Four Ways to Stand Out on LinkedIn

According to a recent survey, almost 50% of the American workforce stated that advancing their career path is their primary online learning goal. So, it’s no surprise that investing in skills is a key component of both professional and personal success. 

When job seeking, some people focus on learning something new, while others want to stand out more in a competitive candidate pool for a particular open position. However you decide to work on your skills, it’s important to know how to showcase them on your professional profiles. And that’s exactly what Hari Srinivasan of LinkedIn Learning outlined in his article. 

Spotlight Your Skills on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most well-known professional networking website. To get the word out about your skills, you must highlight them on your LinkedIn profile for potential employers to easily see. The skills you possess can make all the difference when it comes to being considered for a particular position. 

Don’t underestimate the power of spotlighting your skills on LinkedIn. Indeed, 87% of hirers agree that a candidate’s listed skills are vital to their decision-making process, and LinkedIn members with five or more skills listed are discovered up to 27 times more in recruiter searches. While hard skills are undoubtedly important, don’t forget to also showcase soft skills on your profile to help round out your capabilities in the eyes of recruiters and hiring managers.

Develop the Right Skills

While it’s always good to have a skill, different positions require different skills. To improve your chances of getting your desired job, you must have the skills that are required and wanted for that specific position. One way to determine which skills are needed is to see how your skills match up with the job description in the listing.

Once you have confirmed which skill sets are needed and take the necessary steps to acquire them, don’t forget to spotlight them on your profile so they’re visible to potential employers during the vetting process.

Practice Before the Interview

Being proficient in a particular skill is next to useless if you don’t know how to market yourself. Before an interview, practice how you are going to articulate your skills and how you would apply them to the job. This is another skill in itself that can be crucial during the hiring process. 

Include both your hard and soft skills during an interview to show foolproof examples of why you are the best candidate for the job. Prep ahead of time for questions that might be asked and be ready to answer with the right skills that apply to the scenario. For example, if your interviewer asks a question about a situation in which you had to manage conflicting priorities, take that opportunity to bring up skills such as strong communication, problem solving, and time management.

Invest in Continuous Learning

There are many resources available online to help you build different skill sets, so take advantage of them. Online learning is a great way to help you stand out in a competitive job market and, by refreshing your experiences and skills, you may even find a new and exciting opportunity that you never considered before. 

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You can read more about Four Ways to Grow Your Skills and Stand Out on LinkedIn at LinkedIn Learning.