How to Read Between the Lines of a Sales Job...Read More
A day in the life of a software sales recruiter:
Me: Don, love your top 10% rep experience.
Him: You have my attention. But how do you know I’m a top 10% rep?
Me: I can see it on your LinkedIn profile.
Him: I don’t remember sharing that on my profile.
Me: Well, you didn’t do it directly—LinkedIn pulled it from your uploaded resume. If you’ve applied to jobs through LinkedIn, their backend software extracts details and makes them visible to recruiters with LinkedIn Recruiter access. (Believe me, I am not special. I’m probably in the 20th-tier rollout to even see these details. Outside of the yearly invoice I pay, LinkedIn does not know me from Adam.)
Him: Wow! Had no idea.
Many job seekers don’t realize that when they upload a resume—whether for a job application or directly to their profile—it can stick around in ways they might not expect.
Job Applications via LinkedIn
When candidates apply for jobs on LinkedIn, they often upload a resume. LinkedIn stores these in the candidate’s job application history, which is private—but that’s not the only place the data can go.
Uploading a Resume to a Profile
Candidates can manually upload a resume under the “Featured” or “About” sections. Some assume this only makes the file downloadable, but LinkedIn may extract and use details from it.
The “Easy Apply” Feature
LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” simplifies applications by prompting candidates to upload a resume. What many don’t realize is that LinkedIn also parses these resumes into LinkedIn Recruiter, meaning recruiters can see additional details beyond a candidate’s public profile.
Why Your LinkedIn Profile Shows More Than You Think
If you’ve ever uploaded a resume to LinkedIn—whether for a job application or your profile—some of that data may still be accessible in ways you didn’t expect.
To check:
If you prefer to control what recruiters see, your best bet is to keep your profile updated and delete old resumes in LinkedIn’s settings. And if privacy is a priority, applying directly on company websites gives you full control over what information is shared.
How Candidates Can Manage Their Resume
To update or remove an uploaded resume, candidates can go to Settings → Job Application Settings and make changes.
If you’ve applied for jobs on LinkedIn and uploaded a resume, some of that data may be incorporated into your backend profile—visible to recruiters with the right access but not the public. While LinkedIn controls what details get extracted, candidates grant permission simply by submitting their resumes.
This setup helps recruiters assess potential hires, but it also limits candidates’ control over their data. Right now, managing your resume visibility is more of an all-or-nothing choice rather than a curated option.
LinkedIn has changed how job seekers and employers connect, making hiring more efficient. High performers will always have leverage in the market. But if you’d rather keep your resume private—or at least “more private”—skip LinkedIn and apply directly on the company’s website.
