LinkedIn endorsements are a LinkedIn feature that allow your connections to come to your profile and endorse you for certain skills by simply hitting an “endorse” button. Endorsements add validity to your online resume by backing up to your work experience.
How to get endorsements on LinkedIn
We asked real LinkedIn users with impressive endorsements for their tips!
LinkedIn user Candace L. told me, “I’ve tried to get better about connecting with people I’ve worked with on projects both professionally and through volunteer projects. I’ve noticed when I endorse someone they almost always come back and think of something to endorse me for.”
This was by far the most common suggestion we got from endorsement superstars–I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine!
Caroline T. talked to me about how she has made a habit of giving endorsements to get them. She said, “when I am bored at work I sometimes endorse other people for things, and then they come back and endorse me.” Why not use your downtime to better your career?
Thinking long-term about endorsements is another good strategy. Make it a habit to connect to colleagues, clients, and freelancers that you complete projects alongside so you can count on consistent, up-to-date endorsements. Your skills and strengths will continue to grow with your career, and your endorsements should reflect that growth.
How to endorse someone on LinkedIn
The experts have weighed in, and it’s clear that one of the most effective ways of getting a LinkedIn endorsement is to give a LinkedIn endorsement. That doesn’t mean you should go on an endorsement rampage, giving everyone you’ve ever met credit for skills they may or may not have. Keep your endorsements honest. After all, when you endorse friends and colleagues, it ultimately affects your reputation.
Endorsing someone on LinkedIn is easy:
1. Scroll to the endorsement section of the profile for the person you’d like to endorse.
2. Click the plus sign beside the skill you’d like to endorse the user for.
3. Fill out the form that pops up
LinkedIn Endorsement vs. LinkedIn Recommendation
Endorsements and recommendations on LinkedIn are actually not the same thing. An endorsement is a specific skill that a colleague or friend can back you on. A recommendation is a short note from a professional who recommends you for a job or project based on their experience with you.
How to ask for a Recommendation on LinkedIn
You can go about requesting a recommendation on LinkedIn the same way you would an endorsement, though you may want to consider giving a bit of extra direction.
When asking for a recommendation on Linkedin, Gina Riley, Career Branding Coach, suggests giving your colleague the top three things you’d like to be known for, and ask them which three things they’d like to be known for, too, so you can return the favor for anything you can authentically speak to.
Recommendations are not just for those actively job searching, though. If you want to beef up your LinkedIn profile but don’t want you colleagues to think you’re on the hunt for a new job, Brian Collins, Executive Director of the Greyhound Health Initiative, has a good suggestion. He says, “say that you’re looking for recommendations that you can use as extra talking points at your next annual review and or when up for the next promotion.”
How to add a section to your profile
If your profile does not already have an endorsement or recommendation section and you’d like to add one, click on the blue “Add profile section” button in your bio and select the section you want to add.
Once the section is added to our profile, you can start working on getting those endorsements added!
Make sure the rest of your LinkedIn profile matches the rockstar status of your endorsements by running it through Jobscan’s LinkedIn Optimization tool.