How do you ask for recommendations on LinkedIn, or do you just wait for somebody to recommend you.
My question has always been, "isnt it awkward to ask people to recommend you?" Some of my friends have asked people to recommend them and also told them what to write? how is that an actual recommendation? I see a long list of recommendations on linkedIn profiles and think- I do get emails or phone calls of how good I am at my job, but never a public recommendation, but I do see people havings tons of them on their profile. Is there something that I am missing?A question to all the ladies out there! what works? and is it even important?
beccawilliams·Oct 07, 2020beccawilliams·Oct 07, 2020Hi Anon. I only ask for recommendations from people I'm also willing to recommend. I try to ask at the end of or just after each project/engagement and let people know I like to stay current on those. When I offer to write them for others, I ask if there are any skills/points they'd like me to highlight and that usually prompts them to ask me, too, though I leave the format and specifics up to whoever I'm asking. It's a little awkward, but not terribly so. The most awkward part is if someone says yes and then never follows through (it's happened to me only a few times over the years) and then I'm left wondering how they really felt about working with me. :-)Those emails and calls you get are a great time to ask for recommendations. And whenever you're considering leveling up/asking for a promotion, it could be helpful to guide people to write about you in a way that highlights how you'll be a great contributor to your next role.Feel free to check out the recommendations I've received and given on my LinkedIn profile (link in my Elpha profile).
Thank you so much for your response. This makes me feel a bit normal and that there is a process and definitely will be following it!
beccawilliams·Oct 08, 2020beccawilliams·Oct 08, 2020You're welcome!
Short answer: ask - pick someone you have worked with closely/who supervised you and know can vouch for you. Some people may ask you to write it for you and they can massage it to reflect their writing style. Ultimately it comes down to what you value - a long list of recommendations that anyone could have written OR if you want a few that are clearly unique. Personally I prefer quality over quantity when it comes to these things :)
Hi @iynna, definitely agree with quality over quantity! Thank you for your response, I will be getting out there and asking for some recs :D
I think this is such a great question! I personally felt that LinkedIn recommendations weren't as important before as they are now and that's because I'm realizing that networking is only able to happen virtually in 2020. Recruiters are going to your LinkedIn profile first before looking at your resume so I think having a few recommendations from those you respect can only help! It may feel awkward or vulnerable but most people are usually happy to be asked. It's essentially a compliment in way because it shows you really value their opinion and experience. What do you think? Next time someone gives you a great compliment, you should ask to see if they'd be willing to put it on LinkedIn for you! Becca's comment above has such a thoughtful point that I'd only ask those that you could do the same for. Good luck and let us know if you decide to get those recs! :)
Thank you! I appreciate your response, I do think that when getting quality recommendations as per @iynna it would even be a compliment. I appreciate your perspective!
Totally agree with you that it can be weird to ask for a recommendation out of the blue. I agree with other responses that a good time would be when you finish a big project with a colleague or get great feedback from a manager. I asked for the recommendations I received when I left jobs (on good terms) and my managers have been willing. One thing that worked for me is, when you get good feedback (in my case, a nice email from my manager announcing to our company that I would be leaving and thanking me for my contributions and skills), responding to the person who gave it with something like: "Thank you for that feedback and the really nice comments. Would you mind adding that for me as a recommendation on LinkedIn?" [they already wrote it and you're just asking them to do a tiny bit more work to copy it to LinkedIn]"It would really help me... attract new leads (if you're in sales) / in my upcoming job search (if you're leaving and they already know it) / give potential candidates a better sense of my managing style (if you're hiring) / reflect on my accomplishments this year", etc OR just "I would really appreciate it" if you don't feel like giving a reason.
All the recommendations on how to reach out or what to say are amazing! I love it.. definitely seems more achievable so thank you.
I would encourage you to ask for recommendations and give them specifics to focus on. Best!
