How to Ask for & Get Endorsements on LinkedIn

LinkedIn endorsements can be a huge help when it comes to the job search; here's how to get more.

There are many ways to use LinkedIn. From connecting with co-workers, acquaintances, and other industry colleagues to working with recruiters and applying to jobs, LinkedIn is a hub of activity. That means you should be utilizing all features that LinkedIn has to offer — which includes LinkedIn endorsements.

What are LinkedIn endorsements?

LinkedIn endorsements are a simple way for your colleagues and connections to recognize your expertise in a specific field with just one click. These seemingly simple endorsements can elevate you and your profile above the other thousands of people on LinkedIn vying for the same career path as you.

For example, a study by the Avid Careerist found that you will rank more highly in LinkedIn search results if you have a greater number of endorsements for the skill a recruiter is seeking.

What is the difference between LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations?

With LinkedIn endorsements, your connections can endorse the skills that you included in your profile with just one click. Meanwhile, a LinkedIn recommendation is a written testimonial that is added to your profile by a connection who took the time to write out why you are a professional worth working with.

Recommendations add more value to your profile than the one-click endorsements — but both are still necessary for a successful profile.

Since LinkedIn's collaborative features were released, several million people received endorsements from colleagues they never thought to ask. Here are a few steps to optimize your endorsements and return the love.

How to get endorsements on LinkedIn

List your relevant skills

Think like a salesperson. Determine which of your technical skills and core competencies are most important to your industry and relevant to your current job goals. List these skills first, from most important to least important. This is a road map for people to endorse the correct talents.

Endorse fellow professionals

Start with your closest colleagues, since these are the people who you know the best and are most likely to return the favor. For these colleagues, endorse the skills you've seen them demonstrate in the workplace and they will be sure to reciprocate.

After endorsing your closest colleagues, endorse the skills of those you met at important functions or during your time spent at work, such as clients, vendors, or freelancers.

Ask for endorsements on LinkedIn

This is the trickiest of all techniques: how to ask for endorsements on your LinkedIn profile. You want people to acknowledge your skills and strengths, but you don't want to come off as begging for disingenuous endorsements.

Instead of sending tons of generic “please endorse me” messages, personalize your requests by making note of a specific project you worked on with each person you ask. Gently remind them of your contributions, and ask them to offer comments on the project in the form of skill endorsements.

Make updates and link to your social media profiles

Do you have a blog? This is a great way to display your skills and earn endorsements for connections you don't know that well. Share your latest blog posts using LinkedIn's update feature, make changes to your profile often, and engage other users who connect with you. In other words, don't become the LinkedIn equivalent of a wallflower.

There are many people on LinkedIn, but few update their status on a regular basis. This means if you choose to post updates to LinkedIn, you'll get on your connections' radar. If you're sharing insightful quotes and quality content related to the LinkedIn skills you have listed, you'll also give them a reason to endorse you for those skills.

Remember your manners

Don't forget to say thank you after you've received an endorsement. So many LinkedIn users take the endorsements their friends and colleagues post for granted and never take the time to say thanks. This is not only rude, but it also can hurt your relationship with the person. A quick, but kind, thank you for a LinkedIn endorsement goes a long way.

Just like LinkedIn, your skills and how you frame them are important when it comes to your resume. Let our expert writers help you showcase them.

This article was updated in August 2020 by Danielle Elmers.