Learn where to place LinkedIn, GitHub, and portfolio links on a resume, how to customize each URL, and what to check before sharing it with employers.
Adding a LinkedIn profile, GitHub account, or portfolio link to a resume can give employers a useful way to explore your professional background. The key is to include links that are relevant, up to date, and easy to find—not simply to list every profile you have.
Whether you are applying locally or internationally, thoughtful links can provide context beyond your work history. Use this guide to decide which links belong on your resume, where to place them, and how to make sure they present you well.
Decide which links support your application
Start with the role you want. Each link should offer evidence that is relevant to the position, such as your experience, skills, projects, or professional interests. If a profile is unfinished, outdated, or unrelated, it may be better to leave it off until you have updated it.
- LinkedIn: Useful for showing your professional history, skills, recommendations, and industry involvement.
- GitHub: Relevant for software developers and others whose work includes code, technical documentation, or open-source contributions.
- Portfolio or personal website: Helpful when examples of your work can demonstrate your capabilities, such as in design, writing, research, consulting, or development.
You do not need to include all three. A strong, relevant link is more useful than several profiles that repeat information or do not support your candidacy.
How to add your LinkedIn profile to a resume
LinkedIn is often the most broadly useful professional profile to include, but it should complement your resume rather than contradict it. Before adding the link, review the profile as if you were an employer encountering it for the first time.
Customize your LinkedIn URL
A personalized LinkedIn URL is easier to read and share than a long address containing a random string of characters. In your LinkedIn profile settings, look for the option to edit your public profile URL. Aim for a simple version of your name, such as linkedin.com/in/jordan-lee.
If your preferred URL is unavailable, try a professional variation using a middle initial or a relevant identifier. Avoid nicknames, unnecessary numbers, or wording you may not want to use throughout your career. Once customized, open the link in a private browser window to confirm that it leads to the right profile and is visible to people outside your network.
Check that the profile supports your resume
Make sure your headline, summary, experience, dates, and job titles are consistent with the information on your resume. The wording does not have to be identical, but differences should be explainable. For example, a broad LinkedIn headline may describe your area of expertise, while your resume is tailored to a particular role.
Review your profile photo, featured content, and public visibility settings. Check that any recommendations, posts, or featured links you choose to show support the professional impression you want to make. You can also update your profile before applying if your current role, skills, or career direction has changed.
When and how to include GitHub
For technical roles, GitHub can offer a closer look at how you approach practical work. Include it when your account contains projects that are relevant and sufficiently documented. A profile with a few clear, well-presented repositories can be more helpful than a large collection of unexplained experiments.
Make your GitHub profile easy to evaluate
Before adding the link, review your profile and select repositories that best represent your skills. For each featured project, consider including:
- A concise description of what the project does and the problem it addresses.
- A README with setup instructions, key features, and any requirements.
- Examples, screenshots, or a live version when appropriate.
- Clear information about your role if the work was completed with a team.
Check that public repositories do not expose credentials, private data, or material you do not have permission to share. If you have limited public activity, you can still include a link when it leads to a focused profile or a relevant project. Alternatively, link directly to a specific repository if that is the strongest evidence for the role.
How to include a portfolio or personal website
A portfolio link is most effective when it takes the reader directly to a useful selection of your work. It may be a standalone portfolio, a personal website, or a dedicated page within an existing platform. Choose the format that makes your examples easiest to understand.
Organize the page so visitors can quickly see what you do and how to explore your work. For each example, explain the context, your contribution, and the outcome or decisions involved. Be accurate about your role, especially for collaborative projects, and remove work that is confidential or shared without permission.
Check the site on both a phone and a computer. Test navigation, images, downloads, and external links. If you use a password-protected page, provide access details only when appropriate and make sure the recipient can use them.
If you are building a professional presence alongside your resume, InMyResume.com can help you create a resume, digital business card, and personal website in a few clicks. You can see it in action to get a sense of how the pieces can work together.
Where to put links on your resume
For most resumes, place your most important professional links in the contact section near the top, alongside your name, email address, phone number, and location. This makes them straightforward to find without interrupting the experience section.
Use a clean, consistent format. For example:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jordan-lee
GitHub: github.com/jordanlee
Website: jordanlee.com
You can list short, readable URLs as text or make them clickable in a digital document. If you link text such as “LinkedIn profile,” make sure the displayed label is clear and the destination is correct. Avoid vague labels like “click here” and overly long raw URLs that take up space.
If a specific project is important to a role, you can also include its direct link in a project entry. Keep the contact section focused, and do not repeat the same link in multiple places unless there is a clear reason.
International considerations for resume links
Resume conventions vary by country, employer, and industry. In some markets, a concise contact section with a LinkedIn URL may be familiar; elsewhere, employers may rely more on a personal site or work samples. Follow the instructions in the role listing and consider local expectations rather than assuming one format applies everywhere.
Use full, functional web addresses that work for readers in different locations. Avoid region-specific shorthand or references that only make sense to people familiar with your local platforms. If your profile or website is available in more than one language, make the language options easy to find. You may also want to check that your examples and descriptions are understandable to an international audience.
Think carefully about personal information. Include the contact details and location information requested or expected for the role, but do not add sensitive details simply because they appear on a public profile. Your LinkedIn visibility and website privacy settings should reflect what you are comfortable sharing broadly.
Final checklist before sharing your resume
Take a moment to test every link after exporting your resume. Formatting changes can sometimes affect clickable links, and a small typo can make a profile difficult to reach.
- Each link is relevant to the position and leads to the intended page.
- Your profiles are current and consistent with your resume.
- Public pages can be viewed without an unexpected sign-in or access request.
- Your work samples are clearly presented and appropriate to share.
- URLs are readable, professionally named, and tested on another device or browser.
- The links appear consistently in both printed and digital versions of your resume.
Well-chosen LinkedIn, GitHub, and website links give employers a straightforward way to learn more about your work. Keep them relevant, maintain the pages they lead to, and make each one easy to open. A few carefully checked links can add useful context while keeping your resume focused.
