What to put in a job search profile once (so you never repeat yourself)

The hidden tax of job searching is repetition: LinkedIn autofill misses half the fields; every Greenhouse form asks for your work authorization again; every cover letter starts from a blinking cursor.

The fix is a job search profile — richer than a resume — that powers every output.

Profile vs resume

Resume	Profile
1–2 pages	As long as needed
Polished, public	Complete, private
Static PDF	Structured data
One version	Many tailored outputs

Your resume is a snapshot. Your profile is the database.

Core identity (basics)

Capture once:

• Legal and preferred name, contact, links (LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio)
• Headline and current role
• Location, timezone, work authorization / visa needs

Forms always ask. Store answers once.

Experience narrative

Beyond employer / title / dates:

• Honest career narrative: pivots, gaps, non-traditional path — so cover letters do not contradict your story
• Proudest wins: 3–5 achievements with metrics you can defend
• Target roles: what you want next, not just what you have done

This feeds AI cover letter from my experience workflows without fabrication.

Skills and tools

List:

• Core stack narrative (how you use your main languages/frameworks)
• Tools you have shipped with (even if not in resume bullets)
• Areas you are ramping — honest growth edges

Semantic matching uses prose, not tag clouds alone.

Projects (the secret weapon)

For each project:

• Title, kind (work, side, OSS)
• Summary and primary tech
• Impact metrics (real numbers only)
• Links and whether it shipped to users

Projects often differentiate you more than job titles — especially for software engineer job search automation.

Behavioral stories

Many forms ask situational questions. Write once:

• Hardest technical challenge
• Conflict / disagreement
• Tight deadline, ambiguous problem
• Mentoring, cross-functional work

Reuse with light editing per role — or let tailoring select the best story for the JD.

Preferences and dealbreakers

Hard filters save time:

• Work arrangement (remote / hybrid / onsite)
• Seniority target
• Open to contract? relocate? equity?
• Dealbreakers: defense, gambling, heavy on-call, etc.

Matching should respect these before generating a cover letter generator for specific job output.

Resume plain text

Keep a full resume paste — parsing backup and embedding input. Upload PDF too if you have it.

What happens after you submit the profile

1. Profile embeds into searchable sections
2. New jobs match against you (and you against new jobs)
3. Each match produces resume, cover letter, form answers
4. You review in dashboard — never auto-sent

Minimum viable profile

Short on time? Prioritize:

1. Resume text + contact
2. Target role and seniority
3. Three projects with metrics
4. Work auth and remote preference
5. One behavioral story

Expand later; matching improves as you add depth.

Start once

Build your profile once — free

Related: How to tailor for 20 roles · Profile-driven playbook