Ask HN: Are LinkedIn Recommendations/Skills sections useful when job hunting?

[cgb223]

LinkedIn has a section of your profile called "Recommendations" wherein your colleagues can write little blubs about how great a coworker/employee/manager you were at a role.

"Skills" is a section on LinkedIn wherein one can add up to 50 skills they feel they used at previous roles, and their colleagues can "endorse" them at a skill, adding credibility to it.

Does having recommendations or skills on one's LinkedIn profile at all increase the chance of getting hired, or having recruiters reach out, or give any other advantage that might assist in the job application process? If so how, if not, why not?

[kevinmrose]

I wouldn't say they increase the chance of getting hired directly, but the skills, endorsements and recommendations will all increase your chances of a recruiter finding and contacting you, so it's a good idea to leverage them. It's really just SEO, you have to have the keywords on your profile if you want to show up when recruiters are looking for people with those skills.

Here's a few other tips that might be helpful: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140320151331-142790335-11-s...