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Q: In your blog “Take it Off! (But Don’t Take It ALL Off–A Guide to a Slimmer Resume)” I saw that I should take jobs over 15 years old off my resume. Should I do this with my LinkedIn profile too?
A: Both your resume and LinkedIn profile create a picture of your career story. They convey the journey you’ve made, establish how you arrived at your present position, and highlight your job goals. That being said, your resume and LinkedIn profile, while related, are different.
Your resume has definite space restrictions – you don’t have a lot of room and must focus on the most pertinent details. Your LinkedIn profile allows the opportunity to expand more on your information. The key is relevancy; if you’ve held roles more than 10 or 15 years ago that are absolutely not applicable to your current job hunt – and could possibly harm your present search – go ahead and remove them.
Your LinkedIn profile grants more room to convey your message than on a resume – and you should utilize it! Take advantage of what is allowed; offer more insight into your career and highlight your value in more detail. (How many characters allowed? See a previous Q&A From The Trenches for more: “The Sound of Silence–Too Quiet on Your LinkedIn Profile?”)
Your resume should be tailored each time it’s submitted to a job application, and specifically targeted for each position. But your LinkedIn profile needs to effectively cover all your bases at once – because you’re not sure who can review your profile at any time … and what opportunity they present and criteria they’re looking for. So it’s a good idea to go beyond the 15 year mark on your profile, if that job adds value to your skill set and what you potentially offer as an employee. Be sure to review your experience at that particular role – and determine if it adds to your candidacy. If so, keep it on your profile! Always remember, the key to deciding what to include … is relevancy – both on your profile and on your resume.
A downside to omitting previous positions – you won’t be able to make connections as “former colleagues,” and may not be allowed to join certain discussions if you don’t display your employment. Be careful not to fill the sections of your LinkedIn profile with irrelevant information with the need to fill the space, and don’t weigh your info down with extraneous details … just because you can. Keep your profile concise and targeted – and keep the reader engaged!
Have a question for Job Q&A From The Trenches? Tweet us @InspiredResumes or email deidre@inspiredresumes.com
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