How to write an explicit LinkedIn Recommendation with examples

More than ever, LinkedIn makes it simple to find new opportunities. If you've done any networking on LinkedIn, you might have encountered a wonderful function called a recommendation. People can view your LinkedIn recommendations before they interact with you, which are essentially endorsements and references. How to Write a LinkedIn Recommendation can be challenging. But you will consider it an honor and want to repay the favor when someone you respect and appreciate gives you a recommendation. The issue is that taking the time to write a recommendation always takes longer than you anticipate. What can you say to stand out while yet being sincere and making contact? Should you be brief and to the point or should you list every incredible talent this individual possesses?

Not to worry! I'll guide you on how to write a recommendation on LinkedIn or request one in a friendly and straightforward manner.

How to Write a LinkedIn Recommendation

What are LinkedIn Recommendations?

You must comprehend what you're doing before I explain how to write a recommendation on LinkedIn. These references and the traditional letter or phone call have some significant differences. Technically, the recommendation comes from one LinkedIn user to another. Let’s take a step back and explain the what and why of a LinkedIn recommendation. A LinkedIn recommendation is a remark made by a user endorsing or recognizing the work of a member of their connections. Recommendations take some time and thought, unlike LinkedIn endorsements, where users may simply click on the abilities that their friends have mentioned.

Members of LinkedIn can ask their first-degree connections for recommendations. If they are seeking a new position or trying to attract more clients for their firm, they might act in this manner. Inquiries for recommendations may come from coworkers, managers, or those who have helped you in the past or present. You can include brief recommendations for clients in this tiny section of everyone's favorite business-meets-social-media platform. Consider them to be the equivalent of internet testimonials for your present and past employers, employees, managers, and/or anyone else you've worked with. When deciding whether to interview or hire someone, recruiters and hiring managers frequently scroll down to check the applicant’s LinkedIn recommendations. While it's debatable whether or not a solid CV and well-written cover letter are more crucial, those summaries do offer additional information about a person's past and strengths from a third-party perspective almost like a small reference check.

Why then should you write a recommendation using LinkedIn?

You can write a recommendation on LinkedIn because of many reasons. Consider once more the explanations behind your reviews of your preferred restaurant or hairstylist: It's a simple method to let them know you value and support them, plus it makes them appear respectable to potential consumers (or employers).  It's also a non-obtrusive way to stay in touch with or reconnect with former contacts. When you add a recommendation, they'll receive a notification, which is sure to make them happy and possibly persuade them to do the same for you when you're looking for recommendations of your own. One more advantage? Writing a LinkedIn recommendation for someone can let each of your professional networks know that you are a nice, considerate colleague—the kind of person any prospective employer would naturally want to recruit.

How a LinkedIn recommendation works

Writing recommendations on LinkedIn for your contacts might help you build your network and increase the trustworthiness of your profile. They can, however, be challenging to do right. LinkedIn recommendations are public; they are displayed on both your profile and the profile of the person you are writing about. As a result, recommendations can reveal just as much about the author as they say about the subject because everyone who visits your website can read what you have said about your employer, an employee, or a client. Members can constantly pursue suitable connections to recommend in addition to reacting to requests for LinkedIn recommendations. Also, keep in mind that you are more likely to get excellent recommendations back if you write a LinkedIn recommendations that is strong. The individual you are recommending may also be depending on you to help them find their ideal job or secure a key client, which adds additional pressure. Therefore, there are numerous factors to consider while writing a LinkedIn recommendation. Continue reading for our advice on how to provide a LinkedIn recommendation that will be successful and well-received.

How can I publish a recommendation?

You'll discover that knowing how to submit a recommendation on LinkedIn is simple once you've connected with someone. The difficult part is choosing what to say because the developers made adding it to someone's profile rather easy. In addition, you might disagree over which part to play if you know someone who plays many roles. The steps are listed below. You can access the LinkedIn recommendation page in two ways:

Visit your profile: 

Go to your account, select the "+" symbol next to "Recommendations," and then scroll down. When asked if you'd like to request or make a recommendation, choose the latter option. After that, a pop-up menu will ask you to select the contact you want to suggest.

• Visit the person's profile:

• Visit the person's profile you would like to recommend. You can do this by looking them up in a search engine or by finding them in your contacts list.
• Click the "More" icon next to "Message."
• Click on "Recommend."
• From the two drop-down boxes that appear, choose the suitable working relationship you had with the individual you wish to recommend as well as your position during that time. This is crucial since it will provide recruiters and other people with an understanding of why you appreciate a particular candidate.
• Submit a recommendation in writing!

These are the things you be required to write about:

• Your connection with the person: Did you govern the individual? They reported to you, right? Did you collaborate? Choose your relationship from the drop-down menu's several choices.
• When they were in this position: Which role did they hold when you collaborated with them?
• Your recommendations: a succinct (no longer than 3,000 characters; even less is preferable) account of your interactions with this person. You should spend most of your time here, which brings us to.

