Asking for a recommendation on LinkedIn can feel awkward, but it’s an important part of building your professional brand and advancing your career. With some tact and care, you can request a recommendation in a way that feels natural and comfortable for both you and the person you’re asking. Here are some tips on how to politely ask for a LinkedIn recommendation.
Why Recommendations Matter
LinkedIn recommendations carry weight because they come from professional connections who have firsthand experience working with you. Recommendations help tell the story of your professional achievements, skills, and work style.
For job seekers, quality recommendations can give you an edge over other candidates. According to LinkedIn, members with 5+ recommendations are 17x more likely to be contacted by recruiters.
Recommendations also matter for business development. They help establish your credibility which can be especially useful when prospecting new clients or partners.
Who to Ask for a Recommendation
The best recommendations come from people who have directly supervised you or worked closely with you in a professional capacity. Good sources include:
– Former managers or direct supervisors
– Colleagues you’ve collaborated with on projects
– Clients you’ve done work for
– Vendors or business contacts you have a relationship with
The recommender should be someone who can speak in detail about your strengths, work ethic, skills, and achievements. The closer you’ve worked with the person and the more recently you worked together, the better.
How to Ask
Here are some tips for asking gracefully:
– Make the request via email or message instead of putting someone on the spot in person. This gives them time to consider whether they can write a strong recommendation.
– Remind them of the work you did together or key projects you collaborated on. Help jog their memory of your contributions.
– If it’s been a while since you worked together, briefly summarize your experience and accomplishments since then.
– Let them know why you value their opinion and endorsement.
– Make it easy for them to say yes by mentioning that a brief 2-3 paragraph recommendation highlighting your strengths would mean a lot. Offer to send details on your current skills and responsibilities to make writing easy.
– Give them an “out” and don’t take it personally if they decline. Say something like, “No pressure at all if you don’t feel comfortable recommending me based on our past work.”
– Express your sincere gratitude. Recommendations take time and effort, so thank them for considering your request and taking the time, whether they agree to do it or not.
Sample LinkedIn Recommendation Request
Here is an email template you can modify and send when requesting a recommendation:
Subject line: John, would you be willing to recommend me on LinkedIn?
Dear John,
I hope this email finds you well! I wanted to reach out because I am updating my LinkedIn profile as I explore new career opportunities.
I was hoping you would consider writing a short recommendation for me on LinkedIn highlighting the digital marketing work we did together at Acme Co. Working with you was a fantastic learning experience for me. Your mentorship and guidance on SEO, content strategy, and social media marketing was invaluable.
I know you are very busy, so please don’t feel any pressure to recommend me. If you are willing, it would mean a lot to have your endorsement on my profile. I’m happy to send you more details on my experience and accomplishments since we worked together too.
Either way, thank you for considering my request. I hope we can stay in touch, and please let me know if I can ever return the favor!
Best,
[Your name]
When to Follow Up
Give the person about 1-2 weeks to respond to your initial request. If you don’t hear back, it’s ok to follow up one time. In your follow-up, graciously provide them an opportunity to decline if they are unable or unwilling to provide the recommendation.
Here is a template follow-up message:
Subject line: Following up on LinkedIn recommendation
Dear [name],
I hope you’ve been well! I wanted to check in regarding my previous request for a recommendation on LinkedIn. I know you must be very busy, so I completely understand if you are unable to do it at this time.
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if that’s the case – I won’t be offended at all. If you do have the time and would be willing to recommend me, I’d sincerely appreciate it. The endorsement from a respected leader like yourself would mean a lot as I look for new opportunities.
Either way, thank you again for considering! I hope we can stay in touch.
Best regards,
[Your name]
At that point, you’ve politely followed up and given them an easy way to decline if needed. If you still don’t hear back after the follow up, it’s usually best to move on and seek recommendations from other contacts.
How to Decline Requests
On the flip side, what if someone asks you for a LinkedIn recommendation, but you don’t feel comfortable endorsing them? Declining gracefully helps maintain positive relations. Here are some tips:
– Thank them for thinking of you and for the opportunity to work together in the past.
