Get recommendations to build credibility - LinkedIn Tutorial

- Credibility is the quality of being trusted, respected, and seen as knowledgeable or reliable in a particular field. Whether you're building your brand, sharing your journey, or celebrating your wins, credibility is everything. It's what sets you apart and opens doors. One of the most powerful ways to build it? Recommendations, from those who've seen your impact firsthand. A recommendation isn't just recognition, it's a powerful testament to your skills, strengths, and impact, backed by real examples. It's one thing to share your own expertise, but when others vouch for you, it elevates your credibility in a whole new way. So how do you start collecting meaningful recommendations? First, choose the right people to vouch for you. Look to colleagues, managers, executives, or industry partners, those who've seen your skills in action and can speak to your strengths, impact, and expertise firsthand. As a best practice, I always recommend skipping LinkedIn's generic template and personalizing your request. Why? Because a tailored ask helps guide the person writing it. Think about a key project you tackled together, or a major initiative you led. Then be specific about what you'd love them to highlight when writing your recommendation. The more direction you give, the more meaningful their recommendation will be. Getting started is easy. Let's look at an example with our friend Jahayra. Jahayra is an airline pilot and she wants to request a recommendation from Josh, another pilot who mentored and coached her in her career. To do this, she'll search for Josh on LinkedIn and click into his profile. Then she'll click the More button and select Request a recommendation. That will bring her into the Recommendation Request template. First, she'll have to select how she knows Josh. To do this, she'll simply go to the dropdown menu and select Josh mentored her. Next, she'll select her position at the time. He's been mentoring her currently in her role at JetBlue, so she'll select that. When requesting a recommendation from him, instead of using the template, she could write something like this. "Hi, Josh. I'm grateful for your mentorship as I've pursued my pilot's license and joined JetBlue. Would you be open to writing a recommendation that highlights my experience piloting the Airbus A320 and delivering a great customer experience? Your insights would mean a lot in validating my skills and expertise in the field. Thanks for your support! Best, Jahayra." Notice how Jahayra clearly directs Josh on where to focus. This clarity ensures she gets a recommendation that authentically supports her career journey. Then she'll simply click Send, and Josh will receive her request. Now, what if you're asking a senior leader or executive for a recommendation? One strategy I highly recommend is drafting your own recommendation for that senior leader. Why? Because they're busy. Give them a solid starting point and invite them to tweak it to match their voice and style. It might feel a bit odd, but trust me, it's incredibly helpful for executives, and can even boost the likelihood of them writing that recommendation. Let's check out this example with James. He's requesting a recommendation from an executive he recently collaborated with on a major project. Since James is drafting the recommendation, it's smart for him to start by writing it out in a separate document and pasting it in. "Hi, Rochelle. Having just completed and launched your brand new e-commerce website, I'd really appreciate it if you could write a recommendation for me. Understanding your busy schedule, I've drafted a starting point below. Please feel free to adjust it however you see fit, adding your voice and tone. 'James is a rare talent, combining exceptional collaboration with a deep commitment to client success. I hired James and his company, Red30 Design, for his deep expertise in e-commerce website design, and he exceeded all expectations. In just four months, he delivered a stunning user-friendly website with scalable solutions that made a huge impact. I'd hire him again in a heartbeat.'" See, not too tricky, right? This example shows how James took the lead from the start, making the process seamless for Rochelle. He also clearly outlined what he wanted emphasized, allowing Rochelle to focus her recommendation on his expertise, efficiency, and impact. This makes it super easy for the Rochelle's of the world to share their praise and recommendations for incredible people like James. Credibility is the cornerstone of your career story. It's what backs up your experience, skills, and expertise. So go ahead, request that recommendation. You've worked hard to get here, and now it's time to let the world see the impact you've made. You've got this.