When my client Melanie came to me she’d been unemployed and actively job hunting for 10 months. Since she was having no luck finding something in her field of local government, she decided it might be time for a career shift. I suggested that she research some online sites to find a fit.

Together we developed a resume that shoehorned her old skills into her revamped expectations, and  — happy ending —  she landed a job in public relations for her town’s television station. She emailed me recently, “It’s a  job I look forward to every day!”

Did you know that there are websites just quietly waiting for you to take advantage of their career help? I’m talking Free. I’m talking No Strings Attached.

Most of these sites are governmental agencies. They’re much more helpful than looking at ordinary job postings. They’ll help you search at a deeper level. Curious about the salary range in a different field? What skills you need? How much pressure there is? Who you’d be working with? Typical tasks? It’s all there, and much more.

Not only can you get educated about a new field, but you can get up to speed in your own field. Are you at the top of your earning potential? How does your present company’s policies match rival company’s? This kind of homework can be fascinating.

I’m recommending the following sites. Did I mention they are Free?

O*NET Online (https://www.onetonline.org/)

This website was created for the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration by the National Center for O*NET Development. The O*NET program is “the nation’s primary source of occupational information,” according to the site. It contains information on hundreds of occupations.

The occupational descriptions, which include descriptions of day-to-day work, along with qualifications and interests of the typical worker, allow you to hone in on what the hiring people want. With that kind of knowledge, you can help me fine tune your resume so it fits.

One cool tool is the O*NET® Interest Profiler that helps you zero in on your occupational interests.  It then offers personalized career suggestions based on your interests and level of work experience.

Access the tool here: https://www.onetcenter.org/IP.html

My Next Move (https://www.mynextmove.org/)

An O*Net affiliated site is — and I love this title — My Next Move. It’s an interactive tool for jobseekers to learn more about different career options. It includes descriptions, skills, and salary information for more than 900 professions.

Here, you can identify careers through keyword search, by browsing industry classification, or through the O*NET Interest Profiler. My Next Move is maintained by the National Center for O*NET Development under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration. Why not let your taxes work for you?

When you identify a profession, you can assess everything you want to know about that field.  You’re bound to learn things in the “Personality” and “Technology” section that will help you define your goals and improve your job search.

I especially like the “On the Job, You Would” information. Look to see if these are areas where you excel because this can be a point of differentiation, setting you ahead of the curve. Sometimes you’re better than you think!

Be sure to check out the “Also Called” information under the occupation for related job titles. You’ll discover keywords and phrases you can use in your searches and in your personal positioning tagline for LinedIn and elsewhere.

America’s Career InfoNet (https://www.careerinfonet.org/)

This website is another one affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop program. Your taxes at work.

This website includes occupation and industry information like salary data, career videos, education resources, self-assessment tools, and career exploration assistance. It’s a boost to anyone considering for a career change.

Occupational Outlook Handbook (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/)

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) will give your the scoop on what workers do, what the working conditions are, what qualifications are required for success in the position, how the pay is, what the job outlook is, and what occupations are similar. You’ll find info on more than 300 occupations.

To find an occupation, browse the occupational group of interest on the left-hand side of the website, or use the “A-Z Index” if you know the specific occupation. You can also enter a job title into the “Search Handbook” box at the top of the site. Want to search for jobs by pay range, education level, training, projected number of new jobs, and projected job growth rate? It’s all there. Just access the  “Occupation Finder” or occupation selector drop-down menus on the home page.

If you can’t find an occupation you are interested in, check the alphabetical index, using similar occupational titles to search for an occupation. I’m guessing you’ll unearth some occupations you never knew existed. Fascinating stuff.

Glassdoor (https://www.glassdoor.com/)

Did you know you can research your prospective employer to get the skinny on what he values most? Knowing these things will help you effectively position yourself to work at that  company. Glassdoor is an excellent way to pinpoint how you might fit in, and even if you want to fit in.

