How do I select Keywords for Skills and Expertise in LinkedIn?

Why do you want to select keywords for LinkedIn? You want your LinkedIn profile to be found. You fine tuned everything else but the keyword problem stumps you.

  • Want to select keywords to match positions you would really like.
  • Desire keywords reflecting your skill sets you have in the positions you hold now.

How to select keywords for your industry

What I am about to teach you will work in your resume too and in other career marketing documents you create! To find the right keywords, the easiest way is to use job descriptions.

But before we get to that, let’s talk about what keywords are and are not. When you search for keywords for your resume or LinkedIn profile, you look for NOUNS. Nouns are names of things. You don’t want adjectives or verbs, use those words elsewhere.

What are NOUNS?

The English grammar answer is this:

Nouns are naming words. Everything we see or talk about is represented by a word which names it. That word is called a ‘noun’. There are names for people, animals, places, objects, substances, qualities, actions and measures.

In job search, you look for  particular nouns to fit the field or industry you target.

Select keywords for Sales Manager

  • Key Account Management
  • Contract Negotiation
  • Product Development
  • Sales Strategy
  • Brand Longevity
  • Sales Management
  • Relationship Building

Select keywords for Supply Chain Executive

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Business Transformation
  • Operations Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Integrated Business Planning
  • Profit & Loss Management
  • Warehouse Management
  • Contract Negotiations

Notice these select keywords describe a skill or expertise and sometimes an action. Words like problem-solving or detail-oriented may  describe you and could be in a job description but those words are adjectives and not nouns.

LinkedIn’s suggestions for Skills

LinkedIn does a wonderful job of suggesting skills for you. Just type a few letters and suggested keywords fill in the rest. Make sure that you take full advantage of this and pull out your best skills for your LinkedIn profile.

To get your job search working for you, simply click here!

Photo credit: geralt – Pixabay

How do I select Keywords for Skills and Expertise in LinkedIn?

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Julie Walraven, Design Resumes

Julie Walraven

Professional Resume Writer

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