How to Attach a Resume to a LinkedIn Job Application

Job seekers, let’s talk. It’s really tough looking for a job. Believe me, I know firsthand. I speak with active candidates every day that are working their hardest to land that next awesome opportunity.

But I see a few missteps happen over and over again that I am truly perplexed by. Take a moment and put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager. If an applicant had not done the bare minimum of supplying a resume, would you hire, or even consider, that applicant?

The answer is no. So why, then, do so many applicants not attach their resume when they apply for a job on LinkedIn? I believe the assumption is that your LinkedIn profile will suffice, but that is absolutely not the case. Whether you have the greatest profile in the world or didn’t even bother to fill in the dates of your positions, there is important information that can only be gleaned through access to your resume. Not to mention that you still need to make the minimum effort to present yourself professionally. This Quick Tip will show you how to attach a resume when applying for a job on LinkedIn.

First begin by click on the Jobs tab and searching for a job that fits your criteria and that you’d like to apply for.

Once you’re in the job posting, you can begin the job application process by clicking on the blue “Apply” button.

After clicking apply, a window will come up that confirms the details of your application. This window also allows you to easily include your resume with your application. You can either simply drag and drop the file into the area highlighted below, or click on the highlighted box and attach your file.

Don’t forget to click on “Send application” once you’ve attached your file in order to complete the process.

It is just that simple. Taking the time to complete this important step will:

1. Provide all of the information required when applying for a job.
2. Allow the hiring manager or recruiter to fully review your background fully and easily.
3. Provide a way for your qualifications to be shared easily among a hiring team, by simply sharing your resume as opposed to a link to your Profile.

As a follow-up step, you may want to reach out to the job poster to introduce yourself via Inmail. You can easily see who the job poster is within the posting and message them by clicking on “Message” under their photo and title:

At that point, you’ve taken several very simple but important steps to completing your application via LinkedIn, and thoroughly presenting yourself as a qualified candidate. LinkedIn makes it so easy, so you really have no excuse.

Good luck on the job search!