every link you include strengthens your candidacy.

Remember that your resume links create a journey for hiring managers to follow. Guide them thoughtfully to content that reinforces your message, provides evidence for your claims, and builds their confidence that you’re the right candidate for the role. When links are implemented well, they transform your resume from a static document into a gateway to a comprehensive picture of your professional value.

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