You might have seen recommendations on a LinkedIn profile and asked yourself how they work. Well, this article offers a comprehensive guide on how to effectively use these recommendations to boost your professional presence online.
You’ll learn about the importance of recommendations, the differences between professional and personal types, and how to set up your LinkedIn profile for success.
The article will comprehensively walk you through the entire process of requesting, writing, and managing recommendations. It will provide valuable insights into best practices for cultivating credibility and fostering professional relationships by means of authentic and high-quality endorsements.
LinkedIn Recommendations are by default not visible on your profile. You can ask someone to give you a recommendation and it will show up on your LinkedIn profile. To do that, follow these steps:
– Open your full profile by clicking on the “Me” icon and then “View profile”.
– At the top of your profile, select “Add profile section“.
– Under the “Recommend” tab, select “Add recommendations“.
– Search for someone who can give you a recommendation, and send the request to them.
– Once they write the recommendation, it will show up on your profile.
What are LinkedIn Recommendations?
LinkedIn Recommendations are written testimonials from your fellow professionals or personal contacts that you can display on your LinkedIn profile. These recommendations serve as a way for your connections to vouch for your skills, experiences, and qualifications, providing credibility to your online presence.
In essence, they function as personal endorsements from people who can attest to your abilities and work ethic.
Recommendations are important because they substantiate the information you provide on your LinkedIn profile, making it more reliable and meaningful to potential employers, clients, or partners.
They offer a form of social proof, which, when considered alongside your endorsements, education, experience, and achievements, contribute significantly to your overall professional image and credibility.
In today’s competitive job market, having an updated and optimized LinkedIn profile is crucial. Recommendations will help showcase your strengths and the impact you’ve made in your work, education, or volunteer experiences. This will all make a difference between an average LinkedIn profile and an optimized one.
Types of Recommendations: Professional and Personal
There are two main types of recommendations that one can receive on LinkedIn: professional and personal.
- Professional Recommendations: A professional recommendation is a written testimonial from someone who has worked with you in a work setting, either as a coworker, a supervisor, an employee, or a client. These recommendations are generally focused on your job-related skills, knowledge, experience, and achievements.
When requesting professional recommendations, you should reach out to individuals who can provide specific examples to testify to your performance, your problem-solving skills, your ability to manage projects, or your capacity to work effectively within a team. Some examples of professional recommenders include past and present supervisors, colleagues, team members, clients, professors, or mentors. You might also need to find your former employees and have them write a recommendation for you.
- Personal Recommendations: Personal recommendations, also known as character recommendations, are written by individuals who can attest to your personal qualities, work ethic, and character outside of a professional environment. These recommendations can be equally valuable, particularly if they illustrate traits that are essential for your desired career path or industry.
Personal recommendations may come from friends, family members, personal acquaintances, or even volunteer supervisors. They should focus on your character, values, interpersonal skills, and overall personality. Since these testimonials address your qualities on a personal level, it is essential to maintain a balance between personal and professional recommendations on your LinkedIn profile.
You can only request recommendations from your 1st-degree connections.
Identifying the Right People to Request Recommendations From
The first step in requesting LinkedIn recommendations is identifying the appropriate people to request them from. It’s important to select individuals who have directly worked with you and can genuinely vouch for your work ethic, skills, and accomplishments. Here are a few suggestions to help you identify the right people:
- Former or current supervisors: These individuals have an intimate understanding of your work and can speak to your strengths, providing credible insight into your abilities.
- Colleagues or team members: These people typically have firsthand knowledge of your collaborative efforts, teamwork, and contribution towards company goals.
- Clients or customers: Obtaining recommendations from satisfied clients or customers can help highlight your commitment to customer service, professionalism, and the quality of your work output.
- Mentors or professional peers: Mentors or individuals from your professional network who have witnessed your growth or have supported your career development can provide unique and valuable recommendations.
When selecting individuals for recommendations, consider the relevance to your current objectives, such as when pursuing a new career or seeking a promotion within your current field. Also, ensure that your chosen endorsers have a strong and positive professional relationship with you.
