Top Skills to List on LinkedIn Profile

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LinkedIn enables users to choose from over 36,000 skill titles to highlight on their profiles. You can now edit your resume or headline to include relevant skills that make your profile stand out.

Skills to Put on LinkedIn

Here we’ve created a comprehensive list of all LinkedIn skills to add to your profile to attract recruiters and hiring managers:

Persuasion

Persuasion is the art of convincing your clients or sellers to buy into your ideas or follow specific steps. It’s a critical and powerful communication skill to include in your skillset.

Persuasion skills include:

• Active Listening;
• Communication;
• Emotional Intelligence;
• Interpersonal Skills;
• Logic and Reasoning;
• Negotiation.

Analytical

Analytical skills are essential for all industries, including business, data architecture, medicine, and law, to interpret complex data. These skills include:

• Analytical Reasoning;
• Critical Thinking;
• Consulting;
• Critical Thinking;
• Data Analysis;
• Problem Solving;
• Research.

Business

Business skills are necessary to understand and succeed in your industry. But business skills are particularly essential for managers, administrators, executives, and directors to streamline workflow.

Here are a few essential business-related skills to add to your profile:

• Administrative;
• Business Development;
• Business Intelligence;
• Business Management;
• Business Storytelling.

Communication

Practical communication skills are crucial for conveying your message to clients, employers, and colleagues. Captivating clients and customers require you to be a good listener and speaker. 

Here are the essential communication skills:

• Active Listening;
• Editing;
• Newsletter;
• Nonverbal Communication;
• Persuasion;
• Writing.

Other Important Skills to Include

The following bonus skills are essential to make your profile shine:

• Adaptability;
• Artificial Intelligence;
• Cloud Computing;
• Collaboration;
• People Skills;
• Sales;
• Scientific Computing;
• Time Management;
• UX Design;
• Video Production.

Top 3 Tips to Make Your Skills Stand Out on LinkedIn

Make your profile look increasingly attractive by keeping the following tips in mind:

1. Maximize Skills on Your Profile

LinkedIn enables you to add fifty different skills to your profile. Taking advantage of it helps increase the visibility of your LinkedIn profile. Boosting the number of skills on your profile can increase your chances of appearing in searches and help you grow profile views.

As a result, maximizing the number of skills on your profile can help you unlock new opportunities.

2. Drive Endorsements to Your Skills

Your LinkedIn skill must have an endorsement to appear in LinkedIn’s search algorithm. By implication, the more endorsements your skills have, the higher your chance of appearing in search results. 

Here we discuss who you can connect with people for skill endorsements:

• Classmate;
• Current or Former Manager;
• Current or Former Colleague;
• Mentor or Mentee;
• Someone from a Professional Group.

3. Update Your Skills Regularly

You’ll likely develop new hard and soft skills as your career progresses. Your LinkedIn profile must reflect your latest, most recent skills to help you discover new job opportunities.

We recommend you update your skills section every six to twelve months.

Top Soft and Hard Skills for LinkedIn

Top Soft Skills

Let’s discuss the top four soft skills on LinkedIn:

Creativity

Generating original, fresh, and innovative solutions is a valuable skill, no matter your industry or country. Creativity is a practical skill that enables employees to look at a task or a problem through a new lens.

Here are creativity skills you should include in your profile:

• Curiosity;
• Imagination;
• Open-mindedness;
• Problem-solving.

Collaboration

Collaboration is an incredible interpersonal skill that allows you to work effectively with your teams.

Collaboration skills include the following:

• Interpersonal Qualities;
• Intrapersonal Qualities.

Adaptability

Adaptability and flexibility are the ability to thrive in today’s ever-evolving environment, overcome challenges, and maximize opportunities. Organization and its staff must be adaptable to survive today’s volatile economy.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is an in-demand skill referring to responding, evaluating, and perceiving your and other people’s emotions. It highlights the importance of employees interacting and communicating ideas and thoughts with each other.

Here are the top emotional intelligence skills to include in your profile:

• Active Listening;
• Conflict Resolution;
• Empathy;
• Resilience.

Top Hard Skills

Here are five hard skills you should highlight on your profile:

Cloud and Distributed Computing

Most companies run on the cloud. It means businesses require talent with the skills to leverage and drive the design, architecture, and delivery of cloud systems.

