The current job market is insanely competitive. It is not rare to hear stories about thousands of people applying for one job opening. However, anecdotal these accounts may be there is no disputing the fact that the job search process is more competitive than ever. LinkedIn is the largest professional network in the world and has become a critical weapon in the arsenal of job seekers and people looking to make changes in their careers. Listing and continuously updating your skills matters because this is how recruiters and potential employers search for talent on LinkedIn.
There are also advanced filters on the site that can be used to exclude from search results candidates who do not have certain skills or years of experience or education and so on. Skills and endorsements also allow employers to know just by a glance at your profile what you are qualified to do. Overall, the more relevant skills you list, the better your chances of being noticed and perhaps even being contacted. Granted different industries value different abilities but there are soft skills that are universally desirable across a variety of fields.
Here are some skills to include in your profile and resume to stand out to recruiters and potential employers.
1. People skills
Workplaces are collaborative places. Being able to work well with other people is critical. It includes communication skills and teamwork. You need to be able to listen to other people as well as effectively share your ideas. People skills that you could add include:
Collaboration: the ability to work effectively with others.
Persuasion: the ability to influence others to your way of thinking.
Emotional intelligence: being able to understand and respond to your emotions and those of others. 6 Benefits Of Having Good Emotional Intelligence
Communication: including active listening, empathy, conflict resolution, writing, presentation.
Adaptability & Resilience: the ability to work and survive in a changing environment.
2. Analytical skills
This means you are able to understand and interpret critical information. It means you are able to identify and solve complex problems. Abilities that show you are analytical include:
Critical thinking: able to understand and address situations based on all available facts. Able to make a reasoned judgment based on the collected information.
Problem-solving: able to solve issues quickly and effectively. Able to find out why something is happening and resolve the issue.
Research: able to find answers to questions or solutions to problems or find useful information about something.
You could also just add analytical skills in general.
3. Creativity
Creativity here refers to innovation and the ability to come up with solutions. This is crucial to businesses and highly desirable in potential employees. Skills in this category include:
Creative writing: the ability to express ideas through the written word.
Open-mindedness: willing to consider, entertain and implement new and diverse concepts.
Problem-solving: ability to come up with solutions.
Consider constantly updating your LinkedIn profile with both hard and soft skills as you grow your skillset. Here’s a piece sharing 7 tips to make your LinkedIn Profile stand out. Also, check out Career: Ways To Get Your CV Past The Applicant Tracking System
