LinkedIn offers a list of 36,000 skills to find the one that best describes you. But what are the best skills for LinkedIn?
Communication skills
Developed communication skills are the basis for stability and success in any position. When your communication skills are excellent, you can build network relationships and be a better public speaker — which are valuable additions to your hard skills.
Even if you’re not confident about these skills, there are plenty of resources to learn from. For instance, you can turn to literature on communication such as John C. Maxwell’s Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. This book offers tips for intentional communication and examples to illustrate them (you can read our summary of it right here). Still, the best way to work on these types of skills is through practice — listen to others, try to join in on conversations, think before speaking, and you’ll do great!
Problem-solving skills
Problem-solving skills reflect the desire to cooperate with the team and the desire for a good atmosphere. This skill is essential for employers because conflicts and problems are part of development, and employees must be able and willing to solve them. According to NACE Job Outlook 2025 survey, almost 90% of employers seek problem-solving skills on a candidate’s resume.
You can find ways to develop your problem-solving skills through courses and books, as well as by dealing with real-life challenges. To discover problem-solving methods and start incorporating them into your daily tasks, find a course most applicable to your area of work. For instance, platforms like EdX or Coursera offer several free options for improving your brainstorming and planning skills.
Business skills
Business skills are required for all employees who want to understand their industry and their goals in work. However, if you look at it in more detail, no good leader, manager, or administrator can do without these skills. Business skills help to regulate and maintain the necessary pace of work for each employee to achieve the desired results.
Additionally to theoretic knowledge of business, we advise you to listen to various business podcasts. This can allow you to stay up to date with the latest industry trends and news. For example, a lot of entrepreneurs and leaders recommend The 10 Minute MBA podcast, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud. By staying up to date with the latest industry trends and news, you’ll be able to add business skills to your LinkedIn profile and become a sought-after professional.
Sales skills
For some careers, sales is also one of your most popular resume skills. Sales skills are especially valuable in the field and will cover communication, persuasion, and marketing skills. This skill makes you more visible on LinkedIn and gives recruiters an idea that you like to get things done.
Practicing your sales skills through negotiation or shopping research is fundamental to becoming more experienced. But salespeople also require an understanding of the underlying principles behind sales. The book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion is considered a must-read for anyone working with sales — you can read the key points we’ve gathered in our summary of it.
Critical thinking skills
Critical thinking is the ability to make informed and independent decisions. It is fundamental in any workspace, especially if your job is related to information or interaction with people. These skills are also valuable for you personally during your LinkedIn job hunt process. With critical thinking, you are much more equipped to choose the right thing for you.
University of Edinburgh Institute for Academic Development website suggests several ways to engage your critical thinking skills. For example, they recommend purposeful reading — actively engaging and asking direct questions about the information presented to you (e.g., “Is the evidence presented robust?” or “Who wrote it?”).
Time management skills
No employer likes for their workers to be late or to miss deadlines. You definitely should add time management skills to your list of core competencies. This skill includes prioritizing your work, breaking down large tasks and projects into smaller actions, and delegating tasks. You can train this skill even while planning your daily routine.
Numerous bestselling books share advice on managing your time better. In the book called Make Time, the authors underline the importance of fostering intentionality when you set out to do a certain task. They offer helpful insights for becoming more organized; and if that’s something you could use — check out our summary of Make Time.
Hard skills and Soft skills
What could it be without hard and soft skills? Hard skills are a set of skills that can be learned and tested, such as quick calculation, translation, and so on. Soft skills are a set of universal competencies, such as communication or stress resistance. Generally, all skills can be grouped into these two groups, but LinkedIn allows for both generalization and specificity of skills.
To avoid getting a little rusty, keep working on your hard skills even if you already have all the necessary education. Apply for training programs, pick up a few trending books in your field, and stay connected with other professionals. As for soft skills, remember that many of them rely on emotional intelligence. You can deepen your understanding of other people and yourself by learning to listen actively and practicing journaling your thoughts.
In addition to adding top qualities to your profile, the site also offers the LinkedIn skill endorsement feature. This feature works great when looking for a job when your previous employer gives you an assessment. LinkedIn and recruitment are one system, so improve yourself, and your profile on the social network and find your dream job.
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