When I receive a LinkedIn recommendation from a professional Linked Likes, I respect and appreciate it, and I feel both privileged and motivated to return the favor. However, I always get writer’s block. I never know how to begin or what to say, other than the fact that I enjoy this person’s work and want others to be aware of it.
Unfortunately, posting “Ella is the best!” doesn’t do Ella’s abilities justice, and it makes you appear like a total jerk.
The good news is that in the last few weeks, I’ve written a few LinkedIn recommendations that I think have turned out nicely and that follow a simple pattern.
I decided to share this method with those who experience writer’s block.
1. Describe the nature of your professional relationship:
This is merely a helpful bit of context that serves as an “introduction” to your recommendation, despite its rather grave tone. When you write a recommendation, you need to explain why you’re recommending it.
For example,
I’ve collaborated with Ella for close to two years.
2. Specify the role for which you are suggesting the individual.
Are you recommending this individual for a specific position? Or do you want to write about the various jobs they’ve held while you’ve known them? Regardless, an excellent next step is to describe some of the most noticeable aspects of their employment (s). It may feel weird, as though you are describing their work duties. This, on the other hand, is very helpful for anyone who reads the recommendation and wants to know what the candidate did at work.
Refrain from creating an exhaustive list of their job responsibilities. If they’ve worn so many hats, I’d suggest contacting them to see if there’s a particular aspect of their work they’d like highlighted more than others.
For example,
During these two years, I’ve witnessed her excel not only at the basic components of her job, such as copywriting and copyediting, but also at activities that go well beyond the purview of her position, such as email marketing, event organizing, and advocating our company’s internal communications.
3- Describe their growth inside the company.
If this individual reports to you (or previously reported to you), this component of a LinkedIn recommendation can be quite beneficial. If you’re suggesting someone, it’s a good idea to explain how they’ve progressed in their current position or transitioned to a new one.
Just be careful not to exaggerate any bad times in the person’s career, because that could make the growth you want to point out less important.
For example,
Ella has grown at the same rate as our company, and any professional would be impressed by her willingness to learn and take on these new tasks.
4. Specify how their efforts contributed to the growth of the team or firm.
This could be an explanation of how their work helped reach hard metrics, or it could show how they helped with more abstract things like leading their coworkers or promoting new ideas.
For example,
Ella’s mastery of both her core function and tasks that expand beyond it has been crucial to the growth of the organization. When she took on responsibility for internal business communication, employee satisfaction went up sharply.
5- Explain what these accomplishments tell us about the individual.
You have now added some specifics; therefore, let’s clarify what these specifics mean in the context of your recommendation’s overall topic. Do the examples you’ve provided demonstrate that the individual is diligent? Ambitious? Excellent for team spirit? Connect their achievements to their qualities.
For example,
Since everyone on the team appreciates working with Ella’s unique combination of productivity and ambition, she serves as an excellent role model for them all.
6. Conclude with a comment on the personal side of working with him/her.
In this section, you can emphasize how important the message is by talking about how it felt to work with the person, your hopes for their career, or a simple prediction about their future.
For example,
Although Ella’s contributions have continued to yield rewards even after her departure, I miss working with her every day. I have complete faith in her career path.
