Behind a newly hired employee are piles of paperwork and piled-up proof or testimonials that they are indeed worthy of the position. One of these testimonies is a written recommendation. But with the growth of the digital world, endorsements have kept up with the trend. Imagine that with just a click, your background is quickly checked, so your reputation might be at risk too.
Fortunately, with LinkedIn, you can create and update your profile. The best thing is that it has the “recommendations” feature where other LinkedIn members’ work reviews and testimonials are left and seen on your profile. This is now your ultimate proof that your skills and achievements are valid.
This blog covers what LinkedIn recommendations are, why they are important, and the benefits of having them on your profile. We’ll also include a couple of LinkedIn recommendation examples, and how to leverage them for career growth. Let’s delve deeper as we read on.
What is a LinkedIn Recommendation?
A LinkedIn recommendation is a written endorsement from a colleague, manager, client, or business partner that highlights your exceptional skills, work ethic, and achievements. It’s a powerful way to build credibility and trustworthiness on the platform, making you more visible to potential clients, employers, recruiters, and business partners. A well-written LinkedIn recommendation can increase your chances of landing a dream job, getting more interviews, and standing out in your industry.
When someone takes the time to write a LinkedIn recommendation for you, they are vouching for your professional abilities and character. This endorsement serves as a testament to your exceptional leadership skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and positive attitude. It’s not just about listing your various job titles and responsibilities; it’s about showcasing how you consistently exceeded expectations and contributed positively to your team or projects.
Having strong LinkedIn recommendations can significantly enhance your profile, making it more attractive to hiring managers past clients and potential employers. These testimonials provide a third-party perspective on your capabilities, which can be more persuasive than self-promotion. In a competitive job market, a compelling LinkedIn recommendation can be the deciding factor that sets you apart from other candidates.
Why are LinkedIn Recommendations Important?
LinkedIn recommendations are declarations and endorsements from another LinkedIn member who has worked with you professionally, either directly or indirectly. Your profile will display these LinkedIn recommendations as testimonials of your competence, ethics, and expertise in the field. They can be a valuable asset during the job search process, helping candidates stand out to recruiters and potential employers.
The following are the other four reasons LinkedIn recommendations are necessary.
1. LinkedIn endorsements serve as social proof.
More than ever, social proof is important because it enables you to show people that you are capable, credible, and a specialist in your industry, rather than through your own remarks and self-promotion. LinkedIn recommendations can highlight specific skills such as excellent communication skills time management skills, which are crucial for maintaining productivity and meeting deadlines. You can talk all you want about your qualifications and achievements, but eventually, what people have to say about you matters more.
2. They provide employers with a more thorough understanding of your professional background, skill set, and competency
Recruiters can see in your LinkedIn recommendations a list of all the firms you’ve worked for as well as testimonials from former coworkers about your performance. LinkedIn recommendations can also highlight a candidate’s ability to navigate and contribute to the company’s project management process, showcasing their adaptability and communication skills. If the person making the reference is someone the recruiter knows or has a connection with, that personal touch would be advantageous.
3. LinkedIn recommendations are references that can be checked.
The advantage of LinkedIn recommendations is that anyone viewing your profile can see them. The best part is that each suggestion is linked to the author’s LinkedIn profile. In order to further research and screen job candidates, any potential employer, recruiter, or hiring manager need only click on the profile of the individual providing the referral.
4. Your position in the LinkedIn search results is improved by LinkedIn recommendations.
The ability to rank higher in search results is another crucial benefit of LinkedIn recommendations, particularly when they are rife with pertinent and sector-specific keywords that recruiters may use in their searches. The possibility to improve and optimize your profile’s ranking in recruiter and company search results is provided by using powerful keywords in your LinkedIn recommendations section.
The Benefits of Having Strong LinkedIn Recommendations
Here are some benefits of putting an impactful LinkedIn recommendation on your to-do list:
Proof of What You Can Do
Your main achievements and the talents and qualities you used to succeed are listed under each job on your LinkedIn profile. Credibility is increased by a supervisor’s written endorsement. It applauds your performance while also highlighting your positive energy, which contributes to a productive and supportive work environment, and vouching for the abilities that the multiple tasks you mentioned.
Public Evidence
Today, the public may see your skills and abilities thanks to LinkedIn recommendations. The reputation of the individual writing the recommendation is at risk because it is linked to their profile. Ensure your suggestions are visible to anyone who views your profile by configuring your public profile settings accordingly.
Sign of a Standout Applicant
Your LinkedIn recommendations can set you apart from other prospects. Reminding people of the specifics, abilities, and projects you want to be endorsed in is one way to get them to reply to your request for recommendations.
