LinkedIn is a platform where you can build your professional brand, showcase your expertise, demonstrate thought leadership, build connections, and explore new career paths. One powerful feature that enhances your profile is LinkedIn Skills.
Find out how you can add LinkedIn skills to your profile with the tips below, and by using our LinkedIn optimization tool to help you instantly stand out to recruiters and hiring managers.
What Are LinkedIn Skills?
LinkedIn skills are keywords added to your profile that highlight your professional abilities. These can range from technical expertise, such as “data analysis,” to soft skills, such as “leadership.”
They act as searchable tags that help recruiters find you based on what you can do.
Unlike resume skills, which are tailored for a specific role, LinkedIn skills work passively in the background, making your profile discoverable to a much broader range of opportunities 24/7.
How To Add Skills on LinkedIn
The good news is LinkedIn now allows you to add up to 100 skills to your profile! This opens up more doors and more opportunities to demonstrate your versatility and diverse skill set.
Ready to boost your LinkedIn profile with the right skills? Let’s walk through the process of adding them, step by step. It’s simple, straightforward, and can make a big difference in how you’re perceived by potential employers.
Step-by-step guide to adding skills
- Navigate to your profile: You’ll want to scroll down until you find the Skills section. If you haven’t added any skills yet, you can easily start building this section from scratch.
- Add new skills: Click on “Add a new skill.” You can type in skills you know you have, or take advantage of LinkedIn’s suggestions.
- Use LinkedIn’s suggestions: Not sure what skills to add? No problem! Take advantage of this helpful feature. LinkedIn now offers suggestions that are based on your profile, including your industry, roles, and current needs in the market.
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💡 Our expert’s advice
Add skills to specific roles: After choosing a skill, LinkedIn allows you to showcase which role you used the skill in. To make the most impact, look at profiles and job postings with similar roles to identify skills mastered in that type of role. From there, add your chosen skill to that role in your profile. This will help you remain competitive in your field.
List of the Best LinkedIn Skills by Sector
Here are the best skills to add to LinkedIn that can impress hiring managers, depending on your industry.
| Sector | Top LinkedIn skills to add |
|---|---|
| Technology & AI | Python, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, AI & Machine Learning, Agile |
| Marketing | SEO, Content Strategy, Google Analytics, Social Media Marketing, Copywriting |
| Finance | Financial Analysis, Excel, Risk Management, Forecasting, Accounting |
| Healthcare | Patient Care, Clinical Research, Electronic Health Records, Compliance, Medical Coding |
| Sales | CRM Software, Lead Generation, Negotiation, Account Management, Business Development |
| Human resources | Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, HRIS, Onboarding, Performance Management |
| Design & creative | Adobe Creative Suite, UX/UI Design, Branding, Video Editing, Figma |
| Operations & logistics | Supply Chain Management, Process Improvement, Lean Six Sigma, Inventory Management |
| Education | Curriculum Development, E-Learning, Instructional Design, Classroom Management |
Improve Your LinkedIn Profile Skills Section With ResumeCoach
With ResumeCoach’s LinkedIn profile analyzer, you can upgrade your skills section and the rest of your profile in seconds.
Our analyzer can help your profile show up and stand out to recruiters by:
- Giving you a profile score
- Optimization tips for every section
- Keywords related to the roles you’re interested in
- Skills that every recruiter is interested in
With our tool, you’ll be given expert suggestions instantly.
Choosing the Right Skills To Put on LinkedIn
Selecting the right skills to add to your LinkedIn profile requires thought, research, and a bit of strategy.
Let’s dive into how you can identify and showcase the most relevant skills to make your profile stand out.
Research industry-specific skills and trends
Start by exploring what’s hot in your industry. This means keeping an eye on emerging trends and in-demand skills.
You can do this by reading industry reports, following thought leaders (including LinkedIn Editors, News Outlet Journalists, and industry leaders), or even checking out profiles of successful professionals in your field.
Balance hard and soft skills
While technical abilities (hard skills) are crucial, don’t forget about the importance of soft skills. Employers value versatility, so featuring a mix of both can set you apart.
For instance, if you’re in tech, coding might be a hard skill, while problem-solving, emotional intelligence, communication, or teamwork could be the soft skills that complement it.
Use job descriptions to match in-demand skills
Job descriptions are a goldmine for identifying what employers are looking for. When browsing job listings, pay attention to the skills mentioned repeatedly.
In fact, most recruiters now fill out the skills section directly on the job posting, making it easy to identify in-demand skills. These are the ones you’ll want to highlight on your profile to align with market demands.
How To Delete Skills on LinkedIn
Keeping your LinkedIn profile fresh and relevant is key to making a great impression, and that includes removing skills that no longer serve you.
Whether they’re outdated or simply not aligned with your career goals anymore, here’s how to clean up your skills section effortlessly.