Must-have cloud computing skills include:

• Application Programming Interfaces;
• Cloud Security;
• Cloud Service Platform Expertise;
• Database Management;
• Development and Operations;
• Machine Learning and AI;
• Network Management;
• Programming Languages.

Blockchain

Blockchain is a unique and effective way of storing, transmitting, and validating online information. Although the field is growing sporadically, there are still few qualified candidates.

Blockchain skills necessary to uncover blockchain job opportunities include:

• Cryptography;
• Data Structures;
• Smart Contract Development;
• Solidity.

Business Analysis

Business analysis is the ability to pinpoint business needs, pain points, and solutions to overcome business challenges. Since every business faces challenges and has needs, business analysis is a valuable employee skill. 

Here are business analysis skills that can make your profile shine:

• Being Detail Oriented;
• Gap Analysis;
• Microsoft Access;
• Process improvement;
• Statistical Analysis;
• Stakeholder analysis;
• SQL.

Scientific Computing

Scientific computing skills are the ability to develop innovative machine learning models and apply analytical approaches to complex data sets. These skills are essential for data scientists, engineers, and software architects.

The top scientific computing skills include:

• High-Performance Computing;
• Numerical Analysis;
• Scientific Modeling.

Marketing

Marketing is an expansive industry encompassing public relations, market research, advertising, running marketing campaigns, etc. It focuses on helping customers understand and connect with a company.

Essential marketing-related skills include:

• Affiliate Marketing;
• Channel Marketing;
• Content Marketing;
• Digital Marketing;
• Market Research;
• Media Planning;
• Online Marketing;
• Social Media Marketing;
• Sales.

How to Find the Best LinkedIn Skills for Your LinkedIn Profile?

Here’s what you know: LinkedIn skills bring visibility to your profile. And here’s the fact: LinkedIn skills will boost your profile’s visibility only if you choose ones tailored.

Ensure you select the best LinkedIn skills to captivate recruiters and hiring managers from your desired industry by following these steps:

Open a New Document

Start by opening a new Microsoft Work or Google document where you’ll store information. This way, you can save your progress, close the tab, and restart anytime you want.

Start Finding Relevant Job Descriptions

Click on LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed, or your preferred job board. After that, conduct a comprehensive search for your target roles (places where you would apply). Remember to include filters for companies, industry, pay scale, geography, and anything else you look for in a company.

Scan different job listings to identify whether they match your criteria. After finding approximately twenty job descriptions, cross-check whether you have relevant skills.

Listing Key Skills on Your LinkedIn Profile: Why Is It Important?

Your LinkedIn profile’s Skills and Endorsement section plays a crucial role in attracting recruiters, talent acquirers, and hiring managers.

By creating a comprehensive list of your top skills, you can:

• Allow employers and recruiters to identify your qualifications within seconds;
• Captivate hiring managers and increase your chances of getting contacted;
• Boost your hireability, expertise level, and discoverability on Google Search;
• Establish yourself as a thought leader to attract employers and hiring managers.

How Many Skills to List on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn expand their skill limit. LinkedIn used to let users list up to 50 skills on their profiles, but in the latest update, they have now doubled that limit. Now, you can showcase up to 100 skills on your profile.

In general, there is no specific number of skills that will help you get a higher ranking or look better to the recruiter, talent sourcer and other users. The best option may be a number in the range of 20-30 skills, depending on your profession and the field of activity in which you work.

Adding five or more skills can improve your chances of getting contacted 33 times. Moreover, you’ll enjoy 17 times greater profile views.

Let’s discuss why you must include your top skills on your LinkedIn profile in detail:

Enable Recruiters and Employers to Assess Your Abilities

Your LinkedIn profile is essentially your resume. And when scanning a resume, employers tend to look for a candidate’s skill and experience.

The LinkedIn skill & endorsement section lets you highlight your top skills. It enables employers, recruiters, and hiring managers to identify what you’re good at within seconds.

For instance, if an employer is seeking the ideal candidate for a senior marketing position and you have ‘Digital Marketer,’ ‘Sales’, ‘Leadership Skills,’ ‘Communication Skills,’ etc. on your profile, they’ll likely contact you.

