"Lisa has recommended you!"

Awww, she has?!

When I get a LinkedIn recommendation from someone I respect and admire professionally, I feel both honored and encouraged to return the favor. Merely for some reason, I e'er get author's block. I never know how to start or what to say -- only that I like this person'southward piece of work and I desire others to know information technology.

Unfortunately, only writing "Lisa is the best!!!!" isn't cogitating of Lisa's skills -- plus it makes y'all wait similar a total goon.

Luckily, in the past few weeks I've written a couple of LinkedIn recommendations that I think turned out pretty well, and they reflected a pattern that's easy to replicate in subsequent recommendations. I thought I'd share that pattern with others that endure the same author's block.

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Here's a quick footling "template" you can utilise that makes for a LinkedIn recommendation that's specific, honest, succinct, and helpful for the person you're recommending.

i. Explain the nature of your professional relationship.

That sounds really serious, but it's simply a helpful slice of context that acts every bit an "intro" for your recommendation. Whether information technology's a coworker yous've worked closely with for years, a manager, a direct report, a point of contact at an agency, or something else entirely, it sets the stage for the reader to learn why yous're writing this recommendation.

For Example:

I've worked aslope Lisa for close to two years at present.

2. Provide details of the position for which you're recommending the person.

Are you lot recommending this person for their piece of work in one position? Or are y'all writing about their piece of work beyond multiple jobs they've held while you worked with them? Either way, a great side by side footstep is to explain some of the notable parts of their job(s). It may experience foreign -- kind of similar you're listing out their job description. But this is very helpful for anyone reading the recommendation, looking to get a feel for what precisely information technology is they did in their task.

Resist the urge to create a laundry list of their job duties. If they've actually worn that many hats, I recommend contacting them to see if there'due south a certain office of their role they'd similar emphasized over others.

For Instance:

In those two years, I've seen her not only excel at the core elements of her chore -- like copywriting and copyediting -- but likewise learn other tasks that extend well across the scope of her function, like electronic mail marketing, upshot planning, and even championing our company'due south internal communications.

3. Explain how they've grown at the visitor.

If this person reports (or once reported) to you, this aspect of a LinkedIn recommendation tin become a long way. Explaining how the person you're recommending has grown -- either in their office or from one role to another -- can demonstrate an ability to adjust as the organization expands.

But be careful not to enlarge whatever low points in the person'south career that can dilute the value of the growth you're trying to highlight.

For Example:

Lisa has grown as speedily as our business organisation has, and her willingness to learn and take on these new responsibilities is something to be desired in whatever professional person.

4. Indicate how their contribution helped grow the team or company.

This could exist an explanation of how their performance helped striking hard metrics, or information technology could demonstrate a contribution toward more esoteric things, like leading their teammates or fostering new initiatives.

For Example:

Lisa's mastery for both her cadre part, and the projects that extend beyond it, accept been critical to the company's growth. In fact, her taking on internal company communication aligned with a sharp increment in employee happiness.

v. Explain what these achievements reveal about that person.

By now, you've included some specifics -- so allow'southward explain what those specifics mean for the larger theme of your recommendation. Practice the examples yous've detailed reveal that person is hard-working? Ambitious? Great for team morale? Connect their accomplishments with their attributes.

For Example:

This rare mix of productivity and ambition sets a keen instance for the residue of the team, and explains why anybody loves working with Lisa -- no thing where they fall on the org chart.

half dozen. Stop with a note about the personal attribute of working with him/her.

In this department, hit the message home with a mention of how y'all felt working with the person, your hopes for their career, or simply a prediction about their future.

For Example:

While Lisa'south work has continued to pay dividends long past her tenure here, I certainly miss working with her every mean solar day. I have only optimistic predictions for her career trajectory.

LinkedIn Recommendation Examples

Recommendation From an Employee

In the recommendation beneath, a person discusses how their supervisor progressed at the company and how this person mentored them so they too could grow as an employee.

Team Lead LinkedIn Recommendation

Recommendation from an Employer

In this recommendation, an employer explains how an employee progressed and executed on projects that made a big bear on on their company:

Manager's Recommendation on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Recommendation Sample (for a Director)

At present, writing a LinkedIn recommendation can seem easier said than done. What if the employee you lot're recommending is your superior? This can brand it more hard to recommend the person -- even if you're proverb stellar things about them.

To avert sounding patronizing or tone deaf when addressing a higher-level professional, here's a sample LinkedIn recommendation -- written in full -- that a manager would be proud to receive (observe how it embraces every step outlined higher up).

I've worked for Lisa for 2 years, and in those ii years, I've seen her quickly have on new responsibilities while having the time to teach this information back into her employees. By inheriting tasks like campaign analytics and e-mail A/B testing -- both of which extend beyond the scope of our squad -- she's made our section much more agile, and ready me up for a promotion concluding calendar month. Lisa is equally bang-up a person as she was a manager, and her next employer will be lucky to accept her.

Now proofread, and hit transport. Remember, the recipient has the opportunity to review and request changes to your recommendation, and so if you're concerned you haven't written a recommendation in the about helpful way possible, they can still make it touch with edit requests.

Editor'south note: This blog post was originally published in July 2018, only was updated in November 2022 for comprehensiveness.

free guide to using linkedin

free guide to using linkedin

Originally published Nov 13, 2022 5:20:00 PM, updated Feb 04 2021