LinkedIn can be a great place to network and gain exposure to various companies and recruiters. It’s also a place to highlight what you have to offer. One of the most important sections of your LinkedIn profile is the skill section.
Here’s a snapshot of what my skill section looks like:
There are some very specialized skills that you may have depending on your job. This could be qualitative research experience, SAS programming, or risk analysis. There are also some general skills that almost anyone can develop and add to their LinkedIn and professional profile.
Today I want to offer up ten skills that you may want to consider adding to your LinkedIn.
1) Project Management
If you have managed a school project from beginning to end, you have project management skills. Even better is if you have done this in a volunteer environment. Ideally you have done this in a work environment, but examples from outside work should work just as well.
2) Microsoft Office
More likely than not you have used Microsoft Office, and in many jobs you will need to use it to write documentation, use Outlook for email communication, and create spreadsheets in Excel for various purposes.
3) Microsoft Excel
Excel can be uses for many different purposes in an office. From tracking employee time, manipulating data, or making reports that show various metrics. It’s a valuable skill to have. I will admit, it’s difficult to learn Excel if you do not have a purpose. If you have very little experience, consider using Excel to track your income and expenses, and use formulas to display the data in different ways. Consider learning about basic formulas and how pivot tables work.
4) Microsoft Access
If the job or career field you are looking into requires working with lots of data, employers will be looking for people who have some experience with Microsoft Access. I have a friend in operations who does almost all his work in Access. I would say Access is even more difficult to learn than Excel, but if you gain a basic background, you should be able to pick up the rest once you start the position.
5) Process Improvement/Automation
Thinking of examples of how you have improved processes can be pretty simple. In fact, most people likely have multiple examples of process improvement. Usually when you take over a job or task you can think of a more efficient way to complete the task. Sometimes people are blind
6) Twitter
If you are on Twitter you have a skill that many people will never have. I know quite a few people who don’t even understand the concept of Twitter. If a company is looking to integrate Twitter into their business model, this skill can come in handy.
7) Data Analysis
If you have ever done a research paper and analyzed data, or written an explanation about what a data set tells us, you have done data analysis. As information becomes even more widely available than it already is and spreads even faster, this skill will become a prerequisite for many jobs.
8) Google Docs/Spreadsheets
A lot of people have used Microsoft Office. If you want to set yourself apart learn how to use Google Docs. They have significant limitations compared to Microsoft Office, but some companies use these extensively.
9) Business/Corporate/Marketing Communications
If you have ever facilitated communications between employees, volunteers, organizations, etc. you are definitely going to want people to know that you have this skill. One thing that will always be in demand are people that can coordinate communications between people, groups, and businesses in an efficient and effective way.
10) Social Media
Similar to what I said about Twitter, there are a large number of people who do not understand social media. If you use social media and understand the value it brings, it could really set you apart from someone who couldn’t explain social media if their life depended on it.
Consider adding some of these skills to your LinkedIn. As long as you can think of solid examples of how you have displayed these skills, they are fair game. Be careful not to put skills you have not yet developed as this could be viewed the same as lying on your resume.
Do you have a LinkedIn? What skills do you think are most important to highlight?
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Interesting list. I went to a college scholarship dinner where a bunch of resumes were listed and I laughed at people who listed that they were proficient in Microsoft Windows, AOL Instant Messenger, and Internet Explorer.
That said I totally see the place for people who are proficient to list those skills on their linked in profile. I’d leave them off my resume but Linkedin sounds like a good place to put them…
@Money Life and More I would not advocate listing Windows, AOL instant messenger, or internet explorer.
I don’t have a LinkedIn account even though most of my co-workers do. I’ve yet to figure out how it has impacted their lives positively. To me, it seems like a lazy way of keeping in touch with past co-workers and other business contacts instead of by phone or email. I don’t believe any of them have acquired a job because of LinkedIn and it feels like just another social media site, which may or may not be here in 5-10 years. I also don’t want recruiters emailing me every week. If I’m not happy at my current job, I will actively look for a new job.
That being said, I can’t believe how listing Twitter or Google Docs on your resume is going to help you stand out among employers, unless you are in sales or a social media-related site.
@noahkrueger I do know people who have gotten jobs through Linkedin and I also know recruiters who primarily recruit through it. WSOP some small businesses use Google Docs instead of Excel. I have done side work for said companies and it is significantly different than Office because of limitations, formulas, etc.
Meant to say “Some” not WSOP haha
I can honestly say I don’t use my Linked In account enough. I have mainly things on mine that are only relevant to my actual job and experience. I do think having a healthy dose of these types of computer skills on there can be important.
Another thing to note is that playing MMO’s, Managing Wiki’s, etc. can develop Leadership Skills. So, placing “Leadership” as a general skill could be acceptable. Plus, Wiki’s are a form of volunteer experience, so that helps back it up if you can provide proof towards Adminship of that wiki.