Rank Better in LinkedIn’s Search Algorithm

Your LinkedIn profile skills are critical in determining how high you show in a recruiter’s searches. Adding highly-relevant skills and receiving endorsements is an excellent yet straightforward way of ranking better in LinkedIn’s search algorithm.

Managing Skills on Your LinkedIn Profile

Regularly updating your skills and endorsement section, adding new skills, and deleting irrelevant ones can seem tedious.

Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes! Let’s discuss how you can edit, delete, and add LinkedIn skills:

How to Add Skills on LinkedIn

Here’s a comprehensive guide to adding new LinkedIn skills as your goals and abilities evolve:

Adding Skills to LinkedIn on PC

Add skills to your LinkedIn profile on PC by following these steps:

• Log into your LinkedIn Profile;
• Select the ‘Me’ icon present on the top-right of your LinkedIn Homepage;
• Click on the ‘View Profile’ button that pops up;
• Locate the ‘Add Profile’ section located below your LinkedIn username and headline;

• After that, choose the ‘Skills’ option from the drop-down menu, and either:

1. Enter the skills you want to integrate into your LinkedIn profile;
2. Select the skills that LinkedIn automatically provides;

• Congratulations! LinkedIn will create your ‘Skills and Endorsements’ section.

Alternatively, you may add LinkedIn skills to your profile by following these steps:

• Visit your LinkedIn profile and select the ‘Me’ icon;
• Choose the ‘View My Profile’ option and click on the ‘Skills and Endorsements’ section;
• Select the ‘Add a New Skill’ button and:
• Type the skill name you want to add to your LinkedIn profile;
• Select the ‘Suggested Skills Based on Your Profile‘ option.

Adding Skills to LinkedIn on Android or iPhone

If you prefer using LinkedIn on your mobile, follow these steps:

• Launch your LinkedIn app and log in to your profile;
• Click on your ‘Profile Picture’ icon and tap on the ‘View My Profile’ button;
• Select the ‘Add Section’ button and choose to ‘Add Skills’ option;

• After that, an add skills pop-up window appears that prompts you to:

1. Select ‘Suggested Skills Based on Your Profile’;
2. Or, type the name of another skill;

• Lastly, select the ‘Done/Save’ button.

How to Edit Your Skills on LinkedIn

Here’s how you can edit your skills on LinkedIn on the web or mobile:

• Open a new browser or launch the LinkedIn mobile app;
• Click on the ‘View My Profile’ button;
• Locate the ‘Skills and Endorsements’ option by scrolling down;
• Tap on the ‘+’ icon located on the right-hand, and:

1. Type a new skill;
2. Or choose a suggested one;

• Click on the ‘Save/Done’ button.

Skills to Avoid Adding to Your LinkedIn Profile

Not every skill boosts the visibility of your profile. But, which skills appear useless on your LinkedIn Profile? In reality, you should never add useless, generic, and vague skills, because they can reduce your chances of attracting new job opportunities.

Here are skills you should never add to your profile if you want to optimize it for recruiters and hiring managers:

Social Media

Many employees include ‘social media,’ or ‘social media consultant‘ skills in their profile because they know how to use Facebook or Instagram.

Unfortunately, that does not qualify as a valuable skill. Anyone can set up a new business account, but not everyone can help businesses boost visibility, authority, and awareness.

Creative Director

LinkedIn users that add ‘creative’ or ‘creative director’ to their profile without bringing new, innovative, and fresh ideas only reduce their chances of getting contacted.

Microsoft

There’s nothing incredible about using Microsoft Word or Excel. What makes you stand out is how well you can create a presentation and persuade listeners to agree with your idea.

What Are Other Places You Can Highlight Your Skills on Your Profile?

Optimize your LinkedIn profile by integrating your best skills throughout your profile. Ensure you don’t overstuff your abilities and compellingly add them by following these tricks:

Create a Powerful Headline with Your Best Skills

Write a killer headline with your top skill to instantly grab the attention of hiring managers and recruiters.

Make Your Info Tab More Compelling with Your Top Skills

Note your hard and soft LinkedIn skills within the info tab to entice recruiters or employers scrolling through the platform.

Highlight it with Your Experience and Achievements

LinkedIn is a business-orientated digital platform where employees can show off their skills, portfolio (experience), and achievements through their profiles. Ensure your profile reflects your unique skill set and achievements by discussing your professional journey.

