A while back, I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a post by a user talking about how his friend had tried to convince him to open a LinkedIn account. In his opinion, it was of no use, and he couldn’t quite understand why people had an unhealthy obsession over LinkedIn. In recent years, LinkedIn has become one of the most misunderstood professional spaces on the internet. What was once regarded as a digital portfolio of credibility and skill has, to some extent, turned into a performance stage where many users present exaggerated achievements or outright false information. So, I understood his position clearly. The use of LinkedIn as a tool for exaggeration and presentation of false achievements has caused skepticism amongst netizens, many of whom are job seekers. People now question whether the platform still holds any authentic value for professional networking or job applications. I have noticed this growing wave of disillusionment, particularly among genuine professionals who feel that the environment has become less about competence and more about appearances. Yet despite this distortion, LinkedIn remains one of the most powerful instruments for career growth when used properly. The problem is not with the platform itself but with how it is being misunderstood. I need you to follow through on my thought process on why you should have a LinkedIn account and how you can utilize it properly to get jobs coming your way.
You see, LinkedIn was never designed to be a mere social media platform. It was built as a digital professional identity system; a space where every individual can represent their professional journey in unique ways – or should I say in ways a traditional CV could never capture. The irony is that while many people dismiss LinkedIn as “another social app,” organizations and recruiters are increasingly using it as a first line of assessment for candidates. In fact, many recruitment processes today involve checking an applicant’s LinkedIn profile before reviewing their CV. This shift in professional culture has made the platform, whether we admit it or not, an unofficial CV of the digital age. If you have ever applied to any remote role, chances are high that you must have been asked for a link to your LinkedIn profile. This is more than just having a professional picture as your display photo – no, it is more about you bringing authenticity to your craft.
A CV is more like a static document – a concise representation of qualifications, experience, and achievements. Its primary function is to summarize what a person has done in a way that aligns with the needs of an employer. However, the limitation of traditional CVs is that they cannot evolve in real time; you have to continuously update your CV. Once sent out, they remain fixed, offering no context beyond the words printed on them. LinkedIn, in contrast, operates as a living CV – one that grows, updates, and communicates continuously, as the user constantly updates their professional achievements and skills earned. Every endorsement, skill update, article, or comment paints a picture of a professional user’s trajectory. This nature allows recruiters to evaluate not only what a person claims to have done but also how they engage with their professional community.
I have seen instances where organizations – especially when it comes to remote roles – before shortlisting candidates, begin by visiting LinkedIn to cross-check details from submitted CVs. They look beyond the job titles and dates; they assess how individuals describe their achievements, how they interact with others, and even the quality of their professional recommendations. This is where many job seekers miss out. They assume that uploading a profile picture and filling out job titles is enough, when in truth, recruiters are looking for a narrative – one that reveals authenticity and growth. Many do not even have a LinkedIn account to start with.
Why You Need a LinkedIn Account
To understand why LinkedIn can and should be treated as a CV, we must first understand the psychology of recruitment. Employers today are no longer satisfied with just skill. They look for credibility and professional alignment. Your online footprint often tells more than a one-page document ever could. LinkedIn provides a transparent bridge between qualifications and personality. Through the visible connections, and contributions to industry conversations, a recruiter can easily discern how well a candidate integrates into professional spaces. When used thoughtfully, a LinkedIn profile can tell a complete story. The “About” section, for instance, functions as a professional summary. Take this from me, treat this aspect as an opportunity to craft a narrative that communicates not only what you do but why you do it. It invites readers into your purpose and professional character. The “Experience” section mirrors the work history segment of a CV, yet it offers room to elaborate on projects, responsibilities, and impact. The “Skills” and “Recommendations” sections reinforce credibility through social validation. These are digital equivalents of references, except they are visible, searchable, and verifiable. Together, these components make a profile not just informative but persuasive.
