LinkedIn endorsements are a way for your connections to validate your skills and expertise. When someone endorses you, it appears on your profile and helps showcase your capabilities to prospective employers and clients. But how many endorsements do you really need to be considered “highly skilled” on LinkedIn? The answer depends on a few factors.
In this article, we’ll explore how LinkedIn endorsements work, look at endorsement benchmarks for different skill levels, and provide tips on how to get quality endorsements and boost your credibility on LinkedIn.
How LinkedIn Endorsements Work
When you add skills to your LinkedIn profile, your connections can endorse you for those skills with just one click. This publicly shows that they believe you have that skill or expertise.
For example, if you add “Social Media Marketing” to your skills section, a connection who has worked with you on social campaigns can quickly validate that skill by endorsing you.
Endorsement Meaning
A LinkedIn endorsement does not necessarily mean the person endorsing you has seen you demonstrate that skill firsthand. Rather, it means they believe you likely have that skill based on their interactions and perception of you.
Still, receiving endorsements from respected industry connections does carry weight and can improve how your expertise is perceived.
Endorsement Visibility
When you receive an endorsement, it appears in a few places:
– On your profile under your listed skills
– In notifications to your network announcing the endorsement
– Potentially on the endorser’s profile in their activity feed
This gives endorsements visibility and advertising value in addition to the credibility boost.
LinkedIn Endorsement Benchmarks
So what’s the magic number of endorsements you need to be seen as an expert? Here are some general LinkedIn endorsement benchmarks to aim for:
10+ Endorsements = Competent
Once you have over 10 endorsements for a given skill, you can be considered competent and knowledgeable in that area. While 10 endorsements aren’t enough to be seen as an industry-leading expert, it does show you have familiarity with that skill.
25+ Endorsements = Proficient
At 25+ endorsements for a single skill, you can start being seen as proficient and qualified in that area. This is around the point where your skill endorsements will stand out visually on your profile.
50+ Endorsements = Advanced
After 50 endorsements, you can be considered advanced in that skill area. At this level, you are likely using that skill actively and have a depth of experience with it. This is around the point where other industry professionals may start taking notice.
100+ Endorsements = Expert
Once you reach 100 endorsements for a skill, you can certainly be seen as an expert. At this stage you are one of the foremost authorities in your network for this skill. Recruiters and prospects will take your expertise seriously at this level.
500+ Endorsements = Thought Leader
At 500 endorsements and beyond, your expertise is cemented. At this point you can be considered an industry thought leader and luminary for this skill. Achieving this high volume of endorsements takes significant effort but grants you substantial credibility.
Getting Quality LinkedIn Endorsements
While the numbers above provide good goals, it’s important to focus on quality over quantity with endorsements. Here are some tips to get meaningful endorsements:
Endorse Others Thoughtfully
The more you sincerely endorse your connections’ skills, the more likely they are to return the favor. Make sure you only endorse skills you can authentically validate. Endorse thoughtfully and others will reciprocate.
Connect with Colleagues
Previous team members, colleagues, and classmates who have seen you demonstrate skills firsthand make ideal endorsers. Reconnect with them and consider endorsing their skills first.
Ask for Endorsements
Don’t be afraid to politely ask your network for endorsements. Share some recent wins that showcase your expertise in a skill and ask if they would validate your experience by endorsing you.
Spotlight Skills in Your Experience
When adding work and education history to your profile, call out where you applied specific skills. This provides context for endorsers.
Join LinkedIn Groups
Engaging in industry groups and discussions is a great way to connect with professionals who may endorse your relevant skills after seeing your expertise.
Giving Endorsements to Others
A great way to build your credibility is to thoughtfully give endorsements before asking for them. Keep these tips in mind when endorsing others:
– Only endorse skills you can honestly validate based on experience with that person. Don’t falsely inflate skills.
– Take the time to add a customized message explaining why you’re endorsing their skill. Generic endorsements have less impact.
– Endorse new connections after working with them to validate their skills. The extra thought means more.
