LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 722 million members worldwide. As a professional networking and job seeking platform, LinkedIn allows you to create a detailed profile highlighting your work experiences, education, skills, accomplishments, and more. One of the most useful features of LinkedIn is the ability to search for jobs or people by skills.
Searching for Jobs by Skills on LinkedIn
When searching for jobs on LinkedIn, you have the option to enter keywords related to job titles, companies, locations and also skills. The skills search allows you to find open positions that require expertise in your particular skillsets.
To search for jobs by skills on LinkedIn:
- Go to the LinkedIn homepage and click on the “Jobs” tab at the top of the page
- In the search bar, start typing a skill you have such as “Social Media Marketing” or “Web Development”
- A dropdown menu will appear showing you related skills to select. Choose the ones that best match your abilities.
- You can enter multiple skills separated by commas to further refine your search.
- Click the search icon and you will be taken to a page showing jobs that require those skills.
LinkedIn will analyze the skills entered and match you with relevant job openings. You can further filter the results by location, date posted, company, job type and more. One tip is to enter both hard skills (technical abilities like software knowledge) and soft skills (interpersonal abilities like communication or leadership).
Searching for People by Skills on LinkedIn
In addition to searching for jobs, you can also use the skills search in LinkedIn to find professionals who have expertise in certain areas. This allows you to connect with people who work in your industry or share valuable skills.
Here are steps to search for people by skills:
- Go to LinkedIn’s homepage and type a skill into the main search bar at the top such as “Graphic Design” or “Accounting”
- You can also click on the “People” tab to bring up the people search engine
- Like the job search, a dropdown will appear with related skills to choose from. Select the ones relevant to your search.
- If needed, enter multiple skills separated by commas to narrow your results.
- Click the search icon and you will see a list of LinkedIn members with those abilities listed on their profiles.
When searching for people by skills, LinkedIn looks through profile sections like skills, job experience, education, accomplishments and more. You can connect with these professionals to network, ask for advice or learn about their career journeys in your field.
Tips for an Effective Skills Search on LinkedIn
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of searching for jobs or people using skills on LinkedIn:
- List all relevant skills – Don’t limit yourself to just one or two skills. Include all that apply even if they seem repetitive.
- Try skill variations – Enter plural and singular forms of skills (e.g. communication and communications) as well as synonyms.
- Use related skills – If a skill dropdown doesn’t show an exact match, choose ones that are closely connected.
- Enter both hard and soft skills – Technical and interpersonal abilities together will give the best results.
- Be specific – Narrow skills like “Python Programming” often work better than broad ones like “Programming”.
- Try location filters – Add a location like “New York, NY” to find local jobs or people near you.
Customizing Your LinkedIn Profile for Skill Searches
To maximize your visibility when others search by skills on LinkedIn, make sure your own profile is optimized with relevant keywords. Here are some profile tips:
- Feature skills prominently in the Skills section – List out the top skills for your industry in order of proficiency.
- Elaborate on skills in your Experience section – Explain how you applied skills at each position.
- Include keywords in your Headline and About section – Summarize your top areas of expertise.
- Add skills to Accomplishments – For example “Used Python for data analysis and machine learning models.”
- Get Endorsements for your skills – This gives skills more visibility and authority in searches.
- Join relevant LinkedIn groups – Participate in groups focused on your skill areas.
Optimizing your profile for skill keyword searches can help you stand out in LinkedIn search results whether recruiters are looking for qualified candidates or professionals are seeking people to network with.
Boolean Search Operators for Advanced LinkedIn Skill Searches
LinkedIn also allows you to conduct more advanced skill searches using Boolean operators like AND, NOT and OR.
Here are some examples of how to use Boolean operators:
- Project Management AND PMP – Find project managers who also have the PMP certification
- Registered Nurse NOT Certified Nursing Assistant – Compare RNs to CNAs
- SQL OR MySQL – Widen search to include both SQL and MySQL skills
- “Performance Improvement” AND Manager – Use quotes to search for an exact phrase
You can combine these Boolean operators, parentheses for grouping, and other advanced search tricks like using “-” to exclude words from your skill search. This allows you to come up with targeted, nuanced skill searches.
For example, you could search:
(Python OR R) AND “Data Science” AND -Sql -Statistics
To find data scientists with Python or R skills while excluding those focused on SQL and statistics.
Using Skills to Find the Right Jobs
Searching for jobs by skills on LinkedIn is extremely useful whether you are an active or passive job seeker. By identifying the top skills needed for your ideal roles, you can find the best job openings tailored to your abilities.
Some examples of how to leverage skills searches for your job hunt include:
- Discovering new job titles and career paths matched to your abilities
- Identifying skills gaps that you can work on for future positions
- Seeing the most in-demand and valuable skills for your industry
- Finding companies posting jobs requiring your unique skillset
- Assessing the local job market for opportunities requiring your skills
Overall, taking advantage of LinkedIn’s robust skills search gives you powerful targeting capabilities for your job search strategy.
Using Skills to Connect with Other Professionals
Beyond finding jobs, skills searches on LinkedIn enable you to connect with the right people to build your professional network.
Here are some ways to use skills when searching for connections:
- Discover mentors who have valuable skills to learn from
- Find professionals working in your dream companies or roles
- Reach out to subject experts and thought leaders in your industry
- Build a personal board of advisors with complementary skills
- Get introduced to leaders at events or groups for your skill areas
- Identify rising stars and top talent by sought-after skills
Expanding your network based on shared skills gives you access to more insights, advice and collaboration opportunities.
Advice for Customizing Your LinkedIn Skills Section
To maximize your chances of appearing in LinkedIn search results, it’s important to optimize your Skills & Endorsements section. Here are some best practices:
- Include at least 10 skills – This gives you more visibility in search results
- Prioritize keywords that are relevant for your target roles
- Put your strongest skills first – LinkedIn displays top skills in search excerpt
- Use keywords mentioned in job postings you want to target
- Add keyword modifiers like “Advanced” or “Certified”
- Include both technical hard skills and soft skills
- Keep it targeted – Avoid overly broad skills like “Leadership”
- Update it regularly as you gain more skills
Follow these tips and you’ll increase the likelihood of being discovered by your target hiring managers, recruiters and professional connections.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn’s robust skills search capabilities allow you to find the right job opportunities and professional connections tailored to your unique abilities and expertise. By optimizing your profile with relevant skills and keywords, you can take full advantage of these targeting features to advance your career or business goals through LinkedIn.
With over 722 million members on LinkedIn, skills searches enable you to cut through the noise and connect with the right people and opportunities. Whether you are actively looking for a new job or simply expanding your professional network, skills searches help you stand out by showcasing your greatest value to an audience that cares.
