Why recommendations still carry weight
A LinkedIn recommendation is a written endorsement from someone who worked with you, visible publicly on your profile. Unlike a private reference check that happens late in a hiring process, a recommendation is visible from the first time someone views your profile, which means it can build credibility earlier in the process, before a recruiter has even reached out.
Who to ask
The strongest recommendations come from people who worked closely with you and can speak to specific, concrete details, not just a general positive impression. Good candidates include a former manager who can speak to your performance and growth, a peer or cross functional partner who can speak to your collaboration and reliability, and a direct report if you have managed people, since their perspective on your leadership style carries particular weight.
How to ask without it feeling awkward
Ask directly and specifically, rather than a vague request like could you write me a recommendation sometime. A more effective version names the context and gives the person an easy starting point: 'I am updating my LinkedIn profile as I look for my next role, and I would really appreciate a recommendation from you, especially if you could speak to the project we worked on together last year. Happy to send over some notes if that is helpful.' Offering to provide a few reminder points about specific work removes friction and makes it far more likely the person actually follows through.
Timing and reciprocity
Ask soon after a project or working relationship ends, while the details are still fresh for the person writing it. It is also common and appropriate to offer to write a recommendation for them in return, which both feels fair and often prompts the other person to follow through more quickly, since they know a reciprocal gesture is coming.
How to write a strong recommendation for someone else
A useful recommendation is specific rather than generic. Instead of writing that someone was a great colleague, describe a specific project, the role they played in it, and the outcome. Mention one or two concrete qualities, such as their approach to problem solving or how they handled a difficult situation, rather than a list of adjectives. A recommendation with real detail is more persuasive to anyone reading it later, and it is also simply more useful and specific for the person receiving it.
How recommendations differ from skill endorsements
LinkedIn skill endorsements are a single click, requiring no writing, and carry relatively little individual weight since they are so easy to give. A written recommendation requires real effort and thought from the person giving it, which is exactly why it carries more credibility with anyone reading your profile. Both are worth having, but a handful of strong written recommendations will generally do more for your credibility than a large number of one click endorsements.
Where recommendations appear and how to make sure they get seen
Recommendations sit lower on a LinkedIn profile than the headline or About section, which means many casual viewers may never scroll far enough to see them. If a particular recommendation is especially strong and relevant, consider referencing its content, in your own words, somewhere higher up in your About section, so the substance of that endorsement reaches readers who do not scroll all the way down.
What to do if a request goes unanswered
Not everyone will respond to a recommendation request, and that is normal. If someone has not responded after a couple of weeks, a single polite follow-up is reasonable, but avoid repeated requests, which can feel like pressure. If there is no response after that, it is best to move on and ask someone else rather than continuing to push, since a recommendation written under pressure rarely turns out as strong as one given freely.
Building a set of recommendations across your career, not all at once
Rather than trying to gather several recommendations all at once during an active job search, it works well to ask for one shortly after finishing a strong project or working relationship, spread naturally across your career. This produces a more varied, more current set of recommendations over time than a single burst of requests sent out right before you start applying to new roles.
Getting recommendations early in your career
Early career professionals sometimes worry they do not have enough substantial work history to warrant a strong recommendation. A manager, professor, or internship supervisor can usually still speak meaningfully to specific qualities, even from a shorter working relationship, as long as they describe an actual project or situation rather than offering vague praise. A short but specific recommendation from an early role is often more useful than no recommendations at all.
Using recommendations to support a career change
If you are changing fields, a recommendation that speaks to transferable qualities, such as leadership, problem solving under pressure, or reliability, can help bridge the gap in a way that is harder to convey through your own writing alone. Ask past colleagues or managers to speak specifically to these transferable qualities if you know you will be leaning on them heavily in your job search materials.
What to do if a recommendation comes back weaker than expected
Occasionally a recommendation comes back shorter or vaguer than hoped. It is reasonable to thank the person and gently ask if they would be willing to add a specific example or detail, framed as helping you highlight the exact kind of work you are looking for next. Most people are happy to revise once they understand what would make the recommendation more useful.