Have you ever asked a colleague for a LinkedIn recommendation? If you haven’t, you should. The impact of recommendations has increased over the last 10 years. Not only does it influence recruiters’ take on your abilities, it affects your ranking on LinkedIn.
It might be a little uncomfortable at first. Maybe you feel like you are imposing because you know how busy they are. And if they are good at what they do, they are busy. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want to help you.
Make it easy for them by adding a framework for them to work from. You are making the writing as painless as possible for them AND you are reminding them of the positive work experience you shared.
Here is an example.
Dear [Name],
I hope you are doing well!
I am reaching out because I am building my LinkedIn profile. Over the past months, I have enjoyed working with you, especially on [project X]! Based on our successful collaborations, I thought you would be the right person to ask for a LinkedIn recommendation.
I know you are busy. If you are comfortable doing this for me, I included a few questions designed to make writing easier for you.
- What was the best part about working with me?
- From your observation, what are my best skills and how did I use them?
- Give an example of how I made your job easier.
- What was my impact on the success of [project name ]?
Please, let me know if you have any questions about this. Let’s catch up for a virtual coffee soon!
Best,
[Name]
It’s time to take charge of your career and not wait around for things to happen. So if you’re shy, don’t be! Go ahead and ask for a recommendation today.
Previously posted on LinkedIn