In addition to all the great feedback already given, I would suggest a practice of pro-actively leaving genuine recommendations for others without them asking. Many times people will return in kind + it feels good and balances out the asking side.
Don't expect someone to recommend you on LinkedIn without asking them to do so. It just doesn't spontaneously happen. Also, as women, we tend to fall all over ourselves to help others but hate bugging people to help us. More people are willing to do this for you than you'd expect. Yes, having recommendations counts. Optimize every aspect of your profile to ensure you can be found by recruiters for your specific skills. Some recruiters might use filter criteria such as "Has at least x00 connections, Has at least two recommendations... etc." If you don't have any recommendations, you don't even meet their minimum threshold of consideration.When you ask for a recommendation, you can infuse it with the important words to your skill set. "I enjoyed working with you on x project. Would you be willing to leave a Linkedin recommendation about my project management skills?" Piggy-backing on what others have said, it's easiest to ask for a recommendation at the tail end of an internship, project, or when moving to a new position. I tell every intern I've ever worked around that they better not leave the building on their last day without asking their supervisor and immediate co-workers to give feedback about them. It's like a credit score; the sooner you establish your name with keywords relating to your skills, the better.
Not OP, but just wanted to reach out to say how valuable I found your insights on demystifying the asking process. Appreciate your support here, @wendyhuffman!
Great question and love the comments shared on this topic. 1) absolutely ask for the recommendation-- start with people that you know really well and who will genuinely want to support you. suggest that if they like you can send over some bullet points or write a draft that they can then edit. most people will appreciate this offer. personally, I always have someone do the first draft then I craft as I feel comfortable;2) LOVE @AmandaCorrine 's advice, start doing this spontaneously for others. talk about paying it forward!
Hi Anonymous.I typically reach out to people I would value their recommendation and send them a personal note.I have a few templates which have been successful o me, you can feel free to reach you to me at [email protected] and I will be happy to share them with you.I do think it adds value to have recommendations, but take into accounts that many people will not write them, not because they are bad people, it can be a lack of time, they forget about it or they are just too busy.Therefore my recommendation would be to send to more people than you want, so hopefully one of them will write you a recommendation.Also giving a recommendation to someone and then asking for a recommendation in return is a very good strategy.
Hi there!Here's my advice -- There are some moments that are easier to ask for a recommendation. For example, if your boss or valued colleague is changing roles or leaving, it's a nice way to cement your professional relationship - it's harder to get recommendations once you've got more distance. - Write the recommendation you want them to provide for you, it makes it so much less daunting. Let them edit it to suit their voice or thoughts more clearly, but it's way less work. Alternatively, let them know what specific qualities you want them to emphasize. - If someone asks you - ask them back!
I've been asked for recommendations before, and I didn't think it was awkward for them to ask (as it happened to be a coworker I'd happily vouch for). However, if someone asked me to write a recommendation *and tell me what to write* I'd politely decline. As others have said, definitely ask for recommendations! And probably goes without saying, but quality over quantity -- only approach people who you know enjoy working with you, because 1-3 stellar recommendations is so much better than 10+ meh ones.
I ask when I think the person could provide a positive view of some aspect of my work. I ask soon after the completion of a project or engagement. Some do ask me to draft (which is fine and easier for the recommender). I don't find it awkward. The person will say no or yes. Either way, you can move ahead.
share this article
read these next
I’ve struggled with fertility and I know many of you have, too. So we’ve invited experts from Spring Fertility to answer your questions 🥚
Office Hours: I’m a serial tech entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience in executive roles. I’m Rosario B. Casas. AMA!
Office Hours: I’m Monique Woodard, the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Cake VC – a $17M fund focused on demographic change. AMA!
Office Hours: I’m Surbhi Gupta, product builder and coach with 19+ years of experience scaling startups and driving innovation at large tech companies. AMA!
Traefik Hackathon 2020
Seven Secrets to Scaling Success - From Zero to $1B in Sales at Tableau Software 👀