Most professionals understand the need for a professional resume. Where things get confusing is when you bring up the need for a professional bio and a LinkedIn profile. While most professionals recognize that a LinkedIn profile and bio could be helpful to them in their career, they have a hard time explaining why this is and what the difference is between these.
So, if you’ve felt similarly confused, you aren’t alone. Here then, are 8 must-know similarities and differences in a detailed comparison of resumes, bios, and LinkedIn profiles.
| Resume | LinkedIn Profile | Professional Biography |
|---|---|---|
| A detailed overview of your career and professional credentials; should be focused for a specific goal. Individual career stories should be written to illustrate your personal brand and unique value offerings. | Infused with your personal brand and personality, your LinkedIn profile helps to build connections and foster networking while providing space the create a “living” multimedia career portfolio. | Provides a birds-eye view of your career and your story in a way that shines a light on your personal brand and unique value offerings. Infused with personality but in a more formal way. |
| Written in the implied first-person (as if you are writing about yourself but without the use of any pronouns such as “I” or “me”). | Written in the first person with a conversational tone. Pronouns are both acceptable and expected as they promote you as an approachable individual open to networking. | More formal and written from third-person perspective (as if someone else is writing about you). Use your name (Jane Doe, Ms. Doe, etc.) and the subject pronouns he or she. |
| Usually organized chronologically (reverse chronology). | Organized chronologically (reverse chronology). | Organized in the order that best tells your story. This is usually reverse chronology, but not always. |
| Includes education, all (or most recent XX years) companies, all title/years for roles held, as well as responsibilities, challenges, actions taken, and results. | Includes education, all (or most recent XX years) companies, all title/years for roles held, as well as responsibilities, challenges, actions taken, and results. | High-level overview; should not include all roles, years, and dates. Should include relevant roles, companies, education, and other credentials. |
| Should include facts and specific details including metrics and data to illustrate outcomes. | Provide facts and details judiciously; in some cases, it might not be appropriate to include metrics or other details. | Illustrate your story and most important professional accomplishments with a high-level overview and very selective use of metrics, but only if they help you convey your message. |
| Two pages (and in very selective cases, three) are common and expected for most experienced candidates. | While content should be succinct and readable, a robust profile with multimedia content and complete sections will stand out. | Should almost never be more than one page. In some cases you may be asked for a bio that is just a couple of paragraphs or even just a few sentences. |
| Never include a photo of yourself (this might not always be true outside of the North American job market). | You should include a professional and on-brand photo of yourself. | You should include a professional and on-brand photo of yourself. |
| Never include information about your family and personal hobbies (unless those hobbies directly support your target goal). | A peek into your volunteer activities, community work, passions, brand values, vision and mission, and hobbies can help you build meaningful connections and can be conversation starters. Include them prudently. | A peek into your volunteer activities, community work, passions, brand values, vision and mission, and hobbies can help you build meaningful connections and can be conversation starters. Include them prudently. |
