LinkedIn used to have a profile level meter that would recommend best practices to help you fully flesh out your profile. For those that remember it, in order to achieve the 100% “all-star” status, you needed to have at least 3 LinkedIn recommendations.

In other words, to have an outstanding profile, LinkedIn recommendations are mandatory, not an option. There are many reasons why.

LinkedIn recommendations add a dimension to your professional profile that your own words simply cannot. They serve as social proof of your skills and character. When someone else vouches for your abilities, it carries greater weight than self-promotion ever could.

I’ve seen professionals transform their career trajectories with strategic recommendations. These third-party endorsements create credibility that opens doors to new opportunities. They tell a story about your work that resonates with potential employers, clients, and collaborators.

In this article, I’ll share 15 standout LinkedIn recommendation examples across different roles and industries. You’ll learn what makes these recommendations effective, how to request compelling testimonials, and ways to leverage them for career advancement. Let’s examine why these endorsements matter and how to make them work for you.

Please note that this article will talk about LinkedIn recommendations and not LinkedIn endorsements. I seriously question whether LinkedIn endorsements have any value at all! So if you were thinking of asking for endorsements, ask for a recommendation instead!

Why LinkedIn Recommendations Matter

LinkedIn recommendations aren’t just digital compliments. They significantly impact how recruiters and hiring managers perceive your professional value. These testimonials validate your skills and experience in ways your own statements cannot.

Let’s examine the concrete data behind recommendation effectiveness. One survey indicated that profiles with recommendations receive 14 times more views than those without. This dramatic increase in visibility can translate directly to career opportunities. While I could not find the original source to validate this statistic, consider the following statistics that demonstrate why recommendations deserve your attention:

The evidence is clear: recommendations substantially influence hiring decisions and career advancement. They work because they provide external validation from credible sources.

The Impact of Recommendations on Your Professional Profile

Recommendations strengthen your profile in several key ways. They highlight your skills from someone else’s perspective. This external validation carries more weight than self-promotion.

They also showcase your real-world impact. When others describe specific results you achieved, it creates a powerful narrative about your capabilities. This concrete evidence of your contributions makes your profile more compelling.

Additionally, recommendations provide insight into how you work with others. They reveal your soft skills, work style, and professional character. These qualities are often difficult to assess from a resume alone.

Finally, with all of the fake LinkedIn profiles that exist, recommendations prove that you are a real human being.

How Recommendations Influence Hiring Decisions

Recommendations directly affect how hiring managers evaluate candidates. An overwhelming 96.6% of hiring managers read recommendations during evaluations. This makes them a critical component of your professional profile.

The testimonials help employers understand your value beyond your technical skills. They provide context about your work relationships and professional impact. This human element can be the deciding factor when qualifications are similar between candidates.

Recommendations also reduce hiring risk. When respected professionals vouch for your abilities, employers gain confidence in your potential. This reassurance often accelerates hiring decisions and improves offer rates.

Key Elements of Standout LinkedIn Recommendations

Not all recommendations carry equal weight. Certain elements transform basic endorsements into powerful career assets. Understanding these components helps you request more effective recommendations and write better ones for others.

The most compelling recommendations share several critical characteristics. They’re specific, authentic, and relevant to your professional goals. They balance storytelling with concrete evidence of your capabilities.

Opening with Impact

The first sentences of a recommendation set the tone. Strong openings use clear, declarative statements that immediately establish the recommender’s perspective. They grab attention and compel readers to continue.

Effective openings often highlight the relationship context. They explain how the recommender knows you and in what capacity you worked together. This establishes credibility for the testimonial that follows.

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The best opening statements avoid generic praise. Instead, they offer specific insights about what makes you exceptional. These distinctive observations help you stand out from others with similar skills and experience.

Including Specific Metrics and Results

Numbers add power to recommendations. Quantifiable achievements provide concrete evidence of your capabilities and impact. They transform vague praise into compelling proof of your value.

When recommenders include specific metrics, they create more credible testimonials. Instead of saying someone is “a great salesperson,” stating they “exceeded targets by 35% for three consecutive quarters” offers meaningful validation.

Results-oriented recommendations help potential employers envision your future contributions. They demonstrate not just what you did, but the value you created. This outcomes-based perspective resonates strongly with hiring managers.