– Search your network for professionals excelling in their field and send them an endorsement with context on why you admire their skills.
– Endorse people you haven’t interacted with much? Add context on why you believe they have that skill before endorsing.
Is There Such a Thing As Too Many Endorsements?
Generally, no – the more endorsements the better when it comes to demonstrating your expertise. However, there are a few caveats:
– If you have an exaggerated number of endorsements (e.g. 5,000 endorsements), it may actually hurt your credibility rather than help it, as the numbers likely become meaningless.
– Similarly, being endorsed for too many unrelated skills can dilute your expertise. It’s better to have 100 endorsements for your core skills rather than 10 endorsements for obscure skills.
– If you notice sudden spikes in endorsements without context, it can appear disingenuous. Focus on getting steady, meaningful endorsements from those who know your skills.
– At a certain point (probably around 500+ endorsements per skill), more endorsements have diminishing returns and aren’t worth explicitly pursuing. At that level your expertise is clear.
Using Endorsements Strategically
Here are some strategic tips on featuring endorsements for maximum impact:
Put Most Endorsed Skills First
Make sure your most endorsed skills appear at the top of the skills section of your profile. This quickly shows your core expertise areas.
Rotate Endorsed Skills
LinkedIn only displays the first 3 skills with endorsements. Rotate which skills are featured by moving your most relevant for each scenario to the top.
Remove Outdated Skills
Don’t be afraid to remove skills that no longer apply to prevent unnecessary endorsements. Outdated skills can hurt your credibility.
Add Visual Endorsement Icons
Use endorsement icons and visuals in your profile headline, summary, and experience descriptions to quickly showcase your expertise.
Showcase Endorsers
Consider displaying prominent endorsers under your skills section. Well-respected industry endorsers can boost your credibility.
Alternative Ways to Demonstrate Skills
While endorsements are valuable, they are just one way to demonstrate your skills and expertise. Some additional options include:
– **Obtaining certifications** in your skill areas from accredited institutions to back up your skills with qualifications.
– **Publishing articles and content** that highlights real-world applications of your skills. This tangible display of expertise goes beyond endorsements.
– **Active engagement and leadership** in industry groups and associations related to your skills.
– **Speaking at and attending conferences and events** to connect with others and showcase knowledge.
– **Starting side projects, businesses,** or open-source initiatives that let you demonstrate skills in action.
– **Earning advanced educational degrees and credentials** that align with key skill areas.
The more you can supplement endorsements with tangible displays like these, the more convincing your expertise becomes.
Should You Endorse Someone You Don’t Know?
Endorsing someone you don’t know well can hurt rather than help both parties. Without context on someone’s skills, your endorsement carries little weight and may not be well received.
However, there are some cases where endorsing less familiar connections can be appropriate:
– If you’ve actively interacted with their work and can honestly validate their skills.
– If you provide detailed context explaining your endorsement and why you believe they merit the skill.
– As part of a “thanks” or exchange after they have endorsed your skills thoughtfully.
– If they are a prominent thought leader and you want to recognize their public expertise.
In general, focus on endorsing people you’ve worked with directly whenever possible. But endorsing new connections you don’t know as well can be worthwhile with the proper context provided.
Should You Ask for Endorsements from Connections You Don’t Know?
Asking unfamiliar connections for endorsements is unlikely to be successful. Since they haven’t seen you demonstrate skills firsthand, it puts them in an awkward position.
You are better off asking existing colleagues, classmates, teammates, clients, partners, and others who have directly interacted with your skills for endorsements. This carries more weight.
That said, if you make a new industry connection at an event or through a group who would likely be able to validate your skills, it can be appropriate to politely ask for an endorsement after building rapport. But in general, build relationships first before asking.
Can You Remove or Delete Endorsements?
On occasion, you may want to remove an endorsement if it no longer applies or the endorser’s reputation has changed. To do so:
1. Go to your profile and click the three dots next to the endorsement to open the drop-down menu.
2. Select Remove Endorsement.
3. On the confirmation popup, choose the reason you want to remove the endorsement.
4. Click Remove Endorsement to confirm.
The endorsement will be removed from your profile and notifications. However, it will still appear on the endorser’s activity page.
