5 People You Should Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations

5 People You Should Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations

LinkedIn recommendations are a tremendous asset to your job search. You can quickly and easily point a potential employer to your LinkedIn profile and they’ll be able to see verifiable references and recommendations of the quality of your work and the results you deliver. Positive words can be powerful motivators.

So, how do you choose the right people to request a recommendation from? And how do you know if they’ll give you a good recommendation?

1. The Happy Client

Whenever I have a client who reaches out to me to share how happy they were with our service I always politely request if I can share the feedback on my website or if they would consider giving me a recommendation on LinkedIn. Do the same! If you’re in sales and a customer or client loves your work, connect with them on LinkedIn and professionally request a recommendation.

Don’t just use the filler info that LinkedIn puts in the request; ask them specifically what you’d like them to comment on. It will help the person you are requesting the recommendation from to write a focused and specific recommendation versus a generic or broad-based recommendation that may not have as much of an impact.

2. The Team Player

When you work in a team on a specific project and the collaboration is a success, that’s the time to ask your teammates to write a recommendation for you based on the outcome and collaboration of that specific project. You can also return the favor; since you worked together you’ll be able to easily attest to their work ethic, problem solving, communication, teamwork, fresh ideas, motivation—the list goes on…

3. The Current Supervisor

Not everyone uses LinkedIn for job searching, and it’s not detrimental to your current employer to have them write a recommendation of your current accomplishments. It could actually be a great networking tool if you’re trying to find new contacts, new accounts, or new clients. New connections and people who are considering connecting will read through your recommendations. So, if you’re on LinkedIn sourcing for new clients or accounts, then ask your current supervisor to comment on the positive impact you have now. Like I mentioned before, positive words are powerful motivators.

4. The Former Supervisor

It’s always best to never burn a bridge—and even though it sometimes happens in cases where you left on good terms, it’s always a best practice to request a recommendation from a former employer. A recommendation from a former employer is a powerful job search asset; and it’s especially impressive when companies are considering you for a new position.

5. The Board Or Volunteer Head

Are you an active member of a nonprofit or involved in volunteering for a great cause? Ask someone who oversees the organization to recommend you for the work you’ve been doing. Not only is this more positive PR for your profile, but it shows your interests and desire to help others.