- Navigate to the skills section: Start by heading to your LinkedIn profile. Scroll down until you find the Skills section. This is where you’ll manage all the skills you’ve listed over time.
- Edit or delete skills as needed: Once you’re in the Skills section, click on the pencil icon to edit. This allows you to see all your listed skills. From here, it’s easy to remove any that are no longer relevant. Simply click the “X” next to the skill you want to delete.
Optimizing Your Skills Section
To make sure your Skills section is working hard for you, let’s explore some techniques to maximize its effectiveness.
Regularly update your skills
The professional world is always evolving, and your skills should reflect that. Make it a habit to review and update your skills regularly. You can do this by simply creating a calendar reminder to update and refresh your skills on a quarterly basis.
Whether you’ve taken a new course or gained experience in a new area, keeping this section up-to-date is crucial.
Reorder skills for maximum impact
Reordering skills is a great way to make sure the most important ones are front and center.
Simply drag and drop to rearrange them, placing the skills you want to highlight at the top. This way, anyone viewing your profile will immediately see what you consider your strongest abilities.
Don’t forget a well-optimized profile can open doors to new opportunities, so take the time to make yours shine!
How To Endorse Skills on LinkedIn
Social proof provides reassurance to someone who is interested in reaching out to you. That proof on LinkedIn comes in the form of endorsements.
Let’s dive into how endorsements work and how you can make the most of them.
How endorsements work and their value
Endorsements are quick acknowledgments from your connections that confirm you possess certain skills.
The more endorsements you have for a particular skill, the stronger your profile appears. When working on your endorsements, remember this is a give-and-take relationship on LinkedIn.
Steps for endorsing others’ skills effectively
- Visit their profile: Start by visiting the profile of a colleague or connection whose skills you genuinely admire. Scroll down to their Skills section.
- Endorse skills thoughtfully: Click on the plus sign next to the skills you can confidently endorse, which you’ve personally seen them demonstrate. This adds genuine value to their profile.
- Leave a personal note: If you want to go the extra mile, send them a quick message letting them know you’ve endorsed their skills and why.
Encouraging reciprocal endorsements through strategic networking
Building a robust network is key to receiving endorsements in return. Engage with your connections regularly by commenting on their posts, sharing insights, and being supportive.
When you endorse someone’s skills, they’re likely to reciprocate, especially if you’ve built a strong rapport.
Advanced Tips for Using LinkedIn Skills
To truly make your LinkedIn profile stand out, you’ll need to go beyond the basics.
Here are some advanced tips to help you leverage your skills section and keep your profile competitive.
Leveraging LinkedIn Learning
The world of work is constantly changing. As a professional, to remain competitive and in demand, you have to stay ahead by continuously learning new skills. LinkedIn Learning offers a treasure trove of over 5,000 courses designed to help you acquire the most in-demand skills.
Take advantage of these resources to keep your skill set fresh and relevant, making your profile reflect the latest industry trends and expertise.
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💡 Our expert’s advice
LinkedIn Learning offers certificates upon completing a program. Don’t be afraid to share your achievements! You can do this through a post or tagging your certificate on your profile.
Exploring additional features
LinkedIn allows you to attach specific skills to roles or experiences. This feature provides context and shows how you’ve applied your skills in real-world situations.
This gives potential employers a clearer picture of your capabilities and achievements.
By implementing these advanced strategies, you’ll position yourself as a proactive and forward-thinking professional ready to tackle new challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can add up to 100 skills to your LinkedIn profile. This generous limit allows you to feature a wide range of abilities, from technical expertise to soft skills.
However, it’s important to be strategic. Focus on adding skills that truly reflect your strengths and align with your career goals.
High-impact skills can vary across industries, but certain abilities consistently stand out. In tech, skills like data analysis, programming languages (such as Python and Java), and cybersecurity are highly sought after.
In marketing, expertise in digital marketing, SEO, data analysis, and content creation can make a big impact. For finance professionals, skills in financial modeling, risk management, and investment analysis are crucial.
Across all fields, soft skills like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, de-escalation, and leadership are universally valued and can enhance your professional appeal.
To make your LinkedIn profile stand out, strategically curate your Skills section. Start by selecting skills that align with your career goals and industry demands. Highlight your top three skills to ensure they catch the eye of recruiters.
Regularly update your skills to reflect new expertise and trends. Encourage endorsements from colleagues to add credibility. Finally, link skills to specific roles or experiences to provide context and demonstrate how you’ve applied them in real-world scenarios.
Including LinkedIn skills on your profile is crucial because they significantly improve your visibility to recruiters.
When someone searches for specific skills, your profile is more likely to pop up if you’ve listed those skills, leading to more visibility and potentially more job offers.
In fact, nearly half (48%) of hirers on LinkedIn now explicitly use skills data to fill their roles.
Don’t underestimate the power of a well-curated skills section—it could be the key to unlocking your next career move!
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