Remember that there is plenty of assistance  in the world when you are looking for a job. I love the help that comes free. And I love helping people find jobs that they look forward to every day.  I’m looking at you.

Branding. It’s a buzzword, but one worth understanding. Getting a grip on what branding is and how you can make it work for you will bring you closer to the job you crave and deserve.

The definition of branding is “to make an indelible mark or impression on somebody or something.” It’s all about marketing or positioning yourself. Done effectively it attracts connections, opportunities, and job offers. Who doesn’t want that?

It could be that you have already branded yourself  and don’t realize it because you haven’t articulated it yet.  Maybe you’re known as “the sales manager who makes quota, no matter what’s going on in the economy,” or “the engineer who speaks the customer’s language.” That’s your brand.

Or it could be you’ve branded yourself and that brand just ain’t workin’ for you. People change, times change. Even Smokey the Bear, Betty Crocker and Mr. Peanut get a new look to stay current. Maybe you’ve changed careers, industries, or goals. Maybe you’ve  upped your qualifications. If so,  it’s time for a new definition of you.  A re-branding.

The job field is a crowded one. So, you need to stand out. No matter what position a company is trying to fill, it hires because of its needs.  Ask yourself what problem the company is trying to solve, and then position yourself as The Solution.  The problem could be wasted time, a bloated sales force, product shrinkage, poor customer service, tarnished public image, slow delivery time, or poorly motivated staff. Just like people, most companies have multiple problems!

Once you know what a company needs, you can effectively craft your brand to satisfy that need. The most difficult part about creating your personal brand is making it original. So, be as specific as you can about what distinguishes you, especially when that’s exactly what a company defines as the answer to its problem.

Let’s be clear: Your brand is not your job title. And, if your brand looks like almost anyone else’s who has the same job title, yours needs work. Let’s talk.

Benefits of Positioning

I can’t stress enough the value of branding’s role as a valuable strategy. To get why I’m so keen on this topic, scan this list of branding’s benefits.

• Helps you stand out from other job applicants by making you memorable. It can give you the edge and help you outcompete other candidates.
• Hands you a ready-to-use LinkedIn headline, a resume positioning statement, and a Twitter tagline. Cool!
• Gives you a strong and consistent phrase to use as the subject line in an email or cover letter to a prospective employer, hiring manager, or recruiter.
• Makes interviewing and networking easier. It provides a convenient answer to the question, “What do you do?” or “Tell me about yourself.”

How to Develop Your Brand

Here’s my list of  resources to help you identify what makes you stand out, sources you can go to if you need a mind-jog to define what makes you special and valuable.

• Performance evaluations
• Customer appreciation letters
• Your emails to see what good things people have said about you and your work
• LinkedIn recommendations
• Letters and memos of commendation from colleagues and supervisors
• People you know and people you work with.  Ask for feedback. How do they see you?

Understanding  your brand and communicating what makes you unique and exceptional will help you reach your career goals. I’ll be sharing more about branding in my next post, including five online resources for researching the job you want.

 

Last week, I talked about selecting and contacting your references. Today I want to give you some helpful tips on nurturing those relationships that give you references.  I’ll also run down what you can do about any negative references you get.

What to Tell Your Reference People

When someone is good enough to agree to be a reference for you, make it easy for them to help you. Prepare a references page that you can email or hand over to a prospective employer. Make the style match the format and font style of your resume. I provide reference sheets for my clients for a very small fee.

Here’s the format I suggest:

Name of person to contact
Job title
Current employer
Address
City, state, zip
Phone number
Email address
How long you’ve known the person
In what capacity you’ve known the person

Here’s an example of this format:

Jan Jones
Supervisor
ABC Company
25 Whitehall Lane
New York, NY 10010
(310) 555-0932
Jan.Jones@ABCCompany.com
Former Supervisor at XYZ Company for three years (2007-2010).

The reason a physical address is helpful is that it can help the person checking the reference to know where they are telephoning (East Coast? West Coast? Europe?).

