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Are your LinkedIn recommendations reading like slogans for a pep rally?
Toby is great!
Sangeeta is super!
Unfortunately, sweeping superlatives won’t best serve Toby or Sangeeta on their LinkedIn profiles. Your recommendations will read like hundreds of others. They won’t separate Toby or Sangeeta from the pack.
Make every word count for those employees, coworkers, or bosses you appreciate by including specific details about what they did and what makes them unique.
Did you know?
1. Explain Your Working Relationship
How do you know this person?
What's your reporting relationship? (Is this person your employee, coworker, or boss?)
How long have you worked together?
This information provides the context for your recommendation and demonstrates why you're qualified to give it.
2. Explain What You Worked On Together
What duties did the person perform?
Instead of just listing duties, frame them positively.
Someone who...
monitored budget and planned events
...doesn't sound as impressive as someone who
kept the department on budget and planned five successful cross-campus events.
Think of this section as a list of measurable achievements, rather than duties, to help set the right tone.
Quiz
Which phrase demonstrates the most effective way to frame a duty positively?
Measurable achievements, like the number of newsletters someone published, give hiring managers concrete and memorable details.
3. Pinpoint Unique Personality Traits
What do the duties or achievements you listed say about this person?
Maybe this person is...
meticulous
motivated to achieve results
passionate about the cause
Remember, be creative and specific. Avoid bland and general words like “great” or “super.”
4. Sum Up Your Recommendation
End with a sentence making it clear that you endorse this person’s work.
You might include a prediction about how well they will perform future roles or be an asset to future teams.
I heartily endorse Sangeeta as someone who will become a champion of efficiency for any team she is on.
Quiz
Describing someone only as “the best” in a recommendation...
General phrases like “the best” waste space that could be used for more specific and memorable details about why this person is the best.
Take Action
After you agree to write someone a LinkedIn recommendation:
This Byte has been authored by
Carolyn Black
Freelance writer and editor for education