One of the key elements of a compelling LinkedIn profile is the skills section.
Adding relevant skills to your profile not only helps others understand your strengths but also increases your chances of being discovered by recruiters and hiring managers.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll look at why adding skills to your LinkedIn profile is important, how to add them, and best practices to keep in mind.
Why is Adding Skills to Your LinkedIn Profile Important?
LinkedIn skills go beyond being a mere list of qualifications. They serve as a powerful recruiting tool, enabling recruiters and hiring managers to identify candidates with specific skill sets.
1. Findability
By adding skills to your profile, you increase your chances of being found by recruiters who are searching for professionals with those skills.
Often it's a numbers game: recruiters only review profiles that match all or most of the skills in the job description.
If your skills aren't up to date, you risk not even being considered for opportunities that could be a great fit.
2. Social Proof Through Skill Endorsements
Once you have skills on your profile, people in your network are able to endorse you for those skills. Those endorsements are then visible in the skills section of your profile, enhancing your professional credibility.
Endorsements contribute to the strength of your profile and increase the likelihood of being discovered for opportunities related to your skills.
3. Demonstrate expertise with Skill Assessments
In addition to adding skills and receiving endorsements, LinkedIn offers another feature called "Skill Assessments." Skill Assessments allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and proficiency in specific skills by completing assessments tailored to those skills.
LinkedIn Skill Assessments are created by subject matter experts and leaders in the LinkedIn Learning community. The assessments typically consist of multiple-choice questions that test your understanding of key concepts and sub-skills related to a particular skill.
Completing a Skill Assessment not only validates your expertise but also enhances your profile's credibility. When you pass a Skill Assessment with a score in the top 30%, you receive a skill badge that can be displayed on your profile and in recruiter searches.
This badge signals to other members and recruiters that you have proven proficiency in a specific skill.
What Skills Should You Put on Your LinkedIn Profile?
Types of Skills to Add on LinkedIn
To build an impressive skills section on your LinkedIn profile, it's crucial to include the right types of skills. Here are two categories of skills you should consider adding:
1. Job Skills
Start by identifying the "buzzy" job skills relevant to your industry. These are the skills required to perform well in the positions you are interested in.
To determine these skills, carefully review the job descriptions of the roles you are targeting. Look for keywords in the "requirements," "qualifications," or "what we're looking for" sections.
You can also take inspiration from other professionals in your industry. Look at the skills sections of profiles belonging to individuals in similar roles. If you see skills that align with your expertise, consider adding them to your profile.
2. Transferable Skills
Apart from job-specific skills, it's essential to include transferable skills on your LinkedIn profile. These are skills that can be applied across different roles and industries.
For example, customer service skills can often be transferred into sales positions, and de-escalation skills can become verbal communication skills.
Including transferable skills demonstrates your versatility and adaptability as a professional, and can help if you're looking to switch industries or make a career change.
What Skills Should You Avoid Adding to LinkedIn?
While it's important to showcase your skills, there are certain types of skills that should be avoided in your LinkedIn profile. These include:
1. Skills You Don't Possess
Be honest about your skills and only include those that you have developed. Listing skills you haven't fully mastered can lead to problems during the recruitment process.
2. Irrelevant Skills
Only include skills that are directly relevant to your desired field an role. Listing skills unrelated to your target industry may distract recruiters and potentially lead to job offers that are not aligned with your goals.
3. Humorous or Non-Professional Skills
Avoid including skills that are unrelated to your work or that may be perceived as frivolous. Skills like "good kayaker" or other non-work-related abilities might raise a smile, but won't help you get found in searches.
Step-by-Step Guide on Adding Skills, Endorsements, and Skill Assessments
How to Add Skills to Your LinkedIn Profile
Now that you understand the importance of adding skills to your LinkedIn profile and the types of skills to include, let's look at how you can add them effectively.
Follow these steps to optimise your skills section:
Access Your LinkedIn Profile: Log in to LinkedIn and navigate to your profile page by clicking the "Me" icon at the top of the homepage and selecting "View Profile."
Scroll to the Skills Section: Scroll down on your profile page until you reach the "Skills" section.
Click on "Add Skill": Click on the "Add skill" button to begin adding skills to your profile.
Type or Select Skills: In the pop-up window, start typing the name of a skill you want to add. LinkedIn will provide suggestions based on what you type. You can either select a skill from the dropdown list or choose one from the "Suggested" section based on your profile.
Specify Skill Application: Select the checkboxes that indicate where you have applied or utilised the skill. This could include job positions, projects, or other relevant experiences.
Save Your Skills: Click the "Save" button to add the skill to your profile. Repeat the process to add more skills.
Organise Your Skills: To reorder your skills, simply drag and drop them into the desired order. This allows you to highlight your most important skills or prioritise skills relevant to specific job opportunities.
How to Manage Skill Endorsements on Your Profile
To manage skill endorsements on LinkedIn:
Access Your LinkedIn Profile: Log in to LinkedIn and navigate to your profile page.
Scroll to the Skills Section: Scroll down on your profile page until you reach the "Skills" section.
View Skill Endorsements: Under each skill, you will find the endorsements you have received. These endorsements are provided by your connections.
Hide Skill Endorsements: If you prefer not to display specific endorsements, you have the option to hide them. This can be useful if you want to maintain a streamlined and focused skills section.
Opt-out of Receiving Endorsements: If you no longer wish to receive skill endorsements, you can opt-out to prevent additional endorsements from being added to your profile.
Remember, skill endorsements are valuable social proof of your abilities, so it's important to nurture and maintain them.
Endorsing the skills of your connections is also a way to recognise their professional abilities and strengthen your network.
How to Complete LinkedIn Skill Assessments
To access and complete LinkedIn Skill Assessments:
Access Your LinkedIn Profile: Log in to LinkedIn and navigate to your profile page.
Scroll to the Skills Section: Scroll down on your profile page until you reach the "Skills" section.
Click on "Get key skill suggestions": Below the graph showing your profile views, you will find a link to access the "Who's viewed your profile" page. Click on the link.
Select "Get key skill suggestions": On the "Who's viewed your profile" page, click on the "Get key skill suggestions" button.
Find and Select Relevant Skills: In the "Find key skills" search bar, type the job title or role you are interested in. LinkedIn will provide relevant skill suggestions based on your search.
Complete Skill Assessments: Click on a suggested skill to view available Skill Assessments. Select an assessment and complete it within the specified time limit.
View Assessment Results: Once you have completed an assessment, your answers will be scored, and an assessment report will be generated. You can view the report on the "Results" tab within the Skills section of your profile.
Skill Assessments cannot be retaken for six months, so it's important to prepare and ensure you are ready before attempting an assessment.
Optimising and improving your LinkedIn profile by adding relevant skills is essential for attracting recruiters and enhancing your professional presence. By showcasing your expertise, you increase your chances of being discovered for job opportunities aligned with your skills and experience.
When adding skills to your profile, focus on job-specific skills and transferable skills that highlight your versatility. Avoid adding skills that you do not possess or that are unrelated to your professional goals.
Remember to leverage the power of skill endorsements to strengthen your profile's credibility and demonstrate social proof of your abilities. Additionally, consider taking LinkedIn Skill Assessments to validate your expertise and earn skill badges that enhance your professional brand.
By implementing these strategies, you can optimise your LinkedIn profile and position yourself as a standout candidate in your industry.
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