LinkedIn skill endorsements allow connections to endorse you for specific skills and expertise. When someone endorses you, it appears on your profile and can be seen by others viewing your profile. But do these skill endorsements really matter when it comes to using LinkedIn effectively? Here’s a look at the pros and cons of LinkedIn skill endorsements and whether they make a difference for your personal brand and career opportunities.
What are LinkedIn skill endorsements?
LinkedIn skill endorsements allow your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree connections on LinkedIn to endorse you for various skills. Endorsements appear under the Skills & Endorsements section of your profile.
When someone wants to endorse you, they simply click the + icon next to a skill and a notification will be sent that they have endorsed you. The skill will then appear under your Skills & Endorsements section with the names of those who have endorsed you.
You can also proactively endorse connections for various skills. Doing so will send them a notification that you have endorsed them. Proactively endorsing others is a good way to get endorsements in return.
It’s important to note that endorsements do not have to be accepted. If you don’t want an endorsement to appear, you can simply discard it so it won’t show up on your profile. You can also hide individual endorsements while keeping the skill listed.
The pros of LinkedIn skill endorsements
Here are some of the potential benefits of accumulating LinkedIn skill endorsements:
Indicates you have knowledgeable connections
The more quality endorsements you rack up, the more it shows you have connections that know your skills and are willing to publicly vouch for them. This lends credibility and indicates you have an active network full of meaningful connections.
Validates capabilities relevant to your industry
Receiving endorsements for skills important in your industry serves as external validation for those capabilities. It shows you have the relevant skillsets expected for roles in your field.
Boosts your personal brand
A robust skills section piled high with endorsements broadcasts to visitors that you are skilled, capable, and have an expert network supporting your brand. It strengthens your professional image.
Injects keywords for improved SEO and discovery
The skills and endorsements on your profile serve as keywords and phrases. This helps with your LinkedIn SEO so when people search for industry keywords, it can increase your discoverability and visibility in search results.
Sparks new connections and opportunities
New connections may view your skills and endorsements as you having the type of expertise they need in their network. It can lead to new opportunities through LinkedIn messages and relationship building.
Pros | Description |
---|---|
Indicates knowledgeable connections | Shows you have an active network that knows your skills |
Validates relevant capabilities | Demonstrates you have skillsets expected for your industry roles |
Boosts personal brand | Strengthens your professional image and expertise |
Improves SEO and discovery | Keywords help you get found in search results |
Sparks new connections | Attracts new network members who need your expertise |
The cons of LinkedIn skill endorsements
Of course, LinkedIn skill endorsements also come with some downsides to consider:
Endorsers may not be knowledgeable
Some endorsers randomly endorse skills without deeply knowing your capabilities. The credibility of low-knowledge endorsers is questionable.
Inflates perceived skills
Generic or exaggerated skills with many endorsements can give the impression you have proficiency where you actually don’t. It inflates skills.
Not a reflection of real-world abilities
Online endorsements don’t necessarily equal verified expertise. Someone can appear skilled on LinkedIn without tangible proof those skills translate offline.
Endorsement numbers become meaningless
When people endorce skills without real knowledge, the number of endorsements lose significance. Large numbers don’t necessarily mean competency.
Encourages false reciprocity
Members often randomly endorse skills in hopes the recipient reciprocates. This leads to misrepresentation of actual capabilities.
Cons | Description |
---|---|
Endorsers may not be knowledgeable | Low-knowledge endorsers lack credibility |
Inflates perceived skills | Exaggerated skills give impression of false expertise |
Not reflective of real abilities | Online endorsements don’t equal offline skills |
Numbers become meaningless | High numbers don’t necessarily mean competency |
Encourages false reciprocity | Members endorse merely hoping for a reciprocal endorsement |
Do LinkedIn skill endorsements impact hiring decisions?
This is a key question for those wondering if they should focus time on accumulating LinkedIn skill endorsements. Will they actually help you land more job interviews and opportunities?
Unfortunately, the current consensus from experts seems to be that endorsements have a minimal impact on hiring outcomes:
Recruiters focus on core resume details
For applicants that make it to the resume review round, recruiters are focused on reviewing your core resume qualifications. Most don’t take the time to dig through and analyze skill endorsements.
Numbers lack qualitive assessment
The raw number of endorsements doesn’t reveal meaningful detail on whether you are truly capable. Five endorsements could mean more than 50 if from highly knowledgeable connections. But this isn’t visible.