Tips to write Recommendations for people on LinkedIn

This are some of the tips on How to Write Recommendation on LinkedIn

The introduction must hook the reader

Like in all outstanding writing, the first line should pique the interest of the reader and entice them to continue reading. (You want recruiters to read it, don't you?) This introduction should ideally convey straight away what a fantastic person you recommend they are.

Keep in mind that there are plenty of different words and expressions that sound just as powerful as "the best" or "my favorite." For illustration:

• You don't often find exceptional talent like Maria.
• Few people get the chance to work for a manager who is also a coach and mentor, but I did when I worked for Matilda.
• The word that springs to mind whenever I think about Funsho is 'ridiculously efficient.

How you met with the person

The reader needs some background about how you meet the person, such as your reporting arrangement, any projects you've undertaken together, or how long you've known each other. It's crucial to explain why you are competent to make the recommendation, even while you don't have to include all the specifics (LinkedIn will display the firm and both of your job titles on your recommendation).

• At the Smith Company, I had the pleasure of working with Frank for two years on several project teams.
• After viewing her web portfolio, I engaged Janet as a freelance designer in 2019. Since then, she has completed six projects for me.

Share the person’s stand-out point

If you're giving someone a recommendation, there's a high chance you believe they're intelligent, skilled, well-organized, great to work with, and the list continues. Therefore, there is no need to state the obvious in your recommendation using the minimal characters available. Instead, concentrate your suggestion on one or two qualities that this person possesses that set them apart from other coworkers or that you find particularly impressive.

You can also inquire about any particulars the other person would like you to bring up. For instance, if your previous executive assistant is now looking for their first management position, you should probably emphasize their expertise in managing volunteers rather than your organizing abilities.

• Darren's effortless ability to deal with even the most difficult clients truly impressed me. Customer service specialists typically spend years honing that expertise, yet it appears to come effortlessly to them.
• I was constantly in awe of Keisha's leadership skills and ability to persuade others to agree with her ideas, even when they originally didn't.
• Our team's production level was significantly improved by Matt's extraordinary capacity for managing many tasks at once.

Give a shot about the person’s personality

The majority of employers prefer to deal with employees they can count on to get the job done. Therefore, if you have any information on this person's personality or what it's like to work with them, please share it. (Just be aware of who your audience is. Future employers might not take kindly to statements like "Sophie always bought everyone tequila shots at happy hour!")

• Additionally, he saw to it that coffee and bagels were always present at our Monday morning staff meetings. Talk about inspiring your team!
• And her presence on the office softball team is still missed!
• Annie always made sure that everyone left a meeting smiling, no matter how serious it was.

Finalize your recommendation perfectly

Finally, it's helpful to end the recommendation with a phrase that conveys the message that you heartily endorse your contact. Think brief, sweet, and solid in this situation; you don't need to do much.

• Any squad would be lucky to have Allison on it.
• I have nothing but the highest regard for Ololade as a team player and a leader.
• Chidinma would make an excellent manager for any worker.

LinkedIn Recommendations Examples

While we advise creating a new recommendation for each contact via the above methods, if you're in a rush, and would like to write or request a LinkedIn recommendation, you can try any of the templates below. Just remember to fill in the pertinent information!

LinkedIn recommendation template for request:

Hi (LinkedIn User’s name)

 Hope you are doing great. I am seizing this opportunity to kindly plead with you give me a recommendation. I am at the moment [purpose: e.g. looking for a job] and want to make sure my LinkedIn profile is updated and stands out for (target client: e.g. company CEOs or recruiters). It has been a blissful moment working with you and I will be grateful for any feedback or recommendation you can drop for me on my profile.

LinkedIn recommendation template for someone:

I've enjoyed getting to know [Name] for [amount of time], during which [describe the nature of your professional connection]. Above all, I was struck with [Name’s] capacity for [description of the quality that genuinely distinguishes the person]. Of course, they too have [this personality attribute]. My sincere suggestion goes out to [Name], who would be a real asset for any positions requiring [1-2 skills they excel at].

That's all it takes to request a recommendation that will make you stand out: five simple actions, five or so phrases, and five minutes. Want to see how this is put together precisely? View these examples below.

For a colleague, you worked with in your team

This how to write a Constant improvement is one of our engineering team's beliefs, and [name of the person] is the first person I've ever seen embrace and live this attitude. We've been working together for a year, and I've seen him/her consistently seek out new challenges to take on, whether it's figuring out why a piece of software is broken, building a script to get a table at a restaurant that's usually booked, or participating in charity runs in her own time. 

He/She is also constantly the first to step in when less experienced team members encounter difficulties. Anyone wishing to hire or work with [name of the person] will undoubtedly enjoy the same positive working relationship that I have had.

For a coach/ mentor

I'm grateful that [name of the person] was there to teach me the ropes as a former brand manager who understood very nothing about paid marketing. Despite not being my direct manager, [name of the person] consistently went above and above to teach me the basics of digital advertising during my first year at [name of the organization]. 