– If applicable, provide a reason for declining – you don’t feel familiar enough with their recent work, you have a policy of only recommending direct reports, etc.
– Wish them the best of luck in their job search or career.
– Refer them to other colleagues who may be better able to recommend them.
– Say you’d be happy to connect them with others or assist their search in any other way.
Here is a sample wording:
“John, thanks for reaching out and for thinking of me. I appreciate the opportunity we had to collaborate while you were at Acme Co. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’d be the best person to recommend you on LinkedIn since it’s been a few years since we worked together. I hope you’ll be able to find some more recent colleagues to recommend you – I’m sure you’ll continue to do great work. Please keep me in mind if there are any other ways I could assist with your job search. Wishing you all the best!”
The key is to be direct yet gracious. Help them save face by providing a reasonable rationale for declining rather than saying you can’t recommend them or don’t want to.
Providing Recommendations
When someone agrees to recommend you on LinkedIn, you want to make the process quick and easy for them. Here are some tips:
– Thank them enthusiastically for their willingness to provide the recommendation.
– Give them background on your current job search or career goals so they can tailor their endorsement.
– Provide bullet points on your key responsibilities, accomplishments, and strengths you would like highlighted.
– Mention any specific skills or achievements you want emphasized – leadership abilities, technical expertise, specific projects delivered, awards won, etc.
– Let them know if there are any time constraints. For example, if you are applying for a job and want to add the recommendation to your application in the next few days.
– Offer to chat by phone if they want more details on your experience.
– Make it as little work as possible by providing concise suggestions and writing background.
– Express your gratitude and offer to return the favor if they ever need a recommendation.
With some thoughtful effort, requesting and providing professional recommendations on LinkedIn can be mutually beneficial and enhance your network. A few great endorsements from respected colleagues can take your career to the next level.
Key Takeaways
- LinkedIn recommendations from former colleagues carry weight and can boost your career opportunities.
- Request recommendations via email from former managers, coworkers, clients or vendors who have insight into your work.
- Politely follow up if you don’t receive a response, providing an easy way for the person to decline.
- If you are asked to recommend someone you don’t feel comfortable endorsing, politely decline while maintaining positive relations.
- When asking for a recommendation, provide background and suggested talking points to make the process easy.
FAQs
How many LinkedIn recommendations should you have?
Aim for at least 3-5 recommendations, but more is generally better. Having 5 or more recommendations makes you stand out. The more endorsements you have from respected leaders and colleagues, the better.
Who should write your LinkedIn recommendations?
Former managers, direct supervisors, co-workers, clients, and business contacts who have firsthand experience with your work make the best recommenders.
Is it appropriate to ask for a LinkedIn recommendation after leaving a job?
Yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask former managers, colleagues, and clients for LinkedIn recommendations even after you or they have left the company. The key is making sure they are able to positively endorse you based on past work together.
How do you recommend someone on LinkedIn who you cannot fully endorse?
If you can’t authentically recommend someone, it’s best to politely decline providing the recommendation. You can cite reasons like not having worked together recently enough or not feeling familiar enough with their work. Offer to help in other ways like connecting them to others who may be better able to recommend.
Should you recommend someone on LinkedIn who you had a poor experience working with?
Avoid recommending someone if you cannot honestly endorse their skills and character. Decline the request tactfully, wish them well, and direct them to other potential recommenders.
| Situation | Best Approach |
|---|---|
| Asking a former manager for a recommendation | Remind them of projects you collaborated on and your contributions |
| Following up after no response | Politely follow up once, providing an easy way for them to decline |
| Asked to recommend someone you don’t know well | Diplomatically decline and suggest others who may be better suited |
| Providing a recommendation | Give concise suggestions and background to make writing easy |
Conclusion
Securing great LinkedIn recommendations involves both art and science. With care, forethought and politeness, you can request and provide professional endorsements that advance careers and build lasting connections. Focus on giving recommenders insight into your achievements while making the process quick and simple for them. With a few glowing recommendations from trusted colleagues, you can take your online profile to the next level.
