You can add your resume to LinkedIn in three ways: upload it in your job application settings so it's ready for future applications, attach it while you apply with Easy Apply, or add it to the Featured section of your profile so visitors can view and download it. The first two stay private and go to the hirers you apply to. The third is public, and according to LinkedIn a resume on your profile can't be used for job applications. The steps for each option are below.
As of September 23, 2026. Menu names, limits and visibility rules come from the LinkedIn Help pages linked in each section. LinkedIn updates its interface regularly, so a label on your screen may differ slightly.
Which option is right for you?
Option | Where | Who sees the resume | Usable for applications |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Save it for future applications | Jobs → Preferences → Resumes and application data | Hirers you apply to | Yes |
2. Attach it during Easy Apply | Inside the application form | The hirer of that job | Yes |
3. Show it on your profile | Featured section | Anyone who views your profile, possibly also outside LinkedIn | No |
If you're actively applying, option 1 is the most practical: you upload once and reuse the file. Option 3 makes sense if you're openly looking for work and want your resume to be one click away for everyone.
Option 1: Upload your resume for future job applications
- Click the Jobs tab.
- Click Preferences.
- In the pop-up, click Resumes and application data.
- Click Upload resume and select your file.
You can also open the Job Application Settings page and click Upload under Resume. LinkedIn stores your four most recently uploaded resumes, so you can pick one when you apply later (sources: Upload your resume to LinkedIn, Share and manage your resumes with recruiters).
Option 2: Upload your resume while applying with Easy Apply
- Search for a job.
- Click the job title to open the details.
- Click Easy Apply. If you see Apply instead, LinkedIn sends you to the company's website or job board to finish the application there.
- Complete the required fields.
- Under Resume (optional), select Upload resume.
- Click Submit application.
Check the attachment before you submit. According to LinkedIn, you can't reopen an application you've sent without a resume, and you can't reapply to the same job post. If the job poster listed contact details, you can send the resume to them in a message instead (LinkedIn Help).
Option 3: Show your resume on your profile (Featured section)
The Featured section lets you showcase work samples, including uploaded documents. On desktop:
- Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage, then View profile.
- Click Add profile section in your introduction section.
- Open Recommended and click Add featured.
- Click the Add icon at the top right of the Featured page.
- Choose media, select your resume file and follow the prompts.
- Click Save or Done.
Source: Manage featured samples of your work on your LinkedIn profile. Before you publish, remove anything you don't want to share with the whole internet: LinkedIn says a resume posted as a media attachment on your profile or in a post is visible to anyone who views it and may be visible off LinkedIn (Visibility and usage of your uploaded resume). Your home address, private phone number and date of birth usually don't belong in a public version.
If you're still employed, keep in mind that a public resume is visible to your current employer too. For a quieter signal to recruiters, see our guide to Open to Work on LinkedIn.
File format and size
- Format: Microsoft Word or PDF.
- Size: LinkedIn recommends less than 2 MB.
- If the upload fails: LinkedIn suggests trying a different browser.
PDF is usually the safer choice because the layout stays the same on every device.
Who can see your uploaded resume?
- Resumes you attach to an application are shared with the hirer of that job.
- Saved resumes are also used by LinkedIn to personalize the platform, for example job recommendations. LinkedIn says saved resume data may contribute to training its content-generating AI models, subject to your settings, where you can opt out (source).
- Share resume data with recruiters: after you apply for a job on LinkedIn, you're asked whether to share your resume data with all recruiters, and the toggle is switched on. When it's on, your profile can appear in recruiter searches that match data from resumes you saved in the past two years. Recruiters don't get the full resume unless you give it to them. LinkedIn tries to hide this from Recruiter users at your current company but says it can't guarantee complete privacy. The feature is available only in English (source).
To turn sharing off: Jobs → Preferences → Resumes and application data → switch off Share resume data with recruiters.
No resume yet? Create one from your LinkedIn profile
Save your profile as a PDF (desktop only):
- Click the Me icon, then View profile.
- Click More or Resources in the introduction section.
- Select Save to PDF.
LinkedIn notes two limits: the option only works properly if your profile and your language setting are in English, and you can save up to 200 profile PDFs per month (Save a profile as a PDF). The result is a plain export of your profile, so treat it as a first draft and tailor it to the role.
Resume Builder: LinkedIn's upload help page mentions a Resume Builder that creates a custom resume from your profile, but also says it isn't available to all members. Its separate help page couldn't be reached when we checked on September 23, 2026, so we don't describe steps for it here.
Delete or replace a resume
- Saved resumes: open Job Application Settings or Resumes and application data, click the ellipsis (…) next to the resume and select Delete. Applications you've already submitted aren't affected.
- Featured section: go to your profile, click the Edit icon in the Featured section, then Delete under the document. LinkedIn notes that a removed work sample can't be restored.
To replace a resume, upload the new version and delete the old one.
Make your profile and resume tell the same story
A hirer who reads your resume may also look at your LinkedIn profile, and differences in job titles or dates raise questions. A few checks help:
- Same facts: job titles, employers and dates match on both.
- Target role in your headline: the free LinkedIn headline generator and our LinkedIn headline examples help you phrase it.
- The words people search for: recruiters and sales teams filter LinkedIn by job title, skills and location, either by hand or with tools. CompLeadly, for example, builds its target lists from LinkedIn people searches, Sales Navigator and LinkedIn Recruiter searches. Whoever is searching, the terms in your headline, experience and skills sections decide whether you show up.
- A complete profile: our guide The perfect LinkedIn profile in 6 steps walks through every section. Common pitfalls are collected in 10 common LinkedIn mistakes when job hunting.
Use the same search in the other direction
Recruiters use these filters to find candidates, and sales teams use them to find buyers. You can use them to find the people who hire: filter the LinkedIn people search by company and job title, for example team leads at the companies on your list, and contact them directly instead of waiting for a job ad. CompLeadly turns such a search into a target list and handles the profile visit, connection request, first message and follow-up: in the free version as basic functions with a daily limit that you start one step at a time, as a full workflow from Basic. Recruiters run the same flow to approach candidates (CompLeadly for recruiters), sales teams to reach decision-makers (CompLeadly for sales teams).
FAQ: adding your resume to LinkedIn
Where is the resume section on LinkedIn?
There's no resume section on the profile itself. Resumes for applications live under Jobs → Preferences → Resumes and application data. If you want your resume to be visible on your profile, add it as a document to the Featured section.
Can I use the resume on my profile for Easy Apply?
No. According to LinkedIn, a resume uploaded to your profile can't be used for job applications. Upload it via your application settings or during Easy Apply instead.
How many resumes can I save on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn keeps your four most recently uploaded resumes for reuse in future applications.
Can recruiters see my resume without my permission?
Recruiters don't get your full resume unless you give it to them, for example by applying. If Share resume data with recruiters is switched on, data from your saved resumes can help your profile appear in their searches. A resume in your Featured section is public.
Why don't I see "Save to PDF"?
LinkedIn says the feature isn't available in the mobile app, requires a profile and language setting in English and may not be available to all members. Try the desktop version with an English profile.