How to Request LinkedIn Recommendations
Here are some ways you can ask for LinkedIn Recommendations:
1. Focus your request on your connections who can best vouch for your qualifications.
Even though each recommendation boosts the value of your profile, pursuing several possibilities might not be the best strategy. Instead, choose only the strong relationships with individuals who will be most likely to endorse you. Pick people who have already expressed gratitude for your work, or whose job was made easier as a result of your contribution.
2. Begin with a warm, yet direct approach.
When you are asking a current coworker or someone you frequently interact with for a recommendation, begin the conversation informally. Mention your desire to improve your LinkedIn profile, and then move on to requesting a recommendation. If you don’t see each other much, on the other hand, just say “Hello” to them on the medium you use to connect (LinkedIn, email, etc.). Start with a friendly greeting before diving into a light conversation. After a brief discussion, let the individual know that you are contacting them to ask whether they would be willing to suggest you on LinkedIn.
3. Make sure that they don’t feel pressured.
Writing a recommendation requires considerable time and effort, and puts the writer’s credibility at stake. Any perception of force or pressure may have a negative impact on how seriously they take your request. Making sure the person is at ease with the idea is important, and you can achieve this by giving them an “out.” Make sure to clarify that you are only making a request and that their participation is not required.
Examples of Inspiring LinkedIn Recommendations
The templates and examples below can be modified to help you produce a powerful LinkedIn recommendation. This section will provide LinkedIn recommendation samples and LinkedIn recommendations examples to help users craft their own effective endorsements. Below are a couple of LinkedIn recommendation examples.
LinkedIn Recommendation Sample for a Student
"Holly served two years as a part-time employee at our campus café. Her managerial abilities and work ethic struck me as a manager. As a dedicated young woman, she worked hard and maintained a fantastic sense of humor. To delight customers, she was always prepared to go above and beyond. Any café in need of a manager or server will benefit from hiring her."LinkedIn Recommendation Example for a Colleague
"George puts forth a lot of effort and can solve any AI problem. We've worked together on a variety of projects, and each time I've seen him work, I've found him to be a highly talented and dedicated professional. His expertise in the field of AI has been very helpful to our company. Additionally, he's an exceptional guy all throughout! He comes highly recommended to anyone searching for assistance with an AI project or team."Tips for Writing Compelling LinkedIn Recommendations
The best LinkedIn recommendation examples available online have the same basic principles. Briefly describe your relationship high quality work done with the person; praise the specific skills of the person you are recommending; steer away from stiff statements; keep it short but meaningful; and include a lasting and impressive statement.
To better help you in write a great LinkedIn recommendation, let us discuss these principles one by one.
1. Briefly describe your relationship.
Of course, the best LinkedIn recommendation examples should include why you are credible enough to be giving a recommendation. Did you work for the same company or just collaborate on a particular side project? How long did you work with them? Are you a partner, mentor mentors or colleague for a certain project? Make sure to give a statement that is strong enough to express the significance of why they should be honoring the recommendation from you. Also, make sure to also reiterate that your experience working with him or her was, of course, positive and meaningful.
Give praises on specific skills, such as exceptional leadership skills, of the person you are recommending.
Make sure that you do not give vague statements on the recommendation you are writing. You will not find a LinkedIn recommendation example that says “John would be a great addition to your team.” Although, this may be a positive praise, make sure that you mention why John would be a great addition to their team. Was he a reliable accountant? Did John provide a stellar performance on the advertising campaign that you worked on? Was John an exemplary editor for the book that you published last year? Highlighting specific skills, such as being a reliable team member, can showcase John’s contributions to the whole team’s success, and enhance his professional credibility.
Expert Tip:
Always highlight and mention specific skills that the person has. But of course, make sure that you did see and experience firsthand the specific skills that you are praising. This goes hand in hand with the brief description of your working relationship with the person.
3. Steer away from stiff statements.
It helps to make your recommendation sound more personal than professional. This way, the person who will be reading your recommendation would feel that they are reading a recommendation written by a real person. Just like when you are talking with someone face to face, make it conversational if you can. If you write a very stiff and overly professional recommendation, it would sound as if you are just writing a person’s resume in paragraph form. A good LinkedIn recommendation example is something easy and enjoyable to read.
4. Keep it short and meaningful.
No one wants to read a novella about how someone did a great job while you were working with them. A good recommendation should be simple. Make it simple and sweet. Do not beat around the bush and make sure that when someone reads your recommendation, they would easily get the point. Make sure that after reading your recommendation, they would not hesitate to look into the person you are recommending and that they will not think twice of considering your recommendations.
