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Here’s How Your Résumé and LinkedIn Profile Should Differ

By U.S. News & World Report

Many people think résumés and LinkedIn profiles are one and the same. They’re not.

In addition to the basic data, a résumé should only contain information pertinent to a job. Generally, you should restrict it to one page if you graduated within the last five years and two pages if you graduated more than five years ago. In either case, the information must warrant inclusion — quality is more important than quantity. The goal of your résumé is to highlight your greatest accomplishments and skills, rather than hurling every piece of information about you at an employer.

Some people are using the option on LinkedIn to create a résumé directly from the information contained in their profile. This is not a great idea, because LinkedIn includes more information than you likely need on your résumé. Also, a résumé and profile serve different functions.

You may have heard that employers compare résumés and LinkedIn profiles, and you are probably wondering why and what they are looking for. While employers want to check that both documents tell the same story about you as a professional, they want to see more in your LinkedIn profile about your experience and skills. LinkedIn offers many opportunities to expand on your résumé that you should be taking advantage of.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to ensure you’re using both mediums appropriately in the eyes of an employer.

Is my basic information the same? It may sound obvious, but make sure to double check basic data. Is your contact information correct? Are your company names spelled right? Are the dates of employment accurate? Mismatching employment dates could signal that you’re hiding something or simply not paying of attention to detail.

Do I have a photo or image? While employers in the U.S. and in some other countries do not expect or want to see a photo on your résumé, employers do want to see you on LinkedIn. According to Brie Reynolds, director of online content for FlexJobs, when a candidate doesn’t have a LinkedIn profile picture, the generic gray stock image cartoon can be off-putting to employers. Even if you don’t want to share your actual photograph, try to include a professionally appropriate image that represents you.

Do I have a summary? In addition to a standout headline, the summary is a key element of a LinkedIn profile. It’s your opportunity to write a personal bio and show some personality, which is not an option in a résumé. Reynolds says this is where you have the most leverage to describe yourself in any way you see fit. Use this section to highlight your most important skills and experience and talk about the problems you help solve for your employers.

Have I received any recommendations? Résumés do not contain references or recommendations, but LinkedIn allows them. This is a function you should absolutely be using. The employer gets a reference before even meeting you — what could be better than that? If you can get several recommendations from former or current colleagues, you are doing yourself a huge favor. Offering to provide a recommendation for another person may inspire them to return the favor.

Am I marketing my expertise as much as I could? “The publisher option on LinkedIn is a really easy way to create a professional blog where you can expand on your expertise and opinions related to your career field,” Reynolds says. “This will help give life to the experience listed on your résumé.” You don’t have to be a published author or communications guru to use this feature, which is why it’s so great. You can write small articles about projects you’ve worked on, a noteworthy development in your industry or the latest thing you’ve learned related to your career. This adds depth to your résumé and positions you as an expert in your field.

Also, be sure you’re using all the fields that apply to you. Hobbies and interests provide an extra glimpse of your personality, as does volunteer work and causes you care about. If you have a reason to include projects you’re working on or publications you’ve written, these can and should go on your LinkedIn profile.

A well-constructed LinkedIn presence shows employers that you are somewhat Internet savvy and connected to other professionals. Even if those particular things are not relevant to the jobs you seek, they are significant to most human resource professionals. They expect that most everyone, except those whose jobs prohibit it, is on LinkedIn today.

If you don’t take into consideration what an employer wants to see on LinkedIn versus your résumé, you may be missing out on job opportunities.

Marcelle Yeager is the president of Career Valet, which delivers personalized career navigation services. Her goal is to enable people to recognize skills and job possibilities they didn’t know they had to make a career change or progress in their current career. She worked for more than 10 years as a strategic communications consultant, including four years overseas. Marcelle holds an MBA from the University of Maryland.

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Here’s How Your Résumé and LinkedIn Profile Should Differ originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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