With over 850 million members across the globe, LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for professionals looking to build their brand, make connections, and advance their careers. One of the key features offered by LinkedIn is the ability for members to showcase their skills and get endorsed by others. This has led to the rise of LinkedIn skill assessments – short multiple-choice quizzes that allow you to demonstrate your proficiency in various skills.
But do LinkedIn skill assessments really matter? Do hiring managers or recruiters actually care if you have a long list of assessed skills on your profile? Let’s take a look at some of the key questions and answers around LinkedIn skill assessments.
What exactly are LinkedIn skill assessments?
LinkedIn skill assessments are short, multiple-choice tests that allow you to demonstrate your knowledge in various skills. Skills range from more technical abilities like SQL, Python coding, and statistical analysis, to soft skills like creativity, collaboration, and emotional intelligence. There are currently over 140 skill assessments available on LinkedIn.
The quizzes are around 10-15 questions and you must score at least 70% to pass. If you pass, you will get a badge displayed on your profile for that skill. You can also opt to display your passing percentage. The assessments are free and anyone with a LinkedIn account can take them.
Why does LinkedIn offer skill assessments?
According to LinkedIn, the goal of skill assessments is to provide a way for members to demonstrate their abilities so they can stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. Especially for those just starting their careers or looking to make a career change, having validated skills can help get your foot in the door.
LinkedIn also notes that skill assessments help provide a more well-rounded view of a candidate beyond just their work experience listed on their profile. It aims to provide more objective evidence of someone’s skills.
Do recruiters and hiring managers care about LinkedIn skill assessments?
Opinions seem to be divided on how much attention recruiters actually pay to LinkedIn skill assessment badges. Here are some key viewpoints:
- Some recruiters see skill assessment badges as useful screening and vetting tools. They may use them to validate technical abilities or to shortlist candidates for roles that require specific skillsets.
- Other recruiters pay little attention to skill assessments, as they know people can cheat or guess their way through them. They place more value on real-world experience.
- Many recruiters land somewhere in the middle – they may glance at skill badges but don’t rely on them as a determining factor in hiring decisions.
- Junior level candidates tend to benefit the most from showcasing skills via assessments, as they have less work experience to highlight.
So in summary – some recruiters care, some don’t, and for most they hold some limited value in providing additional insight into a candidate’s capabilities.
Should you take LinkedIn skill assessments?
Here are some pros and cons to consider if you’re deciding whether or not to take LinkedIn skill assessments:
Pros
- Opportunity to showcase skills you possess – especially useful for those changing careers or with limited experience
- Assessments are free and easy to take
- Badges can help you stand out and look well-rounded to recruiters
- Fun way to challenge yourself and validate your knowledge
- Useful professional development tool
Cons
- Time consuming – assessments can take hours depending on how many you want to take
- Recruiters may not care or pay attention to badges
- Easy to cheat, so some recruiters don’t find them credible
- Only provide a very surface level view of skills
Overall, taking a few assessments in your areas of expertise can probably help your LinkedIn profile. But avoid going overboard just to rack up badges – quality is more important than quantity when it comes to showcasing meaningful skills.
Tips for taking LinkedIn skill assessments
If you do decide to take some LinkedIn skill assessments, here are some tips to prepare:
- Study and practice your skills before taking assessments related to them. Review key concepts and test your knowledge.
- For technical skills, focus on taking assessments for widely-used tools and technologies in your field.
- Start with skills you are confident in before taking assessments in new areas.
- Think carefully about each question. Don’t just guess – wrong answers could fail you.
- Pay attention to time limits. Take quizzes when you can concentrate without distractions.
- You can retake assessments to improve your score if you don’t pass on the first try.
Examples of LinkedIn skill assessments
Here is an overview of some of the most popular LinkedIn skill assessments:
Skill category | Sample assessments |
---|---|
Business | Marketing, Sales, Business Strategy, Project Management |
Technology | HTML, Python, Excel, Tableau, Photoshop |
Design | UX Design, Graphic Design, Creativity |
Data | SQL, Statistical Analysis, Data Visualization |
Productivity | Time Management, Communication, Collaboration |
As you can see there is a diverse range of skill assessments available on LinkedIn. Focus on displaying badges for the most relevant and in-demand skills for your industry and job role.
Do LinkedIn skill IQ and endorsements matter more than assessments?
In addition to skill assessments, LinkedIn also allows members to showcase skills via Skill IQ and endorsements. So how do these features compare and which matters most to recruiters?
LinkedIn Skill IQ
Skill IQ provides a numerical score from 0-100 that represents your skill level for a specific skill. It’s calculated based on your test results and how you rank compared to others in the LinkedIn community. A higher Skill IQ is intended to show a higher ability level.
LinkedIn Endorsements
Endorsements allow LinkedIn connections to endorse you for skills they feel you possess. This provides a way to get recognized by your network, but some feel endorsements are overly inflated in value.
When it comes to LinkedIn Skill IQ vs. endorsements vs. skill assessment badges, here’s an overview of how recruiters may view them:
- Skill IQ provides a more “objective” look at ability in a skill area and allows for ranking people
- Endorsements show you have an established professional network
- Assessment badges validate knowledge through testing
In general, Skill IQ and skill assessments likely hold the most weight, with endorsements being nice but not as meaningful to recruiters.
Conclusion
So do LinkedIn skill assessments matter? At the end of the day, they hold some limited value in demonstrating skills, but should not be the sole focus of your LinkedIn presence.
The best strategy is to showcase a blend of hard and soft skills gained through real work experience, back this up strategically with some assessment badges in key areas, and cultivate genuine endorsements and recommendations from your network.
Skill assessments alone will rarely wow recruiters, but used wisely they can help round out and enhance an already strong professional profile.