It’s best not to remove endorsements frequently or in bulk, as this can raise questions. But periodically pruning endorsements that are no longer relevant can streamline your profile.
Can You Endorse Yourself on LinkedIn?
No, LinkedIn does not allow users to self-endorse skills. There must be a separate user who endorses you. This is to prevent self-endorsements from diluting the value of third-party endorsements on the platform.
Some ways to get endorsements without self-endorsing include:
– Endorsing your connections for their skills first to prompt reciprocal endorsements.
– Reaching out to previous colleagues, classmates, partners, etc. and asking for endorsements.
– Engaging actively in LinkedIn groups and discussions to connect with potential endorsers.
– Featuring your skills prominently on your profile to attract endorsements.
– Obtaining certifications in your skill areas through accredited programs.
While you can’t self-endorse, you can highlight your expertise in other ways through written recommendations, portfolio pieces, certifications, and concrete examples of your skills in action.
Should You Endorse Skills for Someone No Longer at a Company?
If the person’s LinkedIn profile still lists the company, it’s best not to endorse skills that appear tightly coupled with that role or employer. The discrepancy between their current profile and previous role may reflect poorly or confuse your mutual connections.
However, endorsing their transferable skills based on your experience working together, even if at a past job, can still be valuable:
– General skills like “Team Leadership” or “Project Management” often remain relevant after changing jobs.
– Soft skills like “Creative Problem Solving” or “Collaboration” apply across roles.
– Technical skills around tools, software, or knowledge areas tend to stay applicable in new jobs.
The key is sticking to versatile, transferable skills that can credibly carry over to new roles and companies. Avoid company or role-specific skills no longer actively used.
Should You Endorse New College Grads with Little Experience?
Endorsing classmates or new college graduates with limited work experience can help provide them a starting point of validation on LinkedIn. However, it requires thoughtfulness:
– Focus on endorsing course projects, group work, campus leadership and volunteering experiences where you’ve directly seen them demonstrate skills. Avoid hypothetical endorsements.
– Soft skills like teamwork, writing, presenting, and problem-solving are often fair to endorse based on class interactions.
– Endorse foundational knowledge like computer skills or research abilities demonstrated through coursework.
– Share why you’re endorsing their skills in a customized message to provide helpful context.
Early career endorsements should be based on directly observed abilities, not future potential. Offering validation in key areas like communication and teamwork can help new grads stand out while they gain professional experience.
Table Comparing Different LinkedIn Endorsement Milestones
| Number of Endorsements | Skill Level | Perception |
|---|---|---|
| 10+ | Competent | Has familiarity with skill |
| 25+ | Proficient | Qualified and practiced with skill |
| 50+ | Advanced | Actively uses skill and has depth of experience |
| 100+ | Expert | Considered an authority and expert in skill area |
| 500+ | Thought Leader | Prominent industry luminary for this skill |
Key Takeaways
– 10+ endorsements signal competence, 25+ demonstrate proficiency, 50+ show advanced ability, 100+ indicate expertise, and 500+ designate thought leader status.
– Focus on quality over quantity by obtaining meaningful endorsements from connections who have directly observed your skills.
– Give thoughtful endorsements to others to prompt reciprocal endorsements. Reach out to former colleagues and classmates to request endorsements.
– Supplement endorsements by showcasing skills through certifications, content publishing, public speaking, and real-world demonstrations.
– Strategically feature your most relevant and prominent endorsements at the top of your profile for maximum impact.
Conclusion
LinkedIn endorsements can be a powerful asset on your profile when used effectively. While specific numbers benchmarks exist, remember that quality endorsements will always trump quantity.
By strategically highlighting your most meaningful endorsements, supplementing them with other proofs of expertise, and focusing on showcasing your true skills, you can leveraging endorsements to demonstrate your knowledge, experience, and capabilities on LinkedIn.