Are you making the most of your LinkedIn network? Unlike a resume, your LinkedIn profile is social, and just like real-life social situations, the best way to make connections is to participate. How do you participate on social media? By filling out your profile to the fullest extent possible. Here are some tips on how to maximize the potential of your “Skills” section, one of the more important aspects of your LinkedIn profile:
- Skills act as keywords. Hiring managers can search LinkedIn profiles using skills as a parameter. Filling out your skills section is a great way to put keywords in your profile while still having other sections, like experience, be readable and interesting.
- There’s room for lots of skills. Unlike a resume, where you have to fit all of your information on one page, your LinkedIn profile has room for up to 50 unique skills.
- Represent your most relevant skill set. Most people know MS Office, but does that really apply to the job you hold now or one you want to hold in the future? If not, leave it out. Make sure you focus on skills that are relevant.
- Your colleagues can endorse you. Here’s where the social aspect comes in: LinkedIn periodically asks its users to endorse their connections for skills. If a connection believes you’re strong at a particular skill, they endorse you with one easy click. The endorsement shows up on your profile, making that skill look more credible.
- Stumped? LinkedIn can help. You don’t have to enter 50 skills to benefit, but the more relevant skills you have, the better. Can’t think of what else to type? LinkedIn can offer suggestions of skills that are similar to the ones you’ve already entered.
- Your colleagues can help, too. In addition to endorsing the skills you’ve selected, your colleagues can also endorse you for skills not on your profile. If this happens, you’ll be given the opportunity to review the new skills and decide whether or not you want to add them to your profile.
Looking for more ways to amp up your job search? A specialist at Burnett’s Staffing can be your greatest ally in finding you your ideal position. Contact us today so we can get started on your career path. We’ve been placing candidates in the North Arlington area since 1966, and we’d love to put our experience to work for you!