Highlighting Soft Skills and Personal Qualities

Technical skills may get you considered, but soft skills often get you hired. Recommendations that highlight how you collaborate, communicate, and solve problems provide crucial insights. These personal qualities strongly influence hiring decisions, especially for leadership roles.

Comments about your work ethic, adaptability, and interpersonal skills reveal your professional character. These traits indicate how you’ll fit into a team and navigate workplace challenges. They paint a fuller picture of you as a colleague.

The most effective soft skill mentions include specific examples. Rather than simply stating you’re “a team player,” describing how you “rallied cross-functional teams to meet an impossible deadline” provides meaningful context.

Customizing to Industry-Specific Keywords

Strategic use of industry terminology improves your profile’s visibility. LinkedIn’s algorithm notices relevant keywords in recommendations, which can boost your profile in search results. Including these terms helps you appear in recruiters’ targeted searches.

Keywords signal your familiarity with industry standards and practices. They demonstrate that both you and your recommender understand the field’s priorities and language. This shared terminology builds confidence in your professional expertise.

The most effective recommendations naturally incorporate these keywords. Rather than forcing jargon, they seamlessly weave relevant terms into authentic descriptions of your work. This balanced approach resonates with both algorithms and human readers.

15 Powerful LinkedIn Recommendation Examples by Type

These standout recommendations demonstrate the principles we’ve discussed. Each example illustrates effective techniques you can adapt for your own professional relationships. I’ve organized them by type to help you find relevant models for your situation. Note that these are fictional recommendations that I have created to inspire you create or your own or to offer a template when asking for recommendations.

Leadership Recommendation Examples

Example 1: Executive Leadership

“Collaborating with Sarah was transformative for our organization. As CEO, she navigated our company through a challenging market pivot that increased revenue by 43% within 18 months. Her ability to balance strategic vision with empathetic leadership created a culture where innovation thrived. Sarah doesn’t just manage teams—she inspires them to exceed their own expectations.”

Why it works: This recommendation highlights specific achievements (43% revenue increase) while also addressing leadership style and cultural impact.

Example 2: Team Management

“Michael’s leadership as our Development Manager delivered exceptional results. He inherited a fragmented team with low morale and transformed it into our highest-performing unit. Under his guidance, project delivery times improved by 35%, and team retention rose from 65% to 92%. His rare combination of technical expertise and people skills makes him the kind of leader others naturally follow.”

Why it works: The recommendation provides before-and-after context with specific metrics, demonstrating tangible leadership impact.

Example 3: Project Leadership

“I witnessed Emma’s project leadership skills firsthand during our company’s largest product launch. She coordinated cross-functional teams across three time zones, maintained perfect alignment with stakeholders, and delivered on time despite significant supply chain challenges. Her calm decision-making under pressure and ability to keep everyone focused on solutions rather than problems was instrumental to our success.”

Why it works: This example emphasizes specific challenges overcome and the leadership qualities that made success possible.

Technical Expertise Recommendation Examples

Example 4: Software Development

“David’s technical expertise consistently exceeded our expectations. He architected our payment processing system that now handles over 50,000 transactions daily with 99.99% uptime. What sets him apart is not just his coding skills, but his ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business benefits. He doesn’t just build features—he creates solutions that drive measurable business value.”

Why it works: The recommendation balances technical achievements with business impact and communication skills.

Example 5: Data Analysis

“Jennifer transformed our approach to data analytics. Her implementation of advanced visualization techniques uncovered customer behavior patterns that directly increased our conversion rates by 28%. She combines exceptional technical skills with genuine curiosity about business outcomes. This rare combination made her an invaluable partner in our decision-making process rather than just a technical resource.”

Why it works: This recommendation connects technical expertise directly to business outcomes with specific metrics.

Example 6: Engineering

“Working with Robert on our infrastructure redesign was a masterclass in engineering excellence. He identified critical inefficiencies that others missed and implemented solutions that reduced our cloud costs by 32% while improving performance. His methodical approach to problem-solving and commitment to documentation created lasting value beyond the immediate project.”

Why it works: The recommendation highlights both immediate and long-term impacts of technical contributions.

