Why are recommendations important on LinkedIn?
Recommendations on LinkedIn serve several important purposes. First, they help validate a person’s skills, experience and work ethic to potential employers or clients. If you are a product manager looking for a new job, strong recommendations from previous managers or coworkers can give you a significant advantage over other candidates.
Second, recommendations help expand someone’s professional network. When you write a recommendation for a connection, your own connections and network will be exposed to that person’s profile. This helps them gain new connections and opportunities.
Finally, recommendations contribute to someone’s overall brand and reputation. The more recommendations a product manager has from reputable sources, the more credibility they will have in the industry.
So in summary, recommendations help:
– Validate skills and experience
– Expand professional network
– Build brand and reputation
Who should you ask for a recommendation?
When asking for a LinkedIn recommendation as a product manager, there are a few key people that should be on your list:
– Former managers – A recommendation from a direct supervisor carries a lot of weight. Managers can speak to your overall performance, leadership, work ethic and results.
– Colleagues or teammates – Ask other PMs, engineers, designers or teammates you worked closely with. They can highlight specific projects and your role on cross-functional teams.
– Clients/customers – A recommendation from a client or customer you worked with can be extremely valuable. This outside perspective validates your ability to understand customer needs.
– Vendors/partners – People from outside your own organization who you collaborated with on projects can also provide useful recommendations.
– Mentors and coaches – If you worked closely with a mentor or coach, ask them to provide a recommendation to speak to your development and growth mindset.
– Professors – For recent graduates, professors and academics who supervised projects and research are great choices.
When asking any of these people, make sure to:
– Tailor your request to them specifically
– Provide context on the roles and projects you worked on together
– Share the specific skills or qualities you hope they can highlight
– Make it easy for them to write the recommendations, such as providing bullet points
What should you include in a product manager recommendation?
A compelling product manager recommendation on LinkedIn should highlight:
**Key skills and strengths:**
– Technical capabilities – Coding, analytics, prototyping, data skills etc.
– Design thinking and user focus
– Cross-functional collaboration – Working with engineers, designers etc.
– Communication and presentation abilities
– Strategic thinking and problem solving
– Leadership and influence
**Valuable contributions and outcomes:**
– Product launches or releases delivered
– New features or capabilities added
– Process improvements made
– Business growth and metrics impacted
– Problems or pain points solved
**Great examples and qualities:**
– Initiative taken on specific projects
– Exceptional quality of work
– Timely execution and delivery
– Passion and persistence
– Creativity and innovation
– Ability to simplify complex concepts
– Mindset of constant learning and improvement
**Specific systems or tools used:**
– Proficiency with product management, analytics, or design tools
– Technical capabilities and coding acumen
– Knowledge of particular methodologies like agile or design thinking
Recommendation template and examples
Here are some templates and examples you can use as a starting point when writing your own LinkedIn recommendation for a product manager:
**Template:**
I worked with [Name] from [Date Range] in my role as [Your Position] at [Company]. In that time, [Name] impressed me with [his/her] exceptional skills and contributions as a product manager.
Specifically, [Name] displayed strengths in:
– [Key Skill 1] – Provide example
– [Key Skill 2] – Provide example
– [Key Skill 3] – Provide example
[Name] played a crucial role in [Notable Project or Contribution]. For example, [he/she] spearheaded [insert project effort] which resulted in [quantifiable outcomes].
Beyond [his/her] clear technical and strategic capabilities, [Name] brings other valuable qualities such as [Quality 1], [Quality 2], and [Quality 3]. [He/She] is talented at [Skill] and finding creative solutions to [Type of Problem].
I would highly recommend [Name] for any product management role. [He/She] will be a valuable asset to any product or technology focused team.
**Example 1:**
I worked with Jennifer as the Engineering Manager at Acme Commerce from 2019-2022. In that time, Jennifer impressed me with her sharp product intuition and technical capabilities.
Specifically, Jennifer displayed strengths in:
– Data analysis – She constantly synthesized user data to identify opportunities and ideas.
– Prototyping – Jennifer rapidly prototyped concepts to validate approaches with users.
– Cross-functional leadership – She aligned the product and engineering teams around a shared vision.
Jennifer played a crucial role in the launch of our mobile app in 2021. She synthesized data about our mobile web traffic and made the case for investing in a native app experience. She led the coordination across design, engineering, and marketing to deliver a successful launch in just 10 months.