5. Include a lasting and impressive statement.
Most of the time, lasting and impressive call-to-action statements are often found toward the end of a recommendation. Having that said; feel free to put it anywhere else in your recommendation. Just make sure that it would give the impact and attention that you would like it to have.
In addition, make sure that you reiterate the purpose of this recommendation: to get this specific person hired for a specific skillset. Include statements such as “If you are looking for an effective freelance writer to join your marketing team now, [insert name] is surely the perfect candidate.” Or “[insert name] has been one of my best choices when it comes to graphic design ever since I worked with her for this specific ad campaign.”
Remember: The best LinkedIn recommendation examples you can find online are the ones that have clear and specific purpose. Recommendations online should be as effective as those that we hear face to face, and able to convince the reader to be more interested with that person. It should be enough to pique the interest of a potential employer and to push them to get to know more about the soft skills that would be relevant to the job.
Finally, if you ever find yourself on the receiving side of a LinkedIn recommendation, just make sure to express your gratitude for this gesture. Since you now know how helpful it would be for your online profile, it is best to say thank you for your connection to go the extra mile for this invaluable asset.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When writing a LinkedIn recommendation, there are several common mistakes to avoid. Here are some of the most important ones:
- Being Too Vague
- Avoid generic statements that don’t provide specific examples of the person’s skills or achievements. Instead, highlight particular projects or tasks where they demonstrated their abilities.
- Overly Formal Language
- While professionalism is important, overly stiff language can make the recommendation sound insincere. Aim for a conversational tone that reflects your genuine experience working with the person.
- Lack of Personalization
- A recommendation that could apply to anyone is not very impactful. Personalize your recommendation by mentioning unique qualities or specific instances that showcase the individual’s strengths.
- Ignoring the Relationship Context
- Failing to explain your professional relationship with the person can make the recommendation less credible. Clearly state how you know the individual and the context in which you worked together.
- Being Too Lengthy
- Long-winded recommendations can lose the reader’s interest. Keep it concise and focused, ensuring that every sentence adds value and reinforces the person’s qualifications.
- Forgetting a Strong Closing Statement
- A powerful closing statement can leave a lasting impression. Summarize why you highly recommend the person and how they would be an asset to any team or project.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can write a LinkedIn recommendation that truly stands out and effectively supports the person you are endorsing. Remember, a well-crafted recommendation not only benefits the recipient but also reflects positively on you as a professional.
Leveraging LinkedIn Recommendations for Career Growth
Here are some expert tips to help you use LinkedIn to build your career.
Establish a professional profile.
The first step in using LinkedIn for professional success is to set up a professional profile. A description of your background and your current position should both be included. List any relevant work experience, skills, and education along with a current photo. You might also provide a link to your online resume or personal website.
Consider the networking features.
Utilize LinkedIn’s networking capabilities to connect with possible employers, coworkers, and business contacts. To find people with comparable interests and backgrounds, use the search box. To grow your network, engage in conversations, and make new connections.
Connect with groups and engage in conversations.
Another great way to get more exposure on LinkedIn is to join groups and take part in discussions. Look for groups in your field of expertise and participate in discussions by leaving comments or posting well-thought-out posts. You can learn a lot and establish essential connections by meaningfully interacting with others.
Share your experiences.
On LinkedIn, you can demonstrate your talents and abilities by sharing your experiences innovative ideas and successes. To emphasize your efforts and draw attention to your profile, including images, videos, and other types of media.
Boost for recruiters.
To locate possible candidates for job openings, recruiters use LinkedIn. Optimize your profile for recruiters to make you stand out. Include keywords that are relevant to the position you are seeking as well as any suitable abilities or credentials you may have.
Hire Resume Professional Writers’ LinkedIn Writing Services
People you’ve worked closely with, people you know personally, or first-degree connections can all endorse you on LinkedIn. These testimonials give prospective employers, leads, or clients more information about you. By including these LinkedIn recommendations as a solid reference in your profile, you may further demonstrate the type of professional you are.
Before you can have a LinkedIn recommendation from someone or have a recommendation written for someone else, however, you need to have a LinkedIn profile first. Having a LinkedIn profile is effective when showcasing your skills and experience; and making it stand out will help you achieve your own professional growth goals. If you are having a hard time putting up one, Resume Professional Writers is here to help. Check out our LinkedIn profile services or talk to one of our career experts today to help you create a professional and standout LinkedIn profile!
