How to Ask for LinkedIn Recommendations (And Why You Should)

70% of people will trust a recommendation, even if it comes from someone they don’t know. On LinkedIn, recommendations are the social proof that validates your self-reported skills. Are you taking advantage of LinkedIn recommendations, or are you still trying to advance your career with self-reported skills? To add social proof of your skills and work ethic on your LinkedIn profile, we’ll walk you through:

• Why you should ask for LinkedIn recommendations.
• When’s the best time to ask.
• Who you should ask.
• How to ask for recommendations on LinkedIn.

Also, we’ll provide you with 3 message templates you can use when asking a LinkedIn member for a recommendation.

Why You Should Ask for LinkedIn Recommendations

Think about it: your profile only shares information that you’ve added. To create a memorable LinkedIn profile, you must go beyond listing your skills and experience.

You must add social proof – and that’s where recommendations come in.

Here’s why you should ask for them:

• Boost your credibility: Recommendations create positive impressions about you in your prospect’s minds. It shows that people like and trust you. It also acts as social proof for your profile visitors.
• Improve your SEO: Relevant keywords in your recommendation help you rank higher on LinkedIn and Google search results. This gives your profile more exposure and also helps expand your network.
• Highlight your skills. Recommendations provide solid examples of your skills, achievements, and ability to overcome an issue. Furthermore, recommendations can highlight soft skills that may not be evident elsewhere.
• Maintain valuable connections.  Asking for recommendations can help you reconnect with past colleagues, partners, or clients and strengthen professional relationships, especially if you volunteer to reciprocate the effort.
• Conversation starters. LinkedIn recommendations are great talking points during interviews or networking events. You can address them and focus on the positive parts of your work experience.
• Keep your network updated: Recommendations keep your connections and prospects informed about your current skills, products, services, achievements, and experience.

Who’s the Right Person to Ask for LinkedIn Recommendations?

Remember that the person viewing your profile might also visit the recommender’s profile

Ask people who know you so well professionally that they can offer a clear, reliable, and unbiased testimonial of your skills, expertise, products, or services.

• Happy clients, you’ve worked for
• Team members, you’ve collaborated with
• Managers or supervisors you’ve worked with
• Satisfied customers who’ve used your products or services
• Employees or subordinates that report to you

When Is the Right Time to Ask for a Recommendation?

To increase your chances of getting an eye-catching recommendation, you have to get the timing right. Here are some good opportunities:

• After you complete a successful collaboration. The best time to ask for a LinkedIn recommendation from your colleague, manager or client, is when your experience with them is still fresh. This is a great time to express your appreciation for the opportunity to work with them and ask for a recommendation highlighting your skills.
• When you reach a career milestone. Did you receive a promotion, win an award, or complete a training program? These are good opportunities to reach out to relevant individuals and ask for a recommendation that highlights your dedication and accomplishments.
• Before you look for a new job. Increase your chances of getting hired by reaching out to former colleagues, supervisors, or clients who can speak about your skills.

How to Ask for Recommendations on LinkedIn

You can request a LinkedIn recommendation directly on LinkedIn by using the Request a recommendation feature on the LinkedIn profiles of your first-degree connections.

Otherwise, you can request directly from your LinkedIn profile by using the

• Recommendations section if you have a recommendation on your profile.
• Add a profile section if you have no recommendations on your profile.

Pro tip: Before sending your connection a recommendation request on LinkedIn, notify them upfront via an email or a suitable communication channel, depending on your relationship with them. This way, they’ll be more likely to favor your request.

Follow these steps to request a recommendation from a user’s LinkedIn profile:

Step 1: Visit the user’s LinkedIn profile.

Step 2: On their profile, click More and select Request a recommendation from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Fill out the recommendation request form and click Send.

Pro tip: Don’t use the default message on the form, especially if you didn’t inform the connection of your LinkedIn recommendation request beforehand. Customize your message to give the user proper context and a clear idea of what skills or achievements to highlight in the recommendation.

You’ll see an example of a personalized message in the next section.

If you’re requesting from your profile, follow these steps:

Step 1: Visit your profile, scroll to the Recommendations section, click the plus sign at the right, and select Ask for a recommendation in the drop-down menu.

You won’t see the Recommendations section if you don’t have a recommendation on your profile. In this case, click the Add profile section button at the top of your profile. In the popup, click Recommendation to open its drop-down menu and click Add recommendations.

Step 2: Type the name of the connection you want to request a recommendation from in the textbox. Select the name from the dropdown that appears and click Continue.

Step 3: Fill out the recommendation request form and click Send.

Once you hit Send, your recommendation request will appear as a private message to the LinkedIn user you’re requesting from. The message will include your personalized message from the request form and a link they can use to write the recommendation.

If they give the recommendation, you’ll get a private messagefrom them notifying you that they have sent a recommendation with a link to review it. You can:

• Add the recommendation to your profile
• Ask for a revision
• Dismiss the recommendation

LinkedIn Recommendation Templates

Template 1: After a Successful Collaboration

Hi [Name],

I hope this message finds you well (or use another greeting)

I wanted to thank you for your collaboration on the recent [Name] project. Your [specific contribution] was a key factor in our success.

I’m currently working on updating my LinkedIn profile, and I think a recommendation from you highlighting my skills in [relevant] would be a valuable asset.  Would you be willing to add a brief recommendation to my profile?

Thanks again for your support!

Best regards, [Your Name]

Template 2: When You Reached a Career Milestone

I hope this message finds you well.

I’m thrilled to share the good news!I [received a promotion, won an award, completed a training program, or any other relevant achievement].

I’m grateful for the support and guidance you provided me during my time at [Company Name] / while working on [Project Name].

Speaking of skills, I’m revamping my LinkedIn profile and thought your recommendation highlighting those skills would be amazing.

Would you be willing to share your experience working with me?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[Your Name]

Template 3: When Looking for a Job

Hi [Name],

I hope this message finds you well.

I wanted to reach out and update you on my career journey. As you may know, I’m exploring new opportunities in [mention your target industry or role].

I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked with you at [Company Name]. Your guidance and support during that time made a difference in my career.

As I build my network and update my LinkedIn profile, I believe a recommendation from you highlighting my skills in [mention relevant skills] would be very beneficial.

Would you be willing to provide a brief recommendation on my profile?

Best regards, [Your Name]

Wrapping It Up!

Asking for recommendations on LinkedIn can enhance your credibility, keep your network informed, and improve your SEO.

To get valuable feedback, know whom and when to ask.

Follow the guide’s steps to request recommendations and customize your message. Notify your connection before requesting and increase the likelihood of a positive response.