Teamwork and Collaboration Recommendation Examples

Example 7: Cross-Functional Collaboration

“Lisa’s ability to bridge the gap between marketing and product teams revolutionized our launch process. She developed a collaborative framework that reduced our time-to-market by 40% while ensuring higher-quality releases. Her emotional intelligence and communication skills transformed previously contentious meetings into productive sessions. She doesn’t just participate in teams—she elevates them.”

Why it works: This recommendation focuses on the specific impact of collaboration skills with measurable outcomes.

Example 8: Team Support

“John’s support as a team member during our company restructuring was invaluable. He voluntarily took on additional responsibilities, mentored three new team members, and maintained 100% of his regular deliverables. His positive attitude during uncertainty stabilized the entire department. John exemplifies the kind of colleague who makes everyone around him more successful.”

Why it works: The recommendation highlights specific actions that demonstrate exceptional teamwork rather than using vague praise.

Example 9: Remote Collaboration

“Despite working remotely from three different time zones, Carlos created our most cohesive team environment to date. He established communication protocols that improved our project transparency by 80% and initiated virtual team-building activities that measurably increased engagement. His thoughtful approach to inclusion ensured every team member’s contributions were recognized and valued.”

Why it works: This example addresses the specific challenges of remote work and the solutions the person implemented.

Client Service Recommendation Examples

Example 10: Client Relationship Management

“Amanda’s client relationship skills saved and then expanded our largest account. When we were at risk of losing this key partnership, she rebuilt trust through transparent communication and developed a tailored service model that addressed their specific needs. Within 8 months, the client increased their spend by 65% and became one of our most vocal advocates. Her authentic approach to client partnerships creates lasting business value.”

Why it works: The recommendation tells a compelling before-and-after story with specific results.

Example 11: Problem Resolution

“Sarah’s problem-solving skills saved our project timeline when we encountered a critical technical blocker. She quickly identified alternative approaches, presented clear options with associated tradeoffs, and implemented the selected solution within 48 hours. Her proactive communication throughout the process kept stakeholders informed and confident. She turns potential crises into opportunities to demonstrate exceptional service.”

Why it works: This example focuses on a specific incident that demonstrates problem-solving abilities in a client context.

Example 12: Service Delivery

“Daniel consistently delivers service that exceeds client expectations. During our website redesign project, he provided deliverables ahead of schedule, incorporated feedback with remarkable speed, and suggested improvements that increased the final site’s conversion rate by 23%. Clients specifically request Daniel for their projects because he doesn’t just fulfill requirements—he partners in their success.”

Why it works: The recommendation includes specific examples and metrics that demonstrate exceptional service quality.

Mentorship and Guidance Recommendation Examples

Example 13: Career Development

“Mark’s mentorship transformed my professional trajectory. He created structured development opportunities that helped me gain cross-functional experience, provided candid feedback that improved my strategic thinking, and advocated for my promotion to senior management. His guidance helped me increase my team’s productivity by 35% within my first year as a manager. Mark doesn’t just develop skills—he builds leaders.”

Why it works: This recommendation details specific mentorship actions and their tangible impact on career growth.

Example 14: Skill Building

“Rebecca’s guidance elevated our entire marketing team’s capabilities. She implemented a knowledge-sharing program that measurably improved our content quality and performance metrics. Her patient teaching style and ability to provide constructive criticism in supportive ways allowed team members to develop skills they didn’t know they had. She creates an environment where continuous learning becomes natural.”

Why it works: The recommendation highlights specific teaching approaches and their broader organizational impact.

Example 15: Leadership Development

“Thomas’s mentorship prepared me for executive leadership in ways formal education never could. He created opportunities for me to lead high-visibility projects, provided crucial feedback on my strategic thinking, and helped me navigate complex organizational politics. His guidance was instrumental in my successful transition to VP. Thomas doesn’t just share knowledge—he instills the confidence to use it effectively.”

Why it works: This example shows the comprehensive nature of effective mentorship and its career-advancing results.

How to Request Compelling LinkedIn Recommendations

Getting powerful recommendations requires a strategic approach. The way you ask significantly influences the quality of testimonials you receive. A thoughtful request makes it easier for connections to provide meaningful endorsements.

Timing matters when requesting recommendations. Ask when your contributions are fresh in someone’s mind. Ideal moments include project completions, after receiving positive feedback, or when you’ve reached significant milestones.

