Should my CV match my LinkedIn profile?

From the recruitment desk: I check LinkedIn against the CV on roughly 80% of applications I screen. Major discrepancies — different employer dates, wildly different titles, different qualifications — trigger questions that often kill the application before interview. Minor differences (CV more detailed, LinkedIn slightly more conversational) are normal and fine.

What must match. Employer names. Employment dates (start and end month/year). Job titles at each employer. Qualifications and the institutions that awarded them. Right-to-work status. These are the facts that get checked at offer stage by background check services like HireRight, Sterling, or Onfido — discrepancies on any of these can void the offer after you've already accepted.

Where the CV can be more detailed. The CV can include 4-6 specific bullet points per role with quantified outcomes; LinkedIn often has 1-3 broader strokes. The CV can name specific projects, tools, methodologies; LinkedIn can describe the role at a higher level. The CV is tailored to the application; LinkedIn is permanent and broader. These differences are expected and don't trigger concerns.

Where LinkedIn can be slightly broader. LinkedIn can include sections that don't appear on the CV (volunteer work, side projects, articles you've written). It can describe your specialisation in slightly different terms ('product management leader' on LinkedIn vs 'senior product manager' on the CV). The framing can shift to match the audience — LinkedIn is for the network and recruiters' search; the CV is for a specific application.

What gets candidates caught. Inflating titles on LinkedIn that don't appear on the CV. Adding employers to LinkedIn that you haven't actually worked at. Stretching dates to hide gaps. Listing qualifications you haven't actually completed. All of these are caught at background check stage and they tend to void offers reliably. The candidate who lied gets nothing; the company never hires them.

Common honest discrepancies. Promotions. A candidate joins as 'Marketing Coordinator' and is promoted to 'Marketing Manager' over 3 years; on LinkedIn it shows the latest title for the entire tenure; on the CV it shows the progression. This is fine — recruiters understand progression. Restructures. A candidate's title changed without a 'real' role change due to a company restructure. Both versions are honest; explain in interview if asked. Acquisitions. A company gets acquired, the candidate's employer name changes; both show the company correctly under different names. Fine.

What to do if there's a real discrepancy. If you spot one, fix it — usually by updating LinkedIn to match the CV (LinkedIn is faster to update and edit). The reverse — updating the CV to match a wrong LinkedIn — is harder because the CV is what the application is based on. If you've been caught with a discrepancy by a recruiter, the right response is: 'Thank you for spotting that — let me update LinkedIn to match the accurate version on the CV.' Don't argue. Don't pretend. Just fix it and move on.

The salary information point. Don't put salary on either your CV or LinkedIn. UK convention is to not disclose current or expected salary in either place. Keep that information for the offer stage of specific applications. Including it on LinkedIn or CV filters you into roles at that specific level and prevents employers from offering more if they would have been willing to.