A résumé shows what candidates claim they can do. An online professional profile can provide additional context about their experience, skills, projects, and professional interests.
Employers increasingly use professional networking platforms as part of their recruitment strategy. According to iHire's 2025 State of Online Recruiting report, 46.1% of employers use professional networking sites such as LinkedIn to recruit candidates. Another 34% use alumni networks and university career centers.
LinkedIn's January 2025 research also found that 73% of HR professionals said fewer than half of the applications they received met all listed job criteria. This makes accurate, relevant candidate information particularly important.
What Do Employers Look For?
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Consistent experience: Do education, internships, and employment history support the candidate's résumé?
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Relevant skills: Does the profile demonstrate skills required for the position?
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Practical work: Are there projects, certifications, or achievements that demonstrate actual ability?
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Professional presentation: Is the profile complete, clear, and up to date?
Students can improve their profiles by adding measurable project outcomes, relevant coursework, internship experience, and technical skills.
How Can Researchers Study Professional Profiles?
Professional profile data can help researchers examine career progression, skill distribution, and employment trends. For example, the LinkedIn Profile API provides a starting point for understanding how structured professional profile data can support research and data analysis, subject to platform permissions and privacy requirements.
Discussion question: Should employers consider candidates' online professional profiles as an important part of hiring, or should formal qualifications and interviews remain the primary evaluation methods?
Sources
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iHire: State of Online Recruiting 2025
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LinkedIn: 2025 Hiring Research