How to Request a Personalized Recommendation Request
When requesting a recommendation on LinkedIn, a personal touch will significantly improve the chances of getting it.
Navigate to the profile of the person from whom you would like a recommendation. Click on “More” and then select “Request a Recommendation” from the menu.
The “Relationship” part stands for how the two of you are professionally related. Also, you should pick a position that relates to this recommendation.
Finally, it is time to include a personalized message. Begin by addressing the recipient by name and remind them of specific instances where you collaborated. You can even use LinkedIn emojis to make the message stand out.
Clearly state the reason for your request, but make sure you ask it politely. Outline the specific skills you would like them to highlight in their recommendation. Also, you can offer to give a recommendation back to them.
Finally, you can mention that you understand they might be busy. Add the complimentary close at the end and you are good to go.
Hey, [Name] 👋,
How are you doing? I hope everything is great.
Working with you on the [Project] was an incredible experience for me. It has taught me so much and your tips were extra helpful in my career development.
I have a small favor to ask of you. I want to keep my LinkedIn profile as optimized as possible, and I’m currently missing the “Recommendation” part. I’d love it if you could write me a LinkedIn recommendation that highlights my skills in [Skill 1] and [Skill 2].
Also, I’d love to write a recommendation in return. Please let me know if there is a specific skill you want me to highlight.
I understand you might be busy, so no pressure.
All the best,
[Your name]
Writing LinkedIn Recommendations
Crafting a LinkedIn recommendation is an invaluable means of endorsing a professional connection, be it a former employee, a colleague, or a friend. The most effective recommendations offer profound insights into an individual’s work ethic, skills, and achievements, thereby enhancing their appeal to prospective employers and elevating their standing within the professional realm.
While the prospect of writing a LinkedIn recommendation may appear intimidating, adhering to a set of essential principles enables you to master the art of composing a considerate and influential endorsement.
Starting with a Strong Opening
The first step in writing a LinkedIn recommendation is to begin with a strong opening. Your opening sentence should grab the reader’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the recommendation. So, navigate to the person’s profile, select “More“, but this time choose “Recommend“.
Then, choose how you know the person professionally in the “Relationship” part. Also, select what position of his was related to this recommendation. Once you do that, it is time to write a recommendation.
One way to start is by expressing your enthusiasm for the person you are recommending. Either start by sharing a specific achievement they’ve accomplished, or by highlighting their outstanding qualities. This is the “hook” part where you have a chance to grab someone’s attention.
In the main part, make sure you include specific skills which the person excels at. You can even mention some situations where they displayed how good they actually are. You can also add a touch of personality like “He made sure I manage to balance this job with my studies”.
Finally, in the closing part, you should add a sentence that will additionally boost the person’s personality and skills. After you are done writing, press the “Send” button.
Receiving and Managing LinkedIn Recommendations
LinkedIn Recommendations can be a valuable addition to your profile as they provide valuable insights into your skills and contributions from your connections. They serve as testimonials from colleagues, clients, and managers, and can help position you as a trustworthy professional.
Here are some tips on how to accept and edit recommendations on your profile, as well as request updates or edits from those who have already provided recommendations.
How to Accept, Edit, and Display Recommendations on Your Profile
When someone provides you with a recommendation on LinkedIn, you’ll receive a notification and an email with a preview of the recommendation. You have the option to accept, request changes, or dismiss the recommendation, just follow these steps:
- Log in to your LinkedIn account, and click on your profile picture in the top left corner to go to your profile.
- Scroll down to the ‘Recommendations‘ section, which is typically found under the ‘Skills & Endorsements’ section.
- Click on the ‘Received‘ tab to see the recommendations you have received. If you have a pending recommendation, you can select ‘Review’ to read it.
- You have the option to accept or dismiss the recommendation.
- If you choose to accept the recommendation, it will be automatically displayed on your LinkedIn profile. Additionally, if you wish to rearrange the order of your recommendations, you can click on the “Reorder” icon next to a recommendation and simply drag and drop it into the desired position.
