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LinkedIn Endorsements
What are Endorsements?
About 80% of employers accept cross-checking references. Now, what do you think might be the reason for this? To get to know you better and ensure that everything written in your resume and spoken in your interview is accurate. However, this cannot be done at the initial stage when recruiters are identifying candidates. This is where LinkedIn endorsements come into play. LinkedIn endorsements are a way for your current and ex-colleagues to vouch for your expertise by endorsing them. It is a great way to recognize someone’s skills and help them create a stronger personal brand.
How do Endorsements help?
Endorsements are considered essential for the LinkedIn SEO algorithm. When a recruiter searches for a skill on LinkedIn, the algorithm identifies professionals based on keywords and generates search results. These keywords are the key skills included in your profile. The more endorsed a skill is, the higher the chances of you appearing on the search results.
For example, there are two profiles of content writers. Let’s say profile A includes skills like content writing, SEO writing, and copywriting. Profile B, on the other hand, has the same skills but has 20+ endorsements on each of these. Now, when a recruiter searches for a content writer and uses a related search term, profile B has a higher chance of appearing in the search results. In case both profiles appear in the list, B will be much higher than A, increasing its chances of being viewed.
Pre-requisites for asking for an Endorsement
Let’s have a look at some of the pre-requisites of asking for endorsements in this section.
1) Listing all your skills
The first step for endorsement is to identify and list all your relevant skills. This is essential because you want to be found for your expertise. If you list unrelated or less-relevant skills, your profile will not turn up for relevant keywords but appear for less relevant skills. Additionally, your network may endorse skills that are not important for your profile, adding no value even with the intention of it.
2) Endorsing others’ skills before asking
As always, we suggest offering help before asking for a favor. Before you reach out to someone asking them to endorse your skills, go to their profile and endorse theirs, and let them know. This demonstrates your intention to add value to them. While not everyone would require you to endorse their skills first, it won’t go unnoticed, creating a positive impression.
How to ask for Endorsements?
“Please endorse me” may not be the best way to ask someone to endorse your skills. It is imperative that you ask in a professional, courteous manner to create a good impression. Make sure you add a personalized comment based on their profile. This could be about their content creation or personal brand. In this section, we will have a look at some templates that you can customize and use when requesting endorsements from your network.
1) For a present colleague
Hi <First name>,
Hope you are doing well.
I have a small request for you. I am updating my LinkedIn profile and would be grateful if you could endorse my skills based on our work together. I have already endorsed some of your top skills and would be happy to support you further in any way I can.
Have a nice day!
Thanks,
<Your name>
2) For an ex-colleague
Hi <First Name>,
Hope all is well at your end. It’s been quite some time since we last spoke/met. <Add a personal remark from your previous meeting or conversation>. I have been following your work (LinkedIn content, blog, or anything else in general) and appreciate your insightful advice.
I am writing to ask for a small favor. As I am looking for a new job, I am updating my LinkedIn profile. It would be great if you could endorse some of my skills based on our work together. I have already endorsed some of your top skills and would be happy to support you further in any way I can.
Have a nice day!
Thanks,
<Your name>
LinkedIn Recommendations
What are the Recommendations?
Just like endorsements, LinkedIn recommendations are added for validation. However, these are much more than just endorsements of your skills. They are appreciation posts added by your former or ex-colleagues, highlighting their experiences of working with you. Recommendations can be given by people who supervised you, worked in a team with you, or were led by you. These add authenticity to your profile and reflect your personality, professionally and personally. The recommendation section is considered to provide valuable insights into a candidate’s abilities.
How do Recommendations help?
In most cases, recommendations come from first-hand experiences of people who have worked with you. They make it easier for employers to understand your personality as a teammate, superior or subordinate. The details about a positive experience can help in creating a strong personal brand. Well, while recruiters emphasize attractive experience and summary sections, a profile with a couple of recommendations will stand out.
What type of Recommendations is good for your profile?
When someone writes you a recommendation, LinkedIn allows you to review and accept it or request a change. So if you read a recommendation that can be a bit more value-adding, don’t hesitate to ask for some changes. Of course, we will always recommend being courteous and thankful for their effort. Make sure you respect their time and do not ask for any heavy changes. In this section, we will have a look at what a good recommendation looks like. Let’s see some examples below.
Vague recommendation
“Ben was a great addition to the team, and it was a pleasure to work with him on an IT project.”
While the abovementioned example looks decent, it is generic. There may be so many people with the same recommendation working in different domains in different industries. It is difficult to identify your expertise or skills from a recommendation like this.
Strong recommendation
“Ben is a highly motivated and forward-thinking professional. His hands-on experience in brand management enhanced our marketing processes and campaigns. His never-give-up attitude and team spirit make him the favorite of any team he works with. He is capable of adapting to new environments quickly and ensures everyone on the team feels comfortable. I wish him all the best for his future.
This example is more comprehensive than the previous one and touches on many important aspects of Ben’s personality. Hence, it has a higher chance of adding greater value to Ben’s profile.
An effective way to understand if your recommendation is impactful or not is by assessing its alignment with your goals. For example, if you are targeting a role in product marketing, but all your recommendations talk about your abilities as a content marketer, will it add as much value to your profile? Not really! So, it is essential to have a goal in mind when requesting a recommendation and make sure you communicate it effectively. Additionally, some important factors that can add value to a recommendation irrespective of your target role are:
- Positive attitude
- Ability to work in a team
- Ability to work under pressure
- Leadership skills
- Decision-making skills
How to ask for Recommendations?
Let’s have a look at two templates that you can use to ask for recommendations in different scenarios.
1) For an ex-colleague
Hi <First Name>,
It’s been quite some time since we last connected. I hope everything is well at your end.
I am writing to ask you for a small favor. I am in the process of updating my LinkedIn profile to make it more aligned with my professional goals. It would be great if you could provide a recommendation for me based on our work together. I would be more than happy to write you one too, or if you need any other support, please feel free to let me know.
Have a nice day!
Thanks,
<Your name>
2) When you are leaving your current organization
Hi <First Name>,
I am writing to ask you for a small favor. While serving my notice period, I am continuously looking for a new role. To optimize my LinkedIn account in my job search, I am updating my profile to make it more aligned with my professional goals. It would be great if you could provide a recommendation for me based on our work together. I would be more than happy to write you one too, or if you need any other support, please feel free to let me know.
Have a nice day!
Thanks,
<Your name>
Just like endorsements, you have to be professional and respectful when asking for a recommendation. Make sure to demonstrate your intention of helping back to your target audience. Additionally, be prepared to hear back NOs. Close your conversation on a courteous note with such people. Remember, you don’t need too many recommendations on your profile. You only need a few that add actual value.
Endorsements and recommendations are under-utilized sections on LinkedIn. Thus, you can stand out by doing a great job of making them stronger in your profile. Make sure to identify relevant people and reach out to them to explain your request. Wherever possible, look for opportunities to endorse others’ skills and write them recommendations too.
