LinkedIn is all about the connection you can make, and showcasing your skills to potential employers. One of the best ways to do this is with “Recommendations,” which can be a great way to make an impression on a potential future employer.
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What are recommendations on LinkedIn?
Recommendations are comments written by LinkedIn users about their connections. Usually, they are written with respect to what the person has seen their connection do in terms of their work: their effort, their precision, their skill, and so on. They’re testaments from people whom you know and trust about what you’re like on the job, and they mean a lot in the eyes of potential employers.
You can only send recommendations to your “Connections,” and you can only receive recommendations from them as well. This is, again, why it’s important to have a large list of connections on LinkedIn.
How to write a LinkedIn recommendation for a connection
1. Access your LinkedIn connections.
Across your top menu on any page, click My Network to access your menu listing all of your connections.
2. Find the connection you want to write the recommendation for.
On this page, click See All to view all of your LinkedIn connections. Scroll through or type the name of the person you want to recommend in the Search Connections search bar. Once you find them, click their name to visit their profile.
3. Click for more options, and then click Recommend [Name].
At the top of their profile, click the more options button (three horizontal dots), and then click Recommend [Name] at the bottom of the pop-up menu that appears.
4. Fill out the recommendation form, explain your relationship, and write with as much detail as you can.
You will be taken to a form to fill out, which make it simple to write your recommendation. All you have to do is click in each box or on each drop-down menu, and fill out whatever information you think is relevant. There are 3 sections to fill out:
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The name of your connection – Once you type this in and select their name from the suggestions, the other two sections will appear.
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Your relationship – How you know them, and what positions they held in the capacity in which you know them.
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The recommendation – In your own words, what they did well, and what you observed them do in the time you knew them.
Make sure you include as much detail as you can – the more you can write, the better you can help them. Remember, your connection wants this recommendation to impress a potential employer, so use correct grammar and language in your description of them, and use as many specific examples of their skills as you can. It may be a good idea to type out your recommendation in a word processor first, and edit it, before you submit it.
5. Save it, and send your recommendation.
When you’ve reviewed the recommendation, click the blue Send button at the bottom of the page. You recommendation will be sent off immediately.
A shortcut to this process can be achieved as well by visiting www.linkedin.com/recs/give, and then typing in the name of one of your connections. From there, fill out the form as normal!
How to ask for recommendations on LinkedIn
If you don’t want to wait around for your connections to write you a recommendation, you can request them from your contacts, past colleagues, and past employers. Here are the steps:
1. Find the LinkedIn connection you want to receive a recommendation from.
This is the same as steps 1 and 2 above. Simply access your connections by clicking My Network on the main menu, and then click the name of the person you want to receive a recommendation from to view their profile.
2. Click to view more options, and click Request a Recommendation from the drop-down menu.
Click the more options (three horizontal lines) button, and select Request a Recommendation near the bottom of the drop-down menu. This will open a window to allow you to request a recommendation from your contact.
3. Indicate how you know them, and your position at the time you worked with them.
Clicking on both of the drop-down boxes, indicate your Relationship to the person you’re requesting a recommendation from, and your Position at the Time. When you’re finished, click Next.
4. Personalize your recommendation request, and click Send.
On the next screen, you’ll be given a basic message, indicating that you’d like to receive a recommendation from this contact. If you want, click in the text box and type additional information. This is your opportunity to remind them of things you may have done, or specific skills you would like them to mention in the recommendation.
When you’re happy with your message, click the blue Send button.
That’s our primer on LinkedIn recommendations: what they are, how to give them to your connections, and how to ask for them from your connections!