Here are best practices for requesting impactful recommendations:

• Be selective about who you ask—prioritize people who know your work well
• Personalize each request rather than using LinkedIn’s default message
• Provide context about your working relationship and specific projects
• Suggest elements to include (skills, achievements, or project details)
• Offer to reciprocate with a thoughtful recommendation in return

Creating a Recommendation Request Template

A well-crafted request template makes it easier for connections to write meaningful recommendations. Your template should provide helpful context while being respectful of their time. It should guide without being prescriptive.

Here’s an effective structure for recommendation requests:

Keep your request concise and appreciative. Acknowledge that writing a recommendation requires their time and effort. Express genuine gratitude for their consideration, regardless of their response.

Following Up Appropriately

People get busy, and your recommendation request might get buried in their inbox. A polite follow-up can be appropriate if you haven’t received a response within two weeks. Keep this reminder brief and courteous.

If someone declines or doesn’t respond to your follow-up, respect their decision. Not everyone feels qualified to recommend others, and some companies have policies about providing references. Maintain the professional relationship regardless of the outcome.

When you receive a recommendation, always send a thank-you message. Acknowledge the time they took to support your professional reputation. This courtesy strengthens your professional relationship and increases the likelihood they’ll help again in the future.

Writing LinkedIn Recommendations for Others

Writing recommendations for others builds your professional network and reputation. When you provide thoughtful testimonials, you demonstrate professional generosity and attention to detail. These qualities reflect positively on your own professional brand.

Giving recommendations also enhances your LinkedIn profile in subtle ways. Your written recommendations appear in your profile, showcasing your professional relationships and communication skills. They tell a story about the company you keep and how you value others’ contributions.

The Benefits of Giving Recommendations

Writing recommendations strengthens professional relationships. When you publicly recognize someone’s value, you deepen their connection to you. This goodwill often leads to reciprocal support in various forms.

Providing testimonials also increases your visibility within your connection’s network. When you recommend someone, your name appears on their profile. This exposure can lead to new connections and opportunities.

Additionally, the process of writing recommendations hones your professional assessment skills. Analyzing others’ strengths and contributions develops critical thinking that benefits your own career development and leadership capabilities.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Effective Recommendations

Creating impactful recommendations requires structure and specificity. Follow these steps to write testimonials that truly add value:

1. Start with your relationship context – Explain how you worked together
2. Highlight specific contributions – Describe particular projects or achievements
3. Include measurable results – Add metrics that demonstrate impact
4. Mention distinctive qualities – Identify what makes them uniquely valuable
5. Close with a strong endorsement – Clearly state your recommendation

The most compelling recommendations balance professional assessment with personal insights. Include both what they do well and how they do it. This combination provides a fuller picture of their professional value.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Several common pitfalls can diminish the impact of your recommendations. Being aware of these mistakes helps you create more effective testimonials:

Generic praise undermines credibility. Vague statements like “great team player” or “highly recommended” add little value. Replace these with specific examples and observations that demonstrate the qualities you’re highlighting.

Excessive length can reduce readability. Keep recommendations between 100-200 words. This length provides enough detail while remaining concise enough that people will read it completely.

Focusing solely on technical skills neglects important dimensions. Include comments about soft skills, work approach, and professional character. These elements often differentiate exceptional professionals from merely competent ones.

Insincerity is easily detected. Only write recommendations for people whose work you genuinely respect. Authentic endorsements carry more weight than obligatory ones. If you can’t honestly praise someone’s work, it’s better to decline than write a lukewarm recommendation.

Leveraging Recommendations for Career Growth

Strategic use of recommendations can significantly advance your career goals. These testimonials become powerful tools when properly leveraged in your professional journey. They provide social proof that differentiates you from equally qualified candidates.

Understanding how impressions affect your LinkedIn visibility and why recommendations help increase your profile’s effectiveness. Recommendations improve engagement with your profile and extend your reach within the platform.

Integrating Recommendations into Your Job Search

Recommendations can strategically support different phases of your job search. During applications, they provide credibility that gets you noticed. In interviews, they offer talking points about your past successes and working relationships.

Consider highlighting specific recommendations in your application materials. Reference impressive testimonials in your cover letter or follow-up communications. These third-party endorsements often carry more weight than your own statements about your capabilities.

