How & Why You Need to Customize Your LinkedIn URL

If you have an excellent LinkedIn profile it’s generally a good idea to add your LinkedIn URL to your resume.

But not a cumbersome link like this! “https://www.linkedin.com/pub/your-name/783/23”

Those numbers and slashes at the end are random and distracting.

Show your LinkedIn savvy – and save space in your documents – by customizing your LinkedIn URL. It’s easy and quick. Here’s how:

1. In your profile, click the gray “Edit public profile & URL” link near the top of the page, on the right.
2. You will now see the Public Profile Settings screen. On the right, under “Your public profile URL,” click the blue pencil next to it.
3. In the box that appears, complete the partial URL with your name. The best format is generally your first and last name with no capital letters or symbols, e.g. “yourname.” You might add an academic acronym like PhD or MBA if applicable.
4. If that version of your name is not available, try adding a middle initial/name. As a last resort you can add a number. (Don’t use your birth year as the number. Even if you’re not concerned about age discrimination right now, in the future you may be.)

You can add up to 30 letters and numbers (not including “www.linkedin.com/in/”). You can change the URL if you change your mind.

A customized LinkedIn URL is a quick way to add a little more polish to your job search documents.

This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated.