How to Ask for a LinkedIn Recommendation

Your LinkedIn profile is extremely important. It is essentially a digital and public version of your resume. Your LinkedIn profile usually comes up as the first or second result when people Google you. Hiring managers, recruiters, alumni, and people you meet at networking events will most likely Google you to find out more about you. This is a great opportunity to show them why you are great. This is especially important when you are searching for a job. Hiring managers usually ask for references at the end of the hiring process – by that time there is often a good chance that you will get the job. If you ask people for recommendations they will be visual and permanent and they can set the positive tone for the rest of the interview, process. People don’t like to guess that someone is a hard worker, dedicated, or a team player. They want to know it, and you can show them by having great recommendations. Here’s how to ask for a LinkedIn recommendation.

Ask people who you are confident will give you a good recommendation. (You can find out more of my tips for getting a recommendation/reference here.) When you ask for the recommendation don’t use the generic recommendation. Instead say something like, “It was such a pleasure working you at X. I learned so much about Y from working so closely with you. I would really appreciate it if you would write me a short recommendation on my LinkedIn profile. Please let me know if I can provide you with an outline of some of my biggest accomplishments or any other details. Thank you!” If they write you a recommendation, send them a handwritten thank you note. Thank you notes will never go out of style!