The trouble with CVs is that anybody can claim an aptitude for anything, and the only real way of knowing for sure is to test that knowledge – hopefully before the applicant starts on the job and proves wholly unsuitable.
The same is true in the digital age, and while LinkedIn has tried to mitigate this problem by encouraging endorsements from colleagues on your specific skill sets, it could still just be friends helping out, rather than a genuine reflection on how good you are at something.
Now the company hopes to fix that with Skills Assessment quizzes. These appear in the “skills and endorsements” section of your profile, and let you prove that you know your onions with short, standardised tests on various areas of expertise. If you take the 15-20 minute test and end up with results in the top 70th percentile, you get a badge for your account, helping you to stand out from the crowd. If you don’t, nobody will know you tried, and you can take it again in three months’ time.
Related: Dark Mode apps
The feature is live now, and it has indeed appeared on my profile, although the topics available are heavily biased towards coding with skill quizzes available for the likes of Amazon Web Services, C++, jQuery, PHP, Python and Ruby on Rails amongst others. QuickBooks, Excel and PowerPoint also make the cut, but really the only one up my alley at the moment is WordPress. Microsoft says it is planning on adding more in due course, including PhotoShop.
Even if you’re not completely sold on whether a badge is worth the 15 minutes each quiz will take, there is another reason to consider trying a couple. “Regardless of if you pass an assessment, we’ll outline how you did, and unlock relevant LinkedIn Learning courses for free for a limited time to help improve your skills,” wrote LinkedIn’s John Jersin in a post announcing Skill Assessment quizzes.
“This means you can continue to brush up on the skills that you’re interested in to feel more confident and motivated, as well as to set yourself up for the future when it’s time to look for your next opportunity.”
Related: Best smartphone
Jersin says the company’s research suggests that those who complete the skill quizzes are around 30% more likely to get hired, so worth trying your luck if you’re planning on spending another lunch break daydreaming about your next move.
Is this a good way of standing out from the crowd? Let us know what you think on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