Thanks to this training, I was able to start several fruitful initiatives for my clients. [name of the person] also hosted monthly office hours (complete with DONUTS!) where any team member may ask questions regarding brand-new platforms and features. I can't think of anyone more highly than them whether you're searching for a team member, collaborator, manager, or leader for your digital marketing team.

For a coworker with whom you collaborated on a project

It may seem impossible to keep a project team of more than 50 individuals focused on the same tasks, yet to [name of the person] it came naturally. We collaborated closely for six months while we rolled out a new product line, and I was continually impressed by his/her technical project management abilities as well as his/her capacity to maintain team morale in the face of inescapable difficulties and supply chain disruptions. I can genuinely tell that after every weekly status meeting he presided over, I felt happier. [name of the person] is the man/woman for any business or team that requires a seasoned PM with a get-it-done-with-a-smile attitude.

For a manager

How to write a LinkedIn recommendation for a manager:

[name of the person], who served as my direct manager for two years before being promoted to vice president of sales, was the best first manager I could have wished for. I improved from hitting my sales objective 50% of the time to exceeding it every quarter as a result of her coaching and training.

He/She made a special effort to promote a variety of opinions and perspectives, which strengthened our bonds with one another and our team as a whole. I wholeheartedly urge you to accept a job with [name of the person if you ever have the chance.

For someone younger than you

In the PR industry, [name of the person] is on the rise. He/She juggles reports, organizes, and research for five account managers with ease in her role as our team's account coordinator (myself included). His/Her abilities, however, go far beyond keeping track of the requirements and specifics of our team.

He/She consistently demonstrates his/her passion and ambition for the industry by making an extra effort to network with editors and hunt for unique chances for our clients. (He/She has also significantly improved my PowerPoint skills.) Any PR team would be fortunate to have [name of the person] on it, and I'm forward to watching where he/she goes in the future.

For a freelancer

I would characterize [name of the person] as great while being efficient. He/She has worked on everything from lengthy white papers on market trends to email newsletters to succinct social media material for my real estate company over the past two years. 

The number of compliments I've gotten on my newsletters (and client recommendations I've had from them) has exploded since we started to work together. He/She always turns things around in a startlingly short amount of time. I'd strongly advise working with [name of the person] if you're searching for a writer who can elevate the material produced by your business.

Regarding a straight report

When [name of the person] was hired as a social media coordinator and brought a presentation about how companies could interact with (the then-emerging) TikTok to the interview, I knew he/she was a star. 

He/She worked for me for three years, and during that time I elevated him/her from a coordinator to a manager and a team lead due to her natural ability to identify emerging trends and swiftly put our customers' brands into action. The best part is that he/she can persuade even the most bureaucratic clients to behave quickly because of her social strategy talents. I'd without a doubt hire [name of the person] again.

For a pupil

This a template on How to Write Recommendation on LinkedIn for a pupil:

Undergraduate students rarely show up with as much motivation as [name of the person]. He/She participated in three of my business strategies courses as a sophomore and presided over the Future MBA student organization that I oversaw.

I was pleased with the time with his/her ability to relate in-class material to both case reports and current business headlines. He/She demonstrated leadership skills beyond the classroom as well, skillfully balancing a variety of extracurricular activities and social gatherings. In my opinion, [name of the person] will succeed in his/her chosen field of management consultancy and will be a valuable employee for any company.

For a customer or client

It's uncommon to find a client who truly feels like a partner, but [name of the person] has been precisely that for me throughout the past two years that my content agency has worked with her marketing team. He/She is a dream client, he/she delivers thorough project briefs, he/she gives my team creative freedom, and he/she keeps me informed about content delivery and project outcomes, which helps me keep working to better the final product. He/She always pays on time as well! I can't say enough good things about working with [name of the person] if you're thinking of doing so as a client, associate, or vendor.

For a more experienced person

I learned almost everything I know about leading a team from [name of the person]. He/She oversaw the communications team at [name of the company] while I worked in project management, but I had the opportunity to observe and gain from his/her leadership when our teams worked together. 

[name of the person] defied convention and established a supportive and inclusive environment in a field known for being competitive. (With the exception of football season, but that's another story.) To work with a genuine leader like [name of the person] would be a blessing for anyone.

Final Thoughts on How to Write a LinkedIn Recommendation

How to write a recommendation on LinkedIn can be challenging, yet easy provided you find the right guide. We believe you have gained value from this article. Do not forget a well-written recommendation is one of the helpful ways of finding that favor in the sight of hiring managers or recruiters. But in summary, the following advice should be kept in mind when learning how to write a LinkedIn recommendation for another person, in summary:

• Make your advice unique to the individual you are suggesting and make it personal.
• Think about their objectives and how they might want to use your suggestion.
• Concentrate on one or two of their distinctive abilities or qualities.
• Give a brief description of their personality and working style.
• Strong hooks at the outset and calls to action in the conclusion.
• Just a few paragraphs should do; keep it succinct.
• Stay professional; this is not the place to vent. LinkedIn recommendations should be positive.

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