- To edit the visibility of a recommendation, click on the three-dot menu at the top-right corner of the recommendation and toggle between ‘Show on my profile’ or ‘Hide from my profile.’
Remember that a good recommendation includes specific information about your contribution and the impact it had on the organization or project. If you feel that a received recommendation lacks this information, don’t hesitate to request changes as described in the following section.
If you don’t see the “Recommendations” section, you haven’t given or received any recommendations. Adding recommendations to your profile is similar to adding certifications:
– Go to your LinkedIn profile.
– Under your name and profile description you will see a button “Add profile section“.
– Select that button, find “Recommendation” and select “Add recommendations“.
– If you don’t have any, you’ll get a prompt to ask someone for a recommendation.
Requesting Edits or Updates to a Received Recommendation
If the recommendation you receive doesn’t accurately represent your work or could be improved, you can request edits or updates from the sender. Here’s how:
- Once you receive a notification about the recommendation and choose to review it, instead of accepting or dismissing it, click on ‘Request changes.’
- In the ‘Request changes’ pop-up window, send a personalized message to the recommender, explaining why you would appreciate certain adjustments, updates, or additional information. It’s important to be polite and professional in your communication.
- Click ‘Send‘ to send your request for changes to the recommender.
Keep in mind that the recommender may decline your request for changes or choose not to respond. If this is the case, you can decide whether to accept the original recommendation as is, or you can choose to dismiss the recommendation if you do not wish to display it on your profile.
Quality over Quantity
When it comes to LinkedIn recommendations, less can often mean more. One meaningful, well-written recommendation can hold more weight than several vague or generic endorsements. To ensure the quality of the recommendations on your profile, take the following steps:
- Selecting the right individuals: It is crucial to approach individuals for recommendations who possess firsthand experience working with you, can aptly attest to your skills and achievements, and maintain a professional relationship with you that aligns with your career aspirations.
- Offering guidance: When requesting a recommendation, consider providing the recommender with specific areas of your work that you would like them to emphasize. This guidance will assist them in crafting a purposeful recommendation that effectively showcases your unique skills and extensive experience.
- Review and edit: Remember that you can review and request edits for a recommendation before it gets published on your profile. Take this opportunity to ensure that the endorsement is accurate, professionally written, and appropriately highlights your strengths.
- Manage displayed recommendations: LinkedIn allows you to display up to three recommendations per job position on your profile. Be selective and choose the recommendations that best showcase your expertise, and make sure they represent various aspects of your work.
1. Why are LinkedIn recommendations important for professionals?
LinkedIn recommendations provide valuable insight into a person’s professional credibility, achievements, and work quality. These endorsements showcase their strengths and help employers make informed hiring decisions by reinforcing their profile with testimonials of work performance.
2. How can one request a recommendation on LinkedIn?
To request a recommendation, navigate to the individual’s LinkedIn profile, click on “More,” and select “Request a Recommendation.” Then, customize the request message explaining the favor, relationship, and position. It is key to make the message personalized and genuine.
3. Can an individual delete or edit a recommendation?
Yes, individuals can manage the recommendations they receive. To delete or edit, visit the “Recommendations” section on the LinkedIn profile, click on “Received,” and select the edit icon. Users can delete unwanted recommendations or request edits to the content.
4. What are some tips for writing an effective LinkedIn recommendation?
When writing a recommendation, focus on specific skills, work achievements, or qualities that were impressive. Be concise, and genuine, and use concrete examples of those accomplishments. It’s also crucial to highlight their role in the projects and how they contributed to overall success.
5. How do endorsements differ from recommendations?
Endorsements attest to an individual’s skills in a brief, one-click format, while recommendations are personalized statements acknowledging a person’s abilities, accomplishments, and work quality. Recommendations carry more weight since they involve a personal message from the writer.
6. How many recommendations are considered enough for a well-rounded LinkedIn profile?
While there is no specific number, having at least 3-5 high-quality recommendations from diverse sources (colleagues, supervisors, clients) can reinforce a person’s professional standing. It is vital to focus on the quality of referrals over quantity, as they provide a more comprehensive view of their abilities.