How should I update my LinkedIn profile and CV for university applications?

Admissions committees frequently look you up online, so your CV and LinkedIn profile need to tell the same consistent story. Treat your CV as the formal, factual record and your LinkedIn profile as the living companion that shows your personality and evidence of your work. Get both aligned before you submit a single application.

CV Versus LinkedIn: What Changes

Your Update Checklist

• Make sure every date, title and institution name matches exactly across your CV and application forms, since discrepancies raise red flags.
• Put Education, GPA, test scores and research or capstone projects at the very top of your CV, ahead of extracurriculars.
• Write a headline that states your focus, for example "Aspiring Computer Science Undergraduate, Passionate About AI", instead of a generic student title.
• Customise your public profile URL, use a clear professional headshot, and add both to the header of your CV.
• Use the Featured section to link a published article, a project, or a certificate, and clean up old posts you would not want a reviewer to see.

My Advice

Do this update before you touch your Statement of Purpose, because your CV and LinkedIn will remind you of achievements you would otherwise forget to mention. Block out one evening to run through the checklist above line by line, and ask a mentor to proofread your headline and About section before you make either profile public.