When you list a reference’s phone number, you could also mention what times of day to reach them, for example, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Include how you know the person so that the person checking the reference has some context as to who this person is to you and what information they can supply.

In addition to your list of references and contact information, you can also provide a printed page that includes excerpts from or reprints of your LinkedIn Recommendations. You can include LinkedIn recommendations and excerpts from letters of recommendation with your resume. Sometimes I put them in an Endorsements section.

When should you give your references to an employer? The easiest answer is: When you’re asked. Sometimes you’ll be asked on the initial application. Other times, you’ll be asked in the job interview itself. If you’re not asked, it’s fine to offer them at the job interview.

Never submit your references with the resume and cover letter. Don’t put “References available upon request” on your resume either. Prospective employers know you’ll provide your references when they ask for them! Use that space on your resume for something more useful.

How to Better Your Odds

When you have an interview scheduled, give your references a heads up. It’s helpful to forward a copy of the job posting. If it’s been a while since they agreed to be your reference, ask if it’s still okay to list them.

Give them the company name, position title you’re seeking, and the name of  the person who may be calling. Let them know some of the job’s responsibilities so they can discuss specific skills, experience, and achievements from their work with you.

Stay in touch with your references. Update them on your job search. Contact them soon after any interview to let them know how it went. Ask them if they were contacted and what questions they were asked. Be sure to thank them for their support, and maybe write a handwritten thank you note.

If your job search continues for a long period of time, your references will probably have been called a number of times. It’s smart to check in with them periodically, just to show your appreciation and to make sure you can still count on them.

What Are References Typically Asked?

According to the 2010 SHRM survey, most companies ask:

• Names of your former employers, your job titles, dates of employment, and salary
• Your degrees, school attendance, and academic accomplishments
• The responsibilities you had in previous positions

Companies might also want to verify licenses and certifications, check for professional disciplinary action, authenticate military discharge information, and double-check public speaking engagements, special projects, or articles published.

Prospective employers are generally trying to evaluate your specific qualifications. But hiring people also want to get a handle on the  “intangibles” — those  qualities that tell them if you are a good cultural fit for the company. To that end, they may ask about your communication style, your planning and decision-making skills, and your leadership capabilities.

There are two red flags that are  likely to derail a job offer. One is discrepancies in dates of previous employment. And the other is discrepancies in education degrees. These facts are two of the easiest items to check,  because they can both be  verified with an institution directly, not necessarily with a specific individual.

Legal Implications and Common Myths

A company should ask your permission before it contacts your references. But  because you’ve provided the names and contact info, you’ve pretty much given permission.  Some companies will require you to sign a release form. Read it carefully. It may authorize the company to contact unnamed references as well, in other words, people not on your “preferred” reference list.

The release form could also authorize the company to conduct a background check to see if you have any criminal or civil legal issues, such as misdemeanor or felony convictions. And the form may permit them to do a credit check to examine your financial background.

One myth about reference checking is that your former employer can provide only your dates of employment, position titles, and salary history. This is not true. Legally, an employer can provide as much information as they want about your tenure there.

Technically, the information provided  in reference checks must be factual. But this doesn’t mean that the person providing the reference can’t give their personal opinion of you — even if that opinion is negative.

Remember too, that one of the purposes of references is to help a prospective employer have the confidence to hire you. If you know that one of your  employers has a  policy to limit what it reports, you need to provide references outside of that employer, someone who can deliver that additional dimension. Let the prospective employer know about the tight-lipped policy so they won’t think that the company has negative input it is withholding.

What to Do About Negative References

Sometimes, you may suspect that a reference is keeping you from getting offers. In this situation, you can hire a company to contact your references and inquire about you. The most well-known of these firms is Allison & Taylor (www.allisontaylor.com). You will pay $79-$99 per reference, and will receive a written report.

The company says that approximately 50 percent of all reference checks they conduct uncover negative input from the reference. Once you know what is being said, you can take action, including talking to the reference or even working with an employment attorney to write a cease-and-desist order. It sounds drastic, but negative references can keep you from getting a job offer.