Better to get recommendations
Recommendations allow connections to write detailed testimonials that provide qualitative assessment of your skills and character. These tend to influence hiring more.
No formal verification process
Anyone can endorse anyone for any skill on LinkedIn. There is no formal verification or audit process to guarantee legitimacy. So endorsements carry less weight.
While some hiring managers may glance at skills and endorsements, they likely don’t carry significant weight for most. You’re better off seeking tailored recommendations that substantiate your capabilities.
Reasons for limited impact on hiring | Description |
---|---|
Recruiters focus on core resume | Endorsements don’t get high focus during resume review |
Numbers lack qualitative assessment | Raw totals don’t reveal meaningful competency detail |
Recommendations preferred | Recommendations provide more credible qualitative assessment |
No formal verification | Anyone can endorse anyone for anything with no audit |
Tips for getting quality LinkedIn skill endorsements
While endorsements may have limited impact on hiring, they can still offer benefits. Here are some tips for getting quality skill endorsements:
Be strategic with your skill list
Curate a strong list of 8-15 quality skills that credibly represent your expertise. Avoid inflated skills that can’t be justified.
Endorse connections for their legitimate skills
Take time to genuinely endorse others for their real capabilities. This encourages reciprocal endorsements.
Join LinkedIn groups aligned to your skills
Active participation in relevant industry groups can spark endorsements from knowledgeable members.
Give endorsements context with recommendations
Ask respected connections to write recommendations that substantiate your endorsed skills with detailed examples.
Limit endorsements to respected connections
Exercise discretion in only accepting endorsements from connections who credibly know your capabilities. Politely decline irrelevant ones.
Following these best practices can help you accumulate an impressive cadre of skill endorsements from respected and knowledgeable connections. While they may provide limited direct boost to your job search, they can still enhance your overall professional presence and personal brand.
Tips for quality endorsements | Description |
---|---|
Be strategic with your skill list | Carefully curate a list of 8-15 credible skills |
Endorse connections for real skills | Genuine endorsements encourage reciprocity |
Join relevant LinkedIn groups | Participation leads to knowledgeable endorsements |
Get recommendations | Recommendations substantiate your skills |
Limit to respected connections | Only accept credible endorsements |
Should you focus time on getting LinkedIn skill endorsements?
Given the limited impact on job search and recruiting outcomes, accumulating skill endorsements should not be a primary focus area while using LinkedIn.
That said, endorsements can still provide positive enhancements to how your profile is perceived and drive ancillary benefits that may indirectly help your career over time.
Here are some factors to consider regarding whether it’s worth investing time in endorsements:
Stage of your career
Early career professionals with limited experience may benefit more as endorsements help substantiate capabilities. Those with an established reputation have less to gain.
Your engagement habits
If you login frequently and actively engage your network, endorsements may naturally follow without much extra effort. Less active members may need to drive engagement.
Industry expectations
Certain fields like software engineering look for GitHub repositories and technical certifications more than LinkedIn endorsements. Other industries may view endorsements as reflections of expertise.
Existing recommendations
If you already have thoughtful recommendations that speak to your skills and character, endorsements are less crucial. Prioritize getting quality recommendations first.
Analyze these factors in context of your own career journey and goals. If endorsements align as a supporting element of your LinkedIn strategy, devote occasional effort keeping them up to date. But don’t let them become a distraction from higher value activities.
Factors to consider | Description |
---|---|
Stage of career | Early professionals benefit more than established ones |
Engagement habits | Active engagers will get natural endorsements |
Industry expectations | Some industries care more than others |
Existing recommendations | Recommendations reduce the need for endorsements |
Conclusion
While LinkedIn skill endorsements have benefits, experts agree their direct impact on advancing your career opportunities is limited. Focus first on quality profile content, establishing meaningful connections, and getting detailed recommendations.
View endorsements as icing on the cake to supplement these higher value efforts, not the cake itself. Keep your skills list current and accept genuine endorsements when they come your way organically. But don’t obsess over racking up large endorsement numbers, as this risks misrepresenting your actual capabilities. Moderation and authenticity are key.
When used responsibly as part of a holistic personal brand building approach, skill endorsements on LinkedIn can be a nice complement. But they are unlikely to be a deciding factor for the vast majority of hiring managers and recruiters.