Four Ways to Grow Your Skills and Stand Out on LinkedIn

Investing in skills is key for both professional and personal growth -- whether that’s focusing on growing the necessary skills to stand out in the candidate pool for an open job, or learning something entirely new to prepare for a different role, industry or personal hobby. According to a recent survey, almost 50 percent of the U.S. workforce said advancing their career path is their primary online learning goal. 

Here are four ways to strengthen and showcase your skills to stand out on LinkedIn. 

1. Spotlight your skills on your LinkedIn profile 

If you’re a job seeker, a good first step is to think about what skills you have based on previous jobs and other experiences like volunteer work or side projects. The skills you possess can make all the difference when it comes to being considered for a job. 87% of hirers agree the skills a candidate lists are crucial for them as they vet them, and members with 5 or more skills listed on their LinkedIn profile are discovered up to 27X more in searches by recruiters. Be sure to highlight both hard and soft skills on your profile to help round out your capabilities to recruiters. For example, if you have experience in marketing, you may include soft skills like communication or leadership, and hard skills like data analysis. You can also verify your hard skills by taking a Skill Assessment to showcase your proficiency on your profile, which makes you up to 30% more likely to land the job.

2. Develop skills for the job you want

To increase your chances of getting the job you want, make sure you’ve got the skills desired for that position. If you need some inspiration to figure out what skills you need, one tip is to look at a job posting and see how your skills match up.  We also recently teamed up with Microsoft to launch a global skills initiative to identify the current most in-demand jobs like sales representative, graphic designer and digital marketer, and the skills to get those jobs with free LinkedIn Learning Paths taught by industry-led experts. 

If you’re a recent graduate, the LinkedIn Grads Guide to Getting Hired is also a great resource that outlines the skills required for open entry-level jobs and the top transferable skills employers look for the most, such as communication, problem-solving and project management.

3. Practice highlighting your skills ahead of the interview

Being able to articulate your skills and how you can apply them to a job during the interview phase of the hiring process is, well, a skill in itself. LinkedIn interview prep tools help you answer the most commonly asked interview questions, and now offers real-time feedback on your practice answers. Infusing both your soft and hard skills during an interview will provide concrete examples as to why you’re the right person to take on the role. For example, you might get a question about a time you had to manage conflicting priorities. This would be an opportunity to talk about skills such as clear communication, problem solving and time management. 

4. Invest in continuous learning

Online learning is a great way to build skills to help you stand out and land opportunities. Across March, April and May, we’ve seen learners watch 140% more hours of LinkedIn Learning content compared to the three months prior, as people look to ensure they have the skills required for the rapidly changing workplace. By continuing to refresh your skills and experiences, you may find your way into a new and exciting opportunity that you may not have thought of before, and you’re more likely to get the job you want and advance your career if you keep your skills relevant.

LinkedIn Learning offers more than 16,000 courses across a variety of topics that can help you build soft skills, like Teamwork Foundations or Effective Listening, as well as hard skills like Programming Foundations. 

For more information, tips and free resources for job seekers, visit opportunity.linkedin.com.