Do you have your resume posted on your LinkedIn Profile? Many job seekers are unsure if they should post their resume as an attachment to their profile. Much like asking for resume writing advice, this is a topic that everyone has an opinion and rarely will the advice sync.

Controversy

A quick Google search on the topic will reveal many rants about why you shouldn’t include your resume as a part of your LinkedIn profile. The rationale mainly falls into these buckets:

• Your job search is public.
• Security issues. Your resume is public and therefore can be viewed, downloaded and passed around without your knowledge or participation. Additionally, your contact details are public.
• Recruiters can secretly dismiss you without contacting you.
• You appear to be a less qualified applicant because “A-list talent” is in demand and therefore does not need to post a resume.

All of these can be valid reasons why you shouldn’t post your resume. You need to decide if these issues resonate with you.

A Success Story From A Resume Posted

In my opinion, if you are not conducting a confidential search, you should post your resume. I contacted an applicant who posted her resume for a job search just before the holidays. She was a perfect match for the role and I was excited to talk to her.

She was part of the displacement of jobs out of state so she was working but not confidentially looking (No worries with #1). She had only part of her contact information posted so I was able to reach her (No worries with #2). As I stated above, I was excited to talk to her. I could see from her resume that our interaction wouldn’t be a waste of time. Perhaps job search criteria wouldn’t line up but her qualifications were evident. (No worries with #3). Interestingly, a little Silicon Valley snobbery came into play. Immediately after receiving the resume and write up from me, my client looked her up on LinkedIn. They went through every document in her portfolio including her resume. The employer remarked that it was strange that she posted her resume to her profile. When we talked through the logic they realized that it was smart and the topic was dismissed. So, there can be some market backlash around reason #4. Ultimately, she interviewed and it as a match made in heaven.

Using LinkedIn to store job-hunting portfolio

Post Your Resume Correctly To Be Found

In addition to the reasons listed above, you may run into people at a networking event, job fair or dinner party who say they have their resume posted and it hasn’t added any value. That may be because they haven’t posted it publicly. Just because you post it, doesn’t mean it can be found. Let me say that again, just because you post it, doesn’t mean it can be found. You must choose to post it publicly in order to be found; otherwise, it is up to you to determine who can see it.

Search engines index all content that's uploaded publicly to SlideShare. Recruiters use Boolean searches to find applicants. Public documents will therefore be found in these searches. This may mean the difference between someone landing on your profile and looking at your resume and finding your resume to drive them to your profile.

Share a Secret URL for Private Documents

Don’t want to make the resume public? Upload and choose private for your privacy option. Then use the secret URL to email potential employers. The resume itself will not be publicly available but anyone who has the secret URL can view it. Remember your traffic will depend on how many links you send versus a public document that may drive traffic to you.

Tips to Successfully Upload Your Resume

Documents technically can be uploaded as:

• Adobe PDF (.pdf)
• Microsoft Word (.doc/ .docx/ .rtf)
• OpenOffice Documents (.odt)
• Most .txt files

All of these formats are supported on the mobile app. However, the best choice is PDF.  PDF files provide the highest quality and ensure that custom fonts, images, and layouts are retained

Note: On mobile, PowerPoint, PDF, and document formats are supported but not infographics. The maximum upload file size limit is 300 MB.

Hyperlinks

You can use hyperlinks in all the formats listed above but they will not work in an infographic. LinkedIn has disabled links on the first 3 slides/pages of all SlideShare files. Links will still work after the third slide.

You must activate and test your hyperlinks. Here’s how: http://www.slidecoaching.com/2010/04/how-to-activate-url-links-slideshare/

Posting your resume to your LinkedIn profile using SlideShare can be a great way to initiate conversations with recruiters. Much like resume writing, the decision to post or not to post is a personal one and one I urge you to make an informed decision. Before uploading your document be sure to read and research best practices to make sure you understand document formatting, privacy settings, and sharing.