A LinkedIn recommendation can be a powerful tool for validating a software engineer’s skills and endorsing their capabilities. As a software engineer’s career progresses, recommendations serve as valuable social proof and social currency that communicates their competencies to future employers and connections.
When writing a LinkedIn recommendation for a software engineer, it’s important to highlight both their technical expertise and soft skills. The recommendation should provide specific examples that illustrate the engineer’s strengths, abilities, and professional achievements. The most compelling recommendations tell a story and provide real evidence of the value this person brought to your team or organization.
Here are some tips on how to write an effective LinkedIn recommendation for a software engineer that will help showcase their talents and move their career forward:
Confirm permissions
Before drafting the recommendation, confirm with the software engineer that they are comfortable with you writing one for them on LinkedIn. Make sure you have permission to post a recommendation to their profile. It’s common professional courtesy to confirm first before publicly posting anything new to someone’s LinkedIn presence.
Describe your professional relationship
Early in the recommendation, establish the context by describing your professional relationship with this engineer. Explain your role and the software engineer’s role, as well as the duration you worked together. Quickly outline any key projects you collaborated on. This background gives helpful context for the rest of the recommendation.
For example:
“I worked with John as the engineering manager overseeing the platform team during his 2 year tenure at Acme Co. We partnered closely on several initiatives, including the launch of Version 2.0 of Acme’s proprietary CMS software.”
Highlight technical expertise
Since you are recommending a software engineer, be sure to highlight their technical capabilities. Mention specific programming languages, frameworks, systems or tools they have expertise in. Provide real examples that demonstrate their level of technical proficiency.
For example:
“John is highly skilled in Java and Spring Boot. He led the backend development of our customer portal rewrite, architecting the new RESTful APIs and microservices that now power the portal for millions of customers each day.”
Call out soft skills
While technical aptitude is critical, don’t overlook the software engineer’s soft skills and collaborative abilities. How did they communicate with teammates and stakeholders? How did they approach problem solving? What was their leadership style like?
For example:
“In addition to John’s technical expertise, he also has fantastic communication abilities and leadership skills. In our team meetings, he always shared progress updates clearly and concisely. He mentored junior developers and helped unblock them when they were stuck on issues.”
Note specific achievements
Make the recommendation more powerful by highlighting the software engineer’s specific achievements, contributions, and impact on the business. Quantify their accomplishments and results when possible.
For example:
“John’s work helped reduce system latency by 35% and improve uptime to 99.99%. The new APIs he developed increased the efficiency of third-party integrations by 50%.”
Appreciate their collaboration
Comment on what it was like collaborating with this software engineer. Highlight their teamwork, work ethic and any other qualities that made your professional relationship positive and productive.
For example:
“It was a pleasure partnering with John on mission-critical projects. He was an incredible team player always willing to stay late when necessary to meet a deadline. His dedication, perseverance and calm under pressure made him a highly valued contributor.”
Keep it positive
Emphasize the software engineer’s strengths and accomplishments. Keep the tone positive. Avoid mentioning any weaknesses or performance gaps. Those are better suited for private feedback and coaching conversations. The LinkedIn recommendation is an opportunity to publicly endorse someone and help elevate their professional brand.
Close with a strong statement
Wrap up the recommendation with a strong statement summarizing why you highly recommend them. Share that you would gladly work with them again. Your closing message should reinforce what a fantastic software engineering resource this person is.
For example:
“John’s technical leadership and collaborative spirit were a huge asset to our organization. He has my highest recommendation, and I would gladly work with him again in the future.”
Proofread before posting
Be sure to carefully proofread the recommendation before posting it to the software engineer’s LinkedIn profile. Double check for any typos or formatting issues. Also verify all of your facts, figures, details are accurate. What you post represents your professional brand as well as theirs.
Extend the invite
Once finalized, invite the software engineer to connect with you on LinkedIn if you are not yet connected. Let them know the recommendation is live on your profile and they are welcome to share it on their own profile now as well. Make it easy for them to access and amplify the endorsement you’ve provided.
Conclusion
An excellent LinkedIn recommendation can give a software engineer’s career a big boost. Your endorsement serves as social validation of their skills and expertise. By crafting a compelling recommendation that details a software engineer’s technical proficiencies, achievements, and positive collaboration style, you can help showcase them as a talented professional. The right recommendation strengthens their brand and opens new networking and career opportunities. Following these best practices will help you write stellar LinkedIn recommendations for any software engineers you work with.
| Tip | Example |
|---|---|
| Describe your professional relationship | “I worked with John as the engineering manager overseeing the platform team during his 2 year tenure at Acme Co. We partnered closely on several initiatives, including the launch of Version 2.0 of Acme’s proprietary CMS software.” |
| Highlight technical expertise | “John is highly skilled in Java and Spring Boot. He led the backend development of our customer portal rewrite, architecting the new RESTful APIs and microservices that now power the portal for millions of customers each day.” |
| Call out soft skills | “In addition to John’s technical expertise, he also has fantastic communication abilities and leadership skills. In our team meetings, he always shared progress updates clearly and concisely. He mentored junior developers and helped unblock them when they were stuck on issues.” |
| Note specific achievements | “John’s work helped reduce system latency by 35% and improve uptime to 99.99%. The new APIs he developed increased the efficiency of third-party integrations by 50%.” |
| Appreciate their collaboration | “It was a pleasure partnering with John on mission-critical projects. He was an incredible team player always willing to stay late when necessary to meet a deadline. His dedication, perseverance and calm under pressure made him a highly valued contributor.” |
| Keep it positive | Emphasize strengths and accomplishments. Avoid mentioning weaknesses. |
| Close with a strong statement | “John’s technical leadership and collaborative spirit were a huge asset to our organization. He has my highest recommendation, and I would gladly work with him again in the future.” |
| Proofread before posting | Double check for typos, formatting issues, and accuracy before posting. |
| Extend the invite | Let them know the recommendation is live and they can share it now too. |
A thoughtful LinkedIn recommendation allows you to validate a software engineer’s skills and provide them with a professional endorsement that can help advance their career. By sharing specific examples and achievements, you paint a vivid picture of their capabilities. Following these tips will ensure your recommendation carries meaningful weight and gives them a compelling piece of social proof for their next opportunity.