When preparing for interviews, review your recommendations to identify themes about your strengths. These consistent observations help you articulate your value proposition more confidently. They also provide specific examples you can reference when answering behavioral interview questions.

Using Recommendations for Professional Development

Recommendations offer valuable insights for your own growth. Patterns in the feedback reveal your perceived strengths and the professional qualities others value most in your work. This information helps you align your development with marketplace demands.

Pay attention to the specific skills and traits mentioned repeatedly across recommendations. These represent your distinctive professional brand—the unique combination of capabilities that define your professional value.

Use recommendations to identify growth opportunities as well. Sometimes what isn’t mentioned is as revealing as what is. If certain skills or qualities rarely appear in your recommendations, consider whether developing those areas would enhance your professional effectiveness.

Building a Recommendation Strategy

Developing a long-term recommendation strategy strengthens your professional profile over time. Plan to regularly collect diverse testimonials that showcase different aspects of your professional capabilities and character.

Aim for recommendations that cover various dimensions of your work. Seek testimonials from different types of professional relationships—supervisors, colleagues, clients, partners, and team members. This variety provides a well-rounded picture of your professional impact.

Recommendations are key elements in improving your LinkedIn profile’s performance. They significantly increase profile views and engagement, which directly impacts your professional opportunities. A profile with diverse, quality recommendations attracts more meaningful professional attention.

Recommendations Best Practices and Etiquette

Following proper recommendation etiquette maintains your professional relationships and reputation. These interactions reflect your professional courtesy and attention to detail. Handling them thoughtfully demonstrates your interpersonal skills and business maturity.

Creating a compelling LinkedIn headline works together with recommendations to create a cohesive professional narrative. Your headline attracts initial attention, while recommendations provide the social proof that validates your claims.

When to Update or Remove Recommendations

Similar to how I recommend you regularly update your LinkedIn profile, Periodically review your recommendations to ensure they remain relevant to your current career goals. As your career evolves, older testimonials may focus on skills or roles that no longer align with your professional direction.

Consider updating your recommendation requests when you’ve developed significant new skills or accomplished notable achievements. Fresh testimonials that highlight your current capabilities keep your profile current and aligned with your professional trajectory.

If you have recommendations that no longer serve your professional narrative, you can hide them from your profile without deleting them. This approach maintains the relationship with the recommender while curating the public presentation of your professional brand.

Handling Negative or Unhelpful Recommendations

Occasionally, you may receive a recommendation that doesn’t serve your professional goals. Perhaps it focuses on less relevant skills or doesn’t highlight your contributions effectively. In these situations, handle the issue diplomatically.

LinkedIn allows you to choose whether to display recommendations on your profile. If you receive one that doesn’t strengthen your professional narrative, you can simply opt not to showcase it. The recommender won’t be notified of this decision.

If you value the relationship with the recommender, consider a gracious approach to improving the testimonial. Thank them for their time, then politely request specific additions or changes that would make the recommendation more helpful for your current goals.

Reciprocating Recommendations Professionally

When someone writes a thoughtful recommendation for you, consider whether you can authentically reciprocate. If you’ve had positive professional experiences with them, returning the favor strengthens your relationship and demonstrates professional courtesy.

However, only write reciprocal recommendations when you can provide genuine endorsement. Inauthentic testimonials diminish your professional credibility and provide little value to the recipient. It’s better to decline respectfully than to write an insincere recommendation.

When writing reciprocal recommendations, avoid simply mirroring what they wrote for you. Create a fresh, specific testimonial that highlights different aspects of their professional contributions. This approach provides maximum value to both parties.

Conclusion

LinkedIn recommendations transform your professional profile from a resume into a compelling narrative about your work. They provide the social proof that validates your skills and character in ways your own words cannot. When strategically collected and leveraged, they become powerful tools for career advancement.

The examples shared in this article demonstrate how effective recommendations highlight specific contributions, measurable results, and distinctive professional qualities. These elements combine to create testimonials that truly impact professional perception and opportunities.

Start implementing these strategies today. Request thoughtful recommendations from diverse professional connections. Write valuable testimonials for deserving colleagues. Regularly review and update your recommendation strategy as your career evolves. These consistent actions will strengthen your professional reputation and open new doors throughout your career journey.