References: Next Steps

After you are hired for a new job, send your references a thank you letter for their role. Maintaining your network should be an ongoing process. Look for opportunities to return the favor. And keep in touch with your references, sharing good news, information, and resources. Don’t wait to communicate with them until you need them for your next job search.

Continue to build the list of recommendations on your LinkedIn profile. In the future, more employment screening will be done by searching online, using Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. By keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date now, and building a bank of recommendations, you’ll improve your chances of landing any job offer in the future.

The Human Resources folks like to check job applicants’ references. Of American companies, 76% will contact the people on your list of references.

They do it because checking references is one way prospective employers can add to what they learn from your resume, LinkedIn profile, and interviews. These reference checks are just part of a comprehensive screening process, which might even include inquiries into immigration status, credit reports, drug screening, and criminal background checks.

What people who know you say about you can be the piece of the puzzle that paves the way to a job offer, or throws up a detour sign.  Let’s see how you can put your best foot forward.

Who’s Most Likely to Check References?

Not every company will bother to make those calls to people you list as references. But it’s best to be prepared and get your references list together.

If you apply for a position where you’ll have access to confidential information — like info on other employees or on the company’s clients – it’s probable that you’ll be subject to reference checks. If the job you want is in finance, information technology, or customer-facing positions, you can expect to have references checked.

The best time to start thinking about your references is when you’re putting together your resume, not when you’re submitting applications. Why wait until you’re getting called in for an interview to prepare something that can be a deal maker or deal breaker?

Select Your References

The advantage of preparing your references is that you can take the upper hand and identify your best reference people. Although there’s no guarantee human resources will contact references in the order you’d like to have them contacted (best first) you can still list them as though they were prizes – first place at the top of the list. Hiring people have the option to contact people who aren’t even on your list, but you don’t have much control over that.

You will want to select three to seven individuals to be your top tier references. These individuals may be current or former managers or supervisors, co-workers, peers, or team members, current or former customers of the company, vendors or suppliers, and people you have supervised.

Most employers will want at least two of your references to be former employers. If you don’t have recent work experience, you can list members of committees you volunteer with, or pro bono clients. If you have recent educational experience, you can also list professors, faculty members, and advisors.

The important thing is to select people who know your work well, who have seen you in action. It’s better to have people who can speak about your particular skills and accomplishments than it is to list a “big name” as a reference. If someone seems hesitant to serve as your reference, ask someone else.

Hiring managers also like to see some personal references, people who will vouch for you being dependable, honest, and have good judgment. A personal reference should know you well, and have known you for at least five years, but not be a relative. Good choices are a business acquaintance, teacher, coach, doctor, religious leader, neighbor, or a landlord.

Well-chosen personal references can go a long way towards tilting the decision to hire you in your favor because they give an added dimension to your personality and worth.

Make sure all your references are people who are relatively easy to contact.

Reach Out to Your References Early

It can take some time to track down and communicate with all your references. You’ll want to update them with what’s new in your career, and verify their contact information. You don’t want to try to do all that while you’re researching and preparing for a job interview.

If you’re also asking your references to give you LinkedIn recommendations, try to schedule them so all of your recommendations aren’t coming in on or around the same date. That looks a bit hokey – just one more reason why starting early pays off.

Ask Permission from Your References

Once you’ve decided who you would like to be your top tier references, contact them and ask if they are willing. It’s best to call each one directly instead of emailing. If possible, arrange for an in-person meeting. Make it convenient for them and offer to buy lunch or coffee. They are doing you a favor!

Keep in mind: Not everyone you’ve worked for — or worked with — will be a good reference for you. You want a reference that can be as enthusiastic about you as you are about getting the job. Not all potential references will be able to provide this kind of stellar recommendation. But some of your references may be hesitant to say no to you directly if you ask.