One of the strongest arguments for LinkedIn as a modern CV lies in its accessibility and reach. This may be an uncomfortable truth but your traditional CV likely sits in a recruiter’s mail without being opened, or if you submit a physical copy, it may as well be in a file cabinet, waiting for someone to pick it up. Do you think you’re the only one applying for a job role? Like you, there are many individuals applying for the same job so you need to have an edge over your competitors. LinkedIn exposes a professional identity to thousands of potential employers and maybe industry peers at once. When recruiters search for talent, they do not browse stacks of paper or go through the herculean task of opening each CV, rather they use LinkedIn filters. Your next opportunity could arise not because you submitted an application, but because someone discovered your profile through a skill keyword or shared connection. In this sense, LinkedIn acts as a 24-hour job fair that never closes. However, the real challenge lies in authenticity. The credibility of LinkedIn profiles has been compromised by the rise of self-inflated personas; you find people listing experiences that never happened or claiming skills they cannot defend. This behaviour has eroded trust in the platform’s professional integrity. But rather than abandoning LinkedIn because of this, professionals should reclaim it through truthfulness. Authenticity is what ultimately distinguishes a reliable profile from a performative one. Recruiters are not naive; they can often tell when information sounds exaggerated. Profiles that demonstrate modesty, measurable results, and genuine engagement tend to stand out more.
To treat LinkedIn as a CV is not to abandon the traditional resume but to supplement it with visibility. Consider how much more compelling it is when an employer opens your application and sees that your profile matches the information on your CV – same dates, same positions, same tone of professionalism. That alone reinforces credibility. Moreover, LinkedIn offers an additional advantage: it humanizes the candidate. A recruiter can see mutual connections, posts shared, and comments that reveal thought process and communication style. Here’s a trick, I follow many heads of companies on LinkedIn, especially companies I intend applying to. In a world where soft skills and emotional intelligence are becoming as valuable as technical competence, this extra layer of insight can be decisive.
The digital trace of professionalism that LinkedIn creates cannot be underestimated. Every comment, and every interaction adds to what many people describe as a candidate’s “digital reputation capital”. This capital is what employers analyze to predict how someone may perform or represent the company publicly. A CV can highlight skills; LinkedIn can demonstrate them. A CV can list “leadership” as a skill, but LinkedIn can show it through visible evidence – through leading discussions, mentoring others online, or writing reflective articles that show initiative and depth.
In many industries, LinkedIn is already replacing the traditional CV as a primary tool for verification, especially when it comes to remote roles. Recruiters often compare information across both formats to detect any form of discrepancies. If your LinkedIn profile is incomplete or inconsistent with your CV, it sends a subtle message about attention to detail. Conversely, when the two align, it projects professionalism and organization. Therefore, job seekers who neglect LinkedIn are not only invisible to modern recruiters but also risk being viewed as digitally outdated. Think about someone who keeps his important certificates in his house without digital copies, and in one unfortunate fire incident, loses it all. Technology has made it so easy that you can scan your certificates or any important document at all, and upload it to a cloud storage. Even if your device is stolen, you can always access that information from any internet enabled device. This is how recruiters see people who do not have a professional LinkedIn profile in this day and age.
There is also an important strategic dimension to how LinkedIn functions as a living CV. Unlike a printed document that remains passive, LinkedIn allows for active professional signaling. When you engage with posts in your field, or even react thoughtfully to industry news, you show that you are part of the conversation. This builds what sociologists refer to as social capital – the networked value that arises from being visible and engaged. Recruiters notice active professionals because their profiles reflect curiosity and ongoing growth.
I have encountered professionals who lost faith in LinkedIn because they felt drowned out by noise – too many influencers, too many self-promoters. Yet those who persist, using the platform with intention, often find that it rewards consistency. The key lies in how one curates their professional presence. LinkedIn should not be treated as a digital diary but as a strategic portfolio. Every post, comment, and update should align with the image one hopes to project. This does not mean manufacturing a false persona; rather, it means consciously shaping how your professional reality is communicated.
Another overlooked strength of LinkedIn is its capacity for storytelling. Traditional CVs rely on bullet points. LinkedIn allows for narrative depth. For instance, describing how a project influenced your learning or how you adapted during a challenge communicates qualities like resilience and reflection, which are traits that rarely fit on a CV but matter to employers. A designer can show a portfolio, a writer can display published work, and an analyst can share a thought piece. These artifacts validate competence in ways words cannot.
