LinkedIn endorsements allow you to endorse your connections for their skills and expertise. When you endorse someone, it appears on their profile and helps validate their skills and experience. Endorsements are a way to recognize your connections and help build their professional brand on LinkedIn.
How do I endorse someone on LinkedIn?
Endorsing someone on LinkedIn is easy. Simply go to their profile and scroll down to the “Skills & endorsements” section. Hover over a skill and click the “+ Endorse” button next to it. You can choose to add a comment about why you are endorsing them for that skill as well. The person you endorse will receive a notification that you have endorsed them.
Who can endorse me on LinkedIn?
You can be endorsed by any 1st-degree connections in your network on LinkedIn. This includes anyone you are directly connected to, such as former colleagues, classmates, clients, etc. When you add a new skill to your profile, your connections are prompted to endorse you for it. You can also proactively ask connections to endorse you for specific skills by messaging them.
Do I need to endorse back?
There is no obligation to reciprocate endorsements on LinkedIn. However, it is considered good etiquette to return endorsements when someone endorses you, when appropriate. Look at who has endorsed you recently and consider endorsing them back for skills that you can authentically validate.
How many endorsements should I have?
There is no magic number for how many endorsements you need. The number of endorsements you have will depend on the size of your network and how active you are in engaging your connections. A good benchmark is to aim for at least 5-10 endorsements per skill. Having a decent number of endorsements for your top skills helps establish you as an authority in those areas.
Do endorsements affect my LinkedIn search ranking?
Yes, the number of endorsements you have can improve your search ranking on LinkedIn. When people search for LinkedIn profiles with specific skills, those who have the most endorsements for those skills will tend to rank higher in results. So endorsements can help increase your visibility and get you found more easily.
Should I display the number of endorsements?
Most LinkedIn experts recommend displaying your endorsement numbers. Showing how many times you’ve been endorsed for each skill can serve as “social proof” of your expertise. However, if your endorsement numbers are very low, you may want to hide the counts until you build them up further.
How do endorsements impact my LinkedIn profile?
Endorsements make your LinkedIn profile look more robust, credible, and complete. They help validate the skills and experience you list on your profile. The more endorsements you accumulate, the stronger your professional brand and reputation become on LinkedIn. Prospective employers, partners, and clients will take your profile more seriously.
Should I remove false endorsements?
It’s a good idea to periodically review your endorsements and remove any that don’t accurately reflect your skills and experience. For example, if someone endorsed you for “SQL” but you have never actually used SQL. False endorsements dilute the legitimacy of your real endorsements. Just click the “X” next to any endorsement to remove it.
Can I rearrange my endorsed skills?
Yes, you can reorder your endorsed skills on your LinkedIn profile to showcase the ones most relevant to your professional brand. Simply go to your endorsements section and use the drag-and-drop menu to rearrange them as desired. Put your most endorsed and important skills at the top.
What happens when I get endorsed for a new skill?
Any time someone endorses you for a new skill that isn’t already listed, it will automatically get added to your LinkedIn profile. The skill will appear in your endorsements module with 1 endorsement. You can then rearrange it as needed among your existing endorsed skills.
Can I show or hide endorsements?
You have full control over the visibility of your LinkedIn endorsements. You can choose to display endorsement counts next to each skill, only display which skills you’ve been endorsed for, or hide the entire endorsements section. Go to your profile edit settings to adjust how endorsements appear.
Should I ask for endorsements?
It’s perfectly acceptable to proactively request endorsements from your LinkedIn connections for specific skills. Send them a message explaining why you feel their endorsement would be meaningful and offer to reciprocate the favor. Most connections are happy to oblige endorsement requests that are polite and thoughtful.
Can I endorse myself?
Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not allow you to self-endorse skills on your own profile. You must be endorsed by other LinkedIn members to get endorsements. This helps ensure that endorsements remain credible and organic on the platform.
Are endorsements verified by LinkedIn?
No, LinkedIn does not verify or validate endorsements. Members can endorse each other for any skills they want. Some endorsements may come from connections who don’t have firsthand knowledge of your skills. Take endorsements with a grain of salt and evaluate their credibility.
Can I delete an endorsement?
You cannot delete endorsements you’ve received from others. However, you can remove skills that have been endorsed by clicking the “X” next to them in your profile. This will permanently delete the skill and all endorsements associated with it. The endorser will not be notified.
Are endorsements bad for privacy?
Some LinkedIn users are concerned that endorsements may expose their connections to people outside their network without permission. Others find endorsements useful for showcasing skills to a wider professional audience. Review your profile visibility settings to control what non-connections can see.
Can companies be endorsed?
Yes, company pages on LinkedIn can accumulate endorsements, just like individual member profiles. Anyone who has an existing relationship with the company can endorse it for relevant skills and areas of expertise. Company endorsements work similarly to individual endorsements.
Are skill endorsements weighted equally?
LinkedIn applies some general weighting principles to endorsements, but does not publicly share specifics. It’s safe to assume endorsements from people with more expertise carry more weight. Endorsements for your top skills likely matter more than niche skills. But all endorsements contribute value.
Can I endorse someone anonymously?
No, LinkedIn endorsements are not anonymous. When you endorse someone, your name and profile picture will appear next to the endorsement on their profile. There is no way to hide your identity when giving an endorsement on LinkedIn.
What are the limits on how many I can endorse?
To prevent endorsement spamming, LinkedIn places limits on how many endorsements you can give out per day. The exact number varies and resets at midnight. If you exceed the limit, LinkedIn will prevent additional endorsements until the next day. There are no limits on receiving endorsements.
Should I accept all endorsement requests?
It’s up to you whether to accept all endorsement requests. Consider the source and legitimacy of the endorsement before accepting. Decline any requests that seem irrelevant to your skills and experience. But building endorsements helps, so accept all reasonable requests.
Do all cultures use LinkedIn endorsements?
While popular in the U.S. and other western nations, endorsements are used less actively in some Asian and European cultures. Social proof from endorsements may carry less weight in collectivist cultures. Be mindful of cultural differences when viewing global profiles.
Can I import or export endorsements?
There is no automated way to import or export endorsement data on LinkedIn. Endorsements live as part of your profile and cannot be transferred. If you download your Outlook contacts, only connection info is included, not endorsements.
Are endorsements useful for job searching?
Yes, endorsements can be very valuable for job seekers on LinkedIn. They help verify and strengthen the skills listed on your profile. Many recruiters view endorsements as social proof of qualifications. The more relevant endorsements you have, the more appealing your profile may be.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn endorsements provide a way for professionals to validate each other’s skills, expertise, and accomplishments. They serve as a form of recommendation to help build credibility and trust. While not a perfect system, endorsements do offer useful signaling in a professional context. They can enhance your brand and make your profile stand out when leveraged effectively.