Beyond her clear analytical and leadership skills, Jennifer brings crucial creativity and passion to product development. She has an ability to simplify even the most complex experiences. I would highly recommend Jennifer for any PM leadership role.
**Example 2:**
I had the privilege of managing David during his time as a Product Manager at Acme Technologies from 2018-2020. In that time, David impressed me with his user-focused mindset and ability to lead with influence.
Specifically, David displayed strengths in:
– Design thinking – He excelled at putting himself in the user’s shoes.
– Cross-functional collaboration – David coordinated seamlessly with designers and engineers.
– Communication – His presentations and influence with leadership were exceptional.
David played a crucial role in launching our automated reporting feature for customers. He conducted user research, spoke with customers, and socialized a proposal with leadership. He saw the project through from ideation to rollout in just 8 months. The reporting feature increased customer retention by 15%.
Beyond his skills, David brings creativity, passion, and a growth mindset to his work. He is talented at connecting the dots between customer needs and business priorities. I would absolutely recommend David for any product leadership role.
What if you don’t have much experience with the person?
If you do not have extensive experience working with the person you are recommending, focus your recommendation on the interactions you did have. A few sentences can still go a long way.
Some examples:
– “In the few months we worked together, Alice impressed me with her deep technical expertise in analytics and data visualization. She gave an insightful presentation on customer data that immediately identified several product opportunities. I believe her skills would enable her to succeed in any PM role.”
– “Though we worked together for a short time, Tracy made a strong impression on me with her entrepreneurial approach and strategic mindset. She rapidly grasped complex concepts, synthesized information, and communicated clear insights and recommendations. I am confident recommending her for a product leadership position.”
– “John brought valuable analytical skills and critical thinking to our team project, despite his limited product management experience at the time. He asked smart questions, learned quickly, and contributed several ideas that became features in our final product. John has strong potential to thrive in a PM role.”
The key is to focus on 1-2 standout strengths or moments that came across during your limited interactions. Highlight the person’s capabilities and potential fit for a PM position.
How long should a product manager recommendation be?
There is no set length for a recommendation, but in general aim for 3-5 paragraphs or around 100-200 words. Here are some guidelines on recommendation length:
**3 paragraphs / 100 words:**
– Suitable for positions early in career (1-3 years experience)
– Appropriate if you only worked briefly with person
– Provides high-level endorsement of skills and strengths
**4-5 paragraphs / 150-200 words:**
– Suitable for mid-late career positions (5+ years experience)
– For managers, mentors, colleagues you worked closely with
– Provides specific examples and details on contributions
– Describes qualities beyond just hard skills
Regardless of length, make sure the most important skills, accomplishments, and qualities come across clearly. Focus on quality over quantity – a few concise paragraphs with strong examples are better than a wordy page of general claims.
What style and tone should you use?
The style and tone of your recommendation should be:
– **Professional** – Avoid using informal language or slang.
– **Friendly** – You have a positive relationship, so use a warm, upbeat tone.
– **Honest** – Only endorse skills and qualities you can authentically validate.
– **Detailed** – Back up claims with examples and specifics.
– **Clear** – Use simple, direct language that is easy to scan and absorb.
– **Concise** – Edit out unnecessary words.
– **Forward-focused** – Position the person for future success in PM roles.
Avoid using extremely formal or overly effusive language. You want to sound genuine while selling the person’s capabilities and potential.
How to request a great product manager recommendation?
When requesting a recommendation, set the person up to write the most compelling endorsement possible:
– **Give context** – Remind them how you worked together and your key projects or interactions. Jog their memory of your great work!
– **Suggest skills to highlight** – Tell them specifically which PM skills and accomplishments you hope they can validate in their recommendation.
– **Make it easy** – Offer to provide bullet points, or draft some content they can use. The easier you make it, the better the result.
– **Convey the impact** – Explain how a recommendation from them will help you land a great new PM position. Share your excitement!
– **Follow up** – Circle back after sending the initial request. Offer to answer any questions they have. Thank them for taking the time.
– **Express gratitude** – Once they write the recommendation, thank them again sincerely. A handwritten note can go a long way.
With some thoughtful effort, you can inspire your connections to provide standout recommendations that make a real difference in your product management career.
Conclusion
Strong LinkedIn recommendations can give product managers a significant edge in the job market and advancement of their careers. Following the strategies above will help you obtain glowing recommendations that validate your skills and experience from key people in your network. The specificity and authenticity of these endorsements goes a long way with prospective employers. Invest time in cultivating great recommendations, and they will pay dividends in opening up more PM opportunities.
