Giving the Gift of LinkedIn Recommendations

The holiday season is upon us, and many (like me) are scrambling to find gifts for professional colleagues.  While budgets are tight for many, a meaningful gift doesn’t have to cost anything.   A recommendation on LinkedIn is a thoughtful gift that will bee appreciated for many reasons:

• By recommending your co-worker on LinkedIn, you are publicly acknowledging that you appreciate his/her work.  This can be a tremendous boost for that person (think of the last time you were acknowledged in front of a bunch of people)
• Your recommendation could be the difference the person needs to get a promotion, or perhaps a better job down the road.
• These recommendations can last a person’s whole career so it really is a gift that keeps on giving.
• If written correctly, they can give a good description of the person and his/her strengths to others, be that senior management or a potential new employer.
• As an added bonus, some of the people you recommend may turn around and do the same for you.  Obviously you should not make recommendations with the expectation that this will happen, but if it does, it’s a nice benefit!

Some quick tips on giving a recommendation:

• Be specific:  Do not be vague when writing your recommendation.  Comment on individual abilities
• Focus on a success:  Give an example of a project or challenge where  your co-worker did well
• Concise:  Do not carry on.  Make it short and to the point
• Credible:  Don’t make it obviously biased.  Stick to the achievement focus and keep it professional,.

By giving the gift of LinkedIn recommendations, you can show the professional world just how much you appreciate your co-workers without spending a dime.  For more information on LinkedIn, you can visit the Jobfully resource library.

Getting and giving LinkedIn recommendations