Now that you've ramped up your profile, let's collect some recommendations.
Recommendations are testimonials that former clients, employers, or co-workers write on your behalf. To potential employers, it indicates that people who have worked with you in the past were happy with your work and would work with you again. To put it simply, it's social currency saying you're a stand-up guy or gal.
But asking for recommendations can be a little awkward. I mean, how do you get someone to compliment you?
The first way is to ask nicely.
The goal in collecting recommendations is to set yourself in the direction of your desired career. We've already talked a lot about what you love to do and what you would like to focus on in the future. Keep this in mind as we proceed.
I have a little template that I like to use when I request a recommendation. It's nice to have something personalized to send instead of just the boilerplate prompt that LinkedIn provides.
It reads:
Hi (Name),
I hope everything's going well in (City or State)! I'm writing to ask if you'd be willing to write a LinkedIn recommendation on my behalf that highlights my (skill). Ideally, I'd love for you to speak to the experience you had with me on (Project or Job). It was a pleasure working with you, and I'd really appreciate some feedback that I can pass on.
Let me know if there's anything I can do on my end to facilitate.
Warmly,
(Your name)
Here's an example I wrote to my friend Ellen, who worked with me during an online course launch.
Hi Ellen,
I hope everything's going well in Kansas City! I'm writing to ask if you'd be willing to write a LinkedIn recommendation on my behalf that highlights my creative project management skills. Ideally, I'd love for you to touch on the experience you had with me on online course launches. It was a pleasure working with you, and I'd really appreciate some feedback that I can pass on.
Let me know if there's anything I can do on my end to facilitate.
Warmly,
Elizabeth
If you're having trouble getting a hold of someone, consider endorsing them first. Reciprocity generates goodwill. After all, the best way to get a compliment is to give a compliment.
You may also want to consider collecting endorsements at this time. Endorsements are where your connections can "endorse" you for certain skills or competencies. Again, reciprocity is a great way to drive others to your profile. Consider endorsing others first.
You may want to message a friend or contact and say, "Hey, I want to endorse you for this skill. Would you mind endorsing me for this other skill?" You can fill in the blanks as necessary, but again, consider which skills will position you for the work you want, not necessarily the work you have done in the past.
Also, not everyone checks their LinkedIn regularly, so consider writing the person an email with a link to your profile. People are busy, and this step may help facilitate the process.
A cool side effect of collecting LinkedIn recs is that extra added bit of confidence that comes in handy to start networking. In the next lesson, we'll focus on how to network virtually and build your relationships online.
