In our last post, we discussed some of the new features, such as Skills, Certifications, Publications and Languages, that you can add to your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn also added a cool new beta feature in February, also called Skills, which is located under the “More” tab in the main navigation and is different but related to the Skills section on your profile.
LinkedIn describes this Skills feature as a “way to discover up-and-coming areas of expertise that professionals need to stay ahead of the curve.” Skills catalogs the top companies, people, regions and jobs related to skills in which members have expertise. Professionals can keep pace with their competition by discovering the most popular skills (current “buzzwords” too) others are adding to their profiles. Hiring managers and recruiters can tap into top talent with the specific skills they need. And job seekers can focus their search to companies where their expertise would be the best fit and make the most impact.
When you search for a particular skill (see below), LinkedIn will return key people within that skill set and show you the top geographic locations, relevant companies, targeted jobs and groups where you can interact with other people. You can also explore similar skills and compare their growth relative to each other.
After you have searched for a skill (we tried “Software Project Management”, see below), you can add it into your profile directly from that skill’s page. However, if you want to include your Proficiency and Years of Experience for that skill, you’ll need to go back to your Edit Profile page and edit your Skills section there.
In order to become one of the members listed in Skills, you’ll need to add skills to your profile (again, go to the Edit Profile page and click on “Add sections” which is located under the blue box). If you’re looking for a new position or new clients, this is vital.
Job seekers can definitely gain from spending some time in Skills by tracking the most popular skills in their industry, checking out their competition and scoping out related positions. Business owners can similarly benefit. Take some time to check it out for yourself and see how Skills can enhance your LinkedIn experience.