Having a strong LinkedIn profile is crucial for professionals looking to advance their careers or find new job opportunities. One of the most important parts of a LinkedIn profile is the recommendations section, where colleagues and managers can post positive reviews of your work and skills. Choosing the right words to ask for and write LinkedIn recommendations can make your profile stand out.
Why are LinkedIn Recommendations Important?
LinkedIn recommendations serve several key purposes:
- They validate your skills, experience, and work ethic from credible sources.
- They give hiring managers and recruiters a third-party perspective on your capabilities.
- They can boost your visibility and search rankings on LinkedIn.
- They add credibility to your work history and background.
In short, quality LinkedIn recommendations can greatly enhance your professional brand and open doors to new opportunities. That’s why it’s important to be thoughtful and strategic when requesting them.
How to Ask for LinkedIn Recommendations
Here are some tips for requesting great LinkedIn recommendations:
- Ask managers, colleagues, or clients who know your work well and will speak highly of you. Avoid asking family members or friends without a professional connection.
- Make the requests personalized and specific to each person. Remind them of projects you worked on together or skills you demonstrated.
- Suggest 2-3 specific accomplishments or strengths for them to highlight in their recommendation. This gives them ideas to draw from.
- Show your appreciation by offering to write a recommendation for them in return.
- Follow up if you haven’t received a response after 1-2 weeks. Offer to provide more details about your work together.
- When you receive the recommendations, promptly accept them and share words of thanks.
Taking a thoughtful approach shows you value their time and endorsement. You’re also more likely to get a detailed, glowing recommendation that way.
Words to Use in LinkedIn Recommendations
The wording used in a LinkedIn recommendation can greatly influence how the endorsement is received. Here are impactful words and phrases to encourage in recommendations from your colleagues and managers:
Skill Sets | Good Words to Use |
---|---|
Hard skills | Expert, proficient, masterful, precise, analytical, technical, capable, strategic |
Communication | Articulate, thoughtful, adept communicator, active listener, clear, constructive |
Teamwork | Collaborative, supportive, unites people, promotes cooperation, motivates teams |
Work ethic | Diligent, conscientious, focused, results-driven, dedicated, committed, dependable, relentless |
Leadership | Strategic vision, empowers others, leads by example, motivates, influential |
Initiative | Proactive, resourceful, persistent, self-starter, creative, innovative |
Using vivid language like this makes recommendations more compelling and memorable. It also reinforces your strongest areas of expertise.
Examples of Impactful Recommendation Word Choices
Here are examples of how powerful wording comes across in a LinkedIn recommendation:
- “John is an exceptionally diligent engineer who impresses me with his resourcefulness and technical precision on complex projects.”
- “Sarah is a natural leader who motivates the whole team with her strategic vision and leads by example.”
- “David is a talented designer with a creative eye for innovation and a strong drive to achieve results.”
Notice how these paint a vivid picture of the person’s value and capabilities in action.
What to Avoid in LinkedIn Recommendation Wording
While using persuasive language is advisable, there are also some words and phrases that are best avoided in LinkedIn recommendations:
- Ambiguous descriptors like “hard worker”, “team player”, “nice person” – these are generic and don’t offer real insight.
- Overusing superlatives and exaggerations like “the best”, “the greatest”, “world-class”, etc. – these can lack credibility.
- Mentioning personal details or attributes unrelated to work.
- Comparisons with other employees should generally be avoided.
- Anything that sounds overly sales-y, pushy or insincere.
The tone should remain professional, sincere and nuanced. Avoid recommending anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable saying out loud.
LinkedIn Recommendation Length
Ideally, a LinkedIn recommendation should be 2-4 sentences long and expand on 1-2 of the person’s strongest skills or achievements. Extremely short recommendations lack depth. Overly long, effusive ones may not get fully read. Aim for quality over quantity here.
Sample LinkedIn Recommendation Request Message
Here is a template message for requesting a recommendation that incorporates the best practices:
Hi [name],
I hope you’re doing well! I wanted to reach out because you worked closely with me on [project name] and saw firsthand the effort I put in as [your role]. I feel my LinkedIn profile would greatly benefit from a recommendation emphasizing a few of my strengths, such as [quality 1], [quality 2], and [quality 3].
Please let me know if you need any reminders of my contributions. I would be glad to write a recommendation for you on LinkedIn as well – just let me know!
Best,
[Your name]
This makes it easy for them to quickly write you a great recommendation. Tweak the qualities and project details to personalize it further.
How to Write a LinkedIn Recommendation
When someone asks you to write them a LinkedIn recommendation, follow these best practices:
- Make sure you know their work well enough to recommend them credibly. If not, politely decline.
- When possible, cite specific examples of their achievements or skills.
- Emphasize their strongest attributes that would appeal to future employers.
- Use vivid language to paint them in the best professional light.
- Close with a strong statement on why you endorse them.
- Keep it 2-4 sentences long and focused on their professional capabilities.
- Proofread for typos before submitting. The recommendation will be publicly visible.
Writing recommendations is a great way to “pay it forward” and help colleagues advance. Putting thought into yours can make a big difference.
Sample Written Recommendation Text
Below is a sample recommendation applying these principles:
I highly recommend Jane as an engineer. Working with her on the Orion project, Jane impressed me with her technical capabilities, diligent work ethic, and ability to rapidly produce innovative solutions. She is a true subject matter expert in firmware design and a trusted resource for the team. I fully endorse Jane for future engineering leadership roles.
This paints Jane in a very favorable professional light with vivid details.
Conclusion
The words chosen for LinkedIn recommendations can significantly impact someone’s brand and opportunities. Asking strategically, highlighting key skills, and using vivid language results in the most persuasive endorsements. Both requesting and writing recommendations on LinkedIn requires care and nuance. Following these best practices will allow you to tap into the full power of recommendations.