Want to make someone oober excited? Start writing LinkedIn recommendations!
How many LinkedIn recommendations should you have? The more testimonials and social proof you have, the better, but give and receive them. Recommendations should not be visibly one-sided on your profile.
For job seekers, hiring managers often have a minimum number of recommendations they expect to see.
Employed individuals should secure written endorsements from supervisors or colleagues, particularly when transitions, such as reorganizations or downsizings, are possible.
As a proactive measure, supervisors can offer recommendations as a sign of appreciation to their team members.
Nonprofits should consider giving recommendations to their volunteers on LinkedIn to acknowledge their contributions. This would provide a more visible token of gratitude than a private email or message. As a nonprofit leader, I have written a couple in the past week and have more in the works!
Small business owners and entrepreneurs should gather testimonials and recommendations from satisfied clients.
I am guilty of not asking for recommendations from clients or from speaking engagements. (Picture an emoji of a woman with hands to side and palms up – that’s me!)
Have I ever inspired you or taught you anything from my writing?
So, hey, if you are moved to write me a recommendation, I would be totally chuffed and oober excited, and you would make my Fri-yay! There’s a catch! We have to be first-level connections!
Only first-level connections can give or receive recommendations. When writing a recommendation, start with an engaging line to capture interest.
Recommendations appear chronologically on your profile, and they cannot be rearranged by importance.
Consider drafting the initial text for the recommender to adjust if seeking a recommendation, ensuring it highlights the desired attributes.
Consider sharing an instructional guide for those less familiar with navigating LinkedIn’s recommendation section.
Are you up for a challenge? Set a goal to write some recommendations this week!
NEXT STEPS
- Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn for bright ideas on how to manage your career.
- If you need a resume or LinkedIn profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!
- Join as a member at https://greatcareers.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists four years in a row!
- To support our charity at KeepOnSharing.com and use the referral code Career
- Follow #GreatCareersPHL
BIO
Lynne M. Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Groups, a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides career development and networking connections for 1) job seekers in career transition, including veterans, and 2) employed and self-employed for career management.
Aside from writing keyword-focused content for ATS resumes and LinkedIn profiles, Lynne is writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn for Job Seekers. She is a contributing author on “Applying to Positions” in Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing the Job You Love, along with the late Dick Bolles, the author of What Color is Your Parachute?, and is also a speaker on career topics.
