How to Show Self-Taught Skills on Your Resume and LinkedIn

Self-taught skills belong on your resume and LinkedIn in exactly the same places as paid work, described exactly the same way: a deliverable, a date, and something a hiring manager can open. What changes is not the wording but the proof — without a job title behind the skill, the evidence has to carry the claim.

Put it where paid work goes

Do not quarantine learning under 'Hobbies'. List projects under Experience or a Projects section with the same bullet grammar: strong verb, what you built, for whom, measured result. 'Built a booking page for a salon; cut no-shows 30%' beats 'Self-studied web development' every time.

Stack four kinds of proof

One live link, one code or source file, one credential (certificate, assessment score), one human voice (client line, mentor quote, review). Each layer answers a different doubt — can they do it, is it real, is it current, does anyone vouch for it.

Tune LinkedIn specifically

Featured section holds your two best links, the About section tells the pivot story in first person, Skills get endorsed by collaborators not cousins, and Licenses hold every certificate with its verification URL. Recruiters search skills first — mirror the job post's keywords exactly.

Do this week

• Move your best self-taught project into Experience with a measured bullet.
• Publish one live link and test it logged-out on your phone.
• Add two certificates with verification URLs to LinkedIn licences.
• Ask one collaborator for a one-line recommendation.

Quick answers