Do you know someone who deserves a great LinkedIn recommendation? Maybe it’s your old boss, or a colleague from a past project, or a speaker whose session you really liked (hint, hint😉).
No matter who it is, writing a great LinkedIn recommendation is easy if you follow this simple formula!
How to leave a LinkedIn recommendation for someone
To leave a LinkedIn recommendation, there are a few steps.
- Make sure that you connect with the person you’re recommending on LinkedIn. This is easy to do – just find their profile and click Connect (you might have to click the three dots to find this)
- Remember to include a note in your connection request! For example, let them know that you’d like to leave them a recommendation. Who could resist such a connection request!?
- Once you’re connected, simply go to their profile page and scroll down to the “Recommendations” section. From there, you can click on the “Leave a Recommendation” button.
And that’s it! Then just write your recommendation with the following template
My simple 5-point template for LinkedIn recommendations
I’ve included a few examples of each section so you know what type of thing the template is looking for. Obviously, none of these are directly applicable to me, so if they do end up in a recommendation that you give me… I’ll be suspicious 😉
1. Start with a short punchy opening sentence
(examples:
“No other astronaut on our team is as daring as Brian.”,
“Without Aileen, the Great Wall of China would just not exist.”,
“If I was looking for a microsurgeon, Yuuko is the first person I’d call.”)
2. Describe your professional relationship or experience with the person
(examples:
“I’ve been flying with Brian for 20 years and have seen him pilot spacecraft larger than Canada all the way down to a Fiat Punto with wings, and I’ve never seen him break a sweat.”
“We contracted Aileen to do the initial designs for the Great Wall of China project and we were immediately impressed by her professionalism and vision.”
“I saw Yuuko giving a demonstration of open-heart surgery on an Etruscan shrew at our local science fair and her level of skill had me enthralled.”)
3. Share a standout trait about the person
(examples:
“I was always impressed by Brian’s unique ability to navigate a starship fleeter through a dangerous minefield while simultaneously playing Candy Crush on his phone.”
“Aileen’s immense knowledge of Ming Dynasty stone masonry is unsurpassed in the building industry.”
“I believe that Yuuko is probably the most detail-oriented person I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, and the steadiness of her hand is incredible.”)
4. Add a touch of personality to show what the person is like
(examples:
“After 20 years, I’ve even come to love his renditions of ‘She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain’ whenever we’re plummeting towards an alien planet.”
“And, she certainly loves a good cup of tea!”
“She was also very generous with her time, even spending time to answer my husband’s stupid question about the difference between a scalpel and a knife.”)
5. End with the recommendation
(examples:
“Whatever type of spacecraft you use, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Brian as the pilot.”
“Any ancient building project would be lucky to have Aileen as its architect.”
“I recommend Yuuko for all your microsurgery needs.”
If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments. Or, indeed, send me a message on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexowenhill/