3 Reasons to Ask For a LinkedIn Recommendation
Think about the last time you were searching a big purchase. Most likely you used review and recommendation sites to help you in your search and purchase. Employers are like most buyers. They want to make sure the person they hire will be a good investment. Recommendations help eliminate some of the perceived risk involved in hiring a potential candidate. Traditionally, employers will ask for a list of your references before hiring you to authenticate your experience. LinkedIn recommendations are a great first step to that reference process and allow you to sell yourself immediately.
A LinkedIn Recommendation Demonstrates Your Strengths–Under each job on your LinkedIn profile you have described your key accomplishments and referenced skills and attributes you used to succeed. A written recommendation from a supervisor adds a level of credibility. It supports your performance and endorses the skills you’ve referenced. Prospective employers and recruiters can be skeptical of candidates’ claims; a recommendation can remove some of the doubt. A well-written recommendation will also speak to your attitude and work ethic.
A LinkedIn Recommendation is Public proof—Many years ago, when hard copy letters were the only recommendation were used, these valuable endorsements were private and only shared upon request. Today, LinkedIn recommendations provide public proof of your skills and abilities. Be sure to set your public profile settings so that your recommendations are displayed and visible to anyone who looks at your profile.
A LinkedIn Recommendation Makes You a Stand-out Candidate– LinkedIn recommendations can help you differentiate yourself from other candidates. Many LinkedIn users do not take the time to ask for recommendations either because they don’t know how or don’t want to pester people. To ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn, go to your profile and click the down arrow to the right of the blue “view my profile” button. Next, select “ask to be recommended” from the drop-down options and then follow the prompts to request the recommendation.
A LinkedIn Recommendation Makes You a Stand-out Candidate– LinkedIn recommendations can help you differentiate yourself from other candidates. Many LinkedIn users do not take the time to ask for recommendations either because they don’t know how or don’t want to pester people. To ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn, go to your profile and click the down arrow to the right of the blue “view my profile” button. Next, select “ask to be recommended” from the drop-down options and then follow the prompts to request the recommendation.