Show Off Your Skills through Captivating LinkedIn Skills

Establish yourself as a thought-leader and show off your skills by creating posts with captivating taglines and pictures that discuss your portfolio (experience) or achievements.

How to Delete Skills from LinkedIn?

Here’s how you can remove skills from your LinkedIn profile:

How to Delete Skills from LinkedIn on PC?

Follow these steps to delete a skill from LinkedIn while working on your PC:

• Visit your LinkedIn profile and tap on the ‘Me’ icon;
• Tap on the ‘View My Profile’ button under the ‘Me’ icon;
• Locate the ‘Skills and Endorsements’ option and click on the ‘Pencil’ icon;
• Scroll down and tap on the skill you wish to delete;
• Choose the ‘Garbage Can’ icon and click on save to remove it.

How to Delete Skills from LinkedIn on Android or iPhone?

Here’s how you can delete skills from LinkedIn on mobile:

• Log in to your LinkedIn profile and tap on your profile picture;
• Tap on the ‘View My Profile’ button;
• Scroll down to locate the ‘Skills and Endorsements’ section;
• Click on the ‘Edit’ icon and select the skill you want to remove;
• Click on the ‘Garbage Can‘ icon and ‘Save’ it.

How to Recommend and Get Skill Recommendations on LinkedIn?

You can recommend skills by following these steps:

• Click on your LinkedIn profile;
• Find the profile you want to endorse in the search bar;
• Scroll through the profile and locate the ‘Skills and Recommendations’ section;
• You may recommend any skill the person wishes to highlight already included in the person’s profile;
• Select the (+) button and answer the questions LinkedIn asks:

1. The level of expertise;
2. How you evaluate it.

How to Receive Skills Recommendations on LinkedIn?

You can receive recommendations on LinkedIn by following these steps:

• Sign in to your LinkedIn account and click the ‘Edit Skills’ button;
• Ensure you are ‘Open to Accepting Recommendations’ on LinkedIn;
• Click on the ‘Adjust Skills’ button to open a pop-up box that allows you to choose the following options:

1. I would like to be recommended;
2. Offer me suggestions for skills recommendations from my relationships;
3. Add me to my relationship skills recommendation suggestions;

• Turn these options to ‘Green’ and request recommendations by selecting the ‘Request a Recommendation’ option.

LinkedIn Skills Examples

Here are an examples of skills for LinkedIn tailored to various professional fields:

Example # 1: Sales Skills

• Sales Strategy: Lead Generation, Sales Forecasting, Territory Management;
• Customer Relationship Management: HubSpot, Zoho CRM;
• Negotiation: Contract Negotiation, Deal Closing, Objection Handling;
• Sales Performance: KPI Tracking, Pipeline Management, Performance Analysis;
• Market Research: Competitor Analysis, Consumer Insights, Market Segmentation.

Example # 2: HR Skills

• Talent Acquisition: Recruitment Strategies, Interviewing, Onboarding;
• Employee Relations: Conflict Resolution, Employee Engagement, Performance Management;
• HR Compliance: Labor Laws, Benefits Administration, Workplace Safety;
• Training & Development: Learning and Development, Training Programs, Leadership Development;
• HR Software: Dripify, Workday, BambooHR, ADP.

Example # 3: Business & Management Skills

• Project Management: Scrum, Waterfall, Risk Management, Stakeholder Engagement;
• Strategic Planning: Market Analysis, Business Development, Competitive Analysis;
• Operations Management: Process Improvement, Supply Chain Management, Resource Allocation;
• Financial Management: Budgeting, Financial Forecasting, Financial Reporting.

Example # 4: Marketing & Advertising Skills

• Digital Marketing: SEO, SEM, Content Marketing, PPC Campaigns;
• Social Media Marketing: LinkedIn Campaigns, Facebook Ads, Instagram Strategy;
• Brand Management: Brand Strategy, Market Research, Competitive Analysis;
• Content Creation: Copywriting, Graphic Design, Video Editing;
• Marketing Analytics: Google Analytics, A/B Testing, Conversion Rate Optimization.

Conclusion

You’ve learned how to add, edit, and delete LinkedIn skills by now. So, it’s time to visit your LinkedIn profile and refresh your skill section to uncover incredible career opportunities.