We must also acknowledge how the algorithmic visibility of LinkedIn shapes career prospects. The more optimized and active a profile is, the more likely it appears in recruiter searches. Keywords in your headline, skills, and experience sections are not there for decoration; they are signals. Understanding how recruiters search enables users to position themselves effectively. In that sense, LinkedIn is not just a CV – it is a searchable, self-updating career database. Job seekers who master this digital literacy gain an undeniable advantage in the hiring process.
For professionals in developing economies like Nigeria where opportunities often depend on networks, LinkedIn has an additional function: democratizing access. It allows visibility beyond geographical boundaries. A graduate in Lagos can appear on the radar of an employer in Toronto or London simply by maintaining an optimized profile. Traditional job-hunting channels cannot offer that scale of reach. In this way, LinkedIn equalizes opportunity by replacing physical proximity with digital presence.
Yet, one must use this privilege responsibly. Posting false information may secure short-term attention but damages long-term credibility. Employers have become so good at background checks. Once trust is lost, it is difficult to recover. Treating LinkedIn as a CV means treating it with the same level of integrity. Every line should be verifiable. The emphasis should be on demonstrable value, that is, what you have contributed, achieved, or learned. There is also a moral argument to be made. As professionals, we contribute collectively to the trustworthiness of digital platforms. When we misrepresent ourselves, we degrade the credibility of everyone else. Conversely, when we use LinkedIn authentically, we help restore the value of the platform for others. The reputation of LinkedIn depends on how responsibly its users behave. Each truthful profile adds to the integrity of the professional ecosystem.
If we examine trends closely, it becomes evident that LinkedIn is gradually becoming the default reference point for recruiters. In the last month, I applied to well over 10 jobs and each job required my LinkedIn profile link. If you try opening a US account with Grey, Geegpay and the likes, you will be required to put in your LinkedIn profile link. Why do you think that is? Many organizations no longer request physical CVs unless necessary; instead, they ask for LinkedIn URLs. Some application portals even auto-fill forms using LinkedIn data. This integration shows that the platform is no longer optional, instead it has become a very crucial part of the formal hiring infrastructure. To ignore it is to reduce one’s professional visibility in an era where visibility often translates into opportunity.
Job seekers who still view LinkedIn as secondary to a traditional CV may need to reassess that perception. The world of work has evolved beyond paper. Employers now seek professionals who can communicate their brand and values in a digital environment. A static CV shows what you have done, meanwhile, a strong LinkedIn profile shows who you are becoming. This forward-looking element is what makes it more powerful.
To make LinkedIn truly function as your CV, begin with clarity and coherence. Ensure your headline communicates your professional identity precisely. Avoid vague titles or any ambiguous buzzwords. You want to be clear in your description of yourself. Craft an “About” section that shows both competence and direction. Update your experience regularly, quantify achievements when possible, and seek genuine recommendations from people who have worked with you previously. Keep your skills relevant and your engagements professional. These small steps collectively transform your profile into a compelling narrative of growth.
It is equally important to remember that LinkedIn is not about volume but value. One authentic post that demonstrates insight is worth more than a dozen generic motivational quotes. When you contribute meaningfully to discussions in your field, you attract not only attention but respect. Over time, this respect solidifies into trust, and trust is what every employer seeks when choosing among candidates.
Final Words
Ultimately, understand that LinkedIn is not replacing the CV, rather, it is redefining it. The skepticism surrounding it, while understandable, should not deter genuine professionals from embracing its possibilities. Every era has its tools, and in this era, LinkedIn is the professional tool that defines visibility, opportunity, and credibility. For job seekers, the question is no longer whether to use LinkedIn, but how to use it responsibly and effectively. Treat it with the seriousness of a CV, the consistency of a portfolio, and the authenticity of personal integrity. In doing so, you not only position yourself for opportunity but also contribute to restoring the platform’s original purpose: connecting competence with opportunity through truth. For anyone serious about career advancement, the message is simple: your LinkedIn profile is not just a reflection of your career; it is your career, unfolding in real time. Use it wisely.
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