You can give them a way to let themselves off the hook, without turning you down directly. Instead of asking, “Will you be a reference for me?” Ask them, “Do you feel you know me well enough to serve as a reference for me?” Or ask, “Will you be a great reference for me?” If the answer is anything less than enthusiastic, you can collect their information, but not list them on your preferred reference list. It’s perfectly fine to ask a reference to support you, but then not include his name on your list.

The in-person meeting is a good time to ask someone for a LinkedIn recommendation. Check first to see if he is on LinkedIn, since he will need a LinkedIn account to recommend you.

Remember to update your contact with what you’ve been up to, especially if they knew you at a previous job. Let them know what you’re looking for in your next job. Filling them in makes it easy for them to be specific and betters your chance of a positive reference.

Once you’ve received the go-ahead, send a letter or email thanking each person for agreeing to be a reference. Send each a current copy of your resume, or promise to send them a copy if it’s not finalized. I offer fast turnaround on my resume service, so I won’t keep you or your references waiting.

You can help a hiring manager get a fuller picture of you by quickly and professionally providing good, reliable, positive references. Make his job easy and you look good. When you look good, you’re one giant step closer to that job offer.

 

Even though we aren’t kids anymore, each of us still likes to hear someone tell us, “Good job!” A recommendation on LinkedIn is like that pat on the back. Only more important.

It’s common now for employers to visit your LinkedIn profile before they invite you in for an interview. It’s a sure thing they will read your recommendations. Let’s make sure they like what they see.

When someone recommends you on LinkedIn, you’ll receive a an email notification.

When you click on the link at the bottom of the email, you will be taken to the same message in your LinkedIn account. If you are not already signed into your LinkedIn account you will need to sign in. LinkedIn will ask if you want to “Show this Recommendation on my profile” or “Hide this Recommendation on my profile.” Choose one option and then click “Accept Recommendation.” Yes, you can accept and still hide. More about that in a minute.

After you click “Accept Recommendation,” you’ll receive a “Recommendation Confirmation.” This screen will also give you the opportunity to write a reciprocal recommendation. It’s always a good idea to reciprocate, and the sooner the better.

If you find an error in your recommendation, or it’s not specific enough, you can click the “Request Replacement” link and it will automatically generate a request for a change with an email to the individual who wrote the recommendation.

What if you get a recommendation you like except some of its facts are wrong? The best way to handle this situation is to ask for it to be changed. But instead of asking your contact to change the whole thing, you can make it easy — and at the same time show you appreciate their effort — by being specific with your request. Tell the person exactly what you would like changed. Here’s an example:

“I like what you’ve written, but I was wondering if you would correct the statement where you said I brought in $200,000 in revenue; my records from that time show that the figure was closer to $375,000.”

Replace the standard text in the message with your custom message. It’s simple to request a re-write for a recommendation you’ve previously received but that hasn’t become part of your profile. First, choose “Recommendations” from the Profile menu.

The default tab on the Recommendations page is “Received Recommendations.” At the top of the page, you will see what recommendations you’ve received that haven’t been published. The second section is “Manage Recommendations You’ve Received.”

In the section below that heading, you’ll see a list of your current positions and the recommendations you’ve received, associated with each job position you’ve listed in your profile.

If you click on the Manage link, you will see the recommendations you’ve received for that position. You can click the checkbox above the word “Show” and it will change that recommendation to hidden on your profile. When you click “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page, it will remove that recommendation from being visible on your profile.

This is the page where you can also request a new or revised recommendation.

You can also graciously refuse recommendations. When you receive a message notifying you of the recommendation, and you prefer that it not be part of your page, choose “Hide this Recommendation on my profile.”

Then, click “Accept Recommendation.” This will acknowledge receipt of the Recommendation, but it will not be visible on your LinkedIn profile. Most likely, the recommendation writer will never know you chose to ignore the rec he wrote. Being polite is an important business skill.

More Notes on LinkedIn Recommendations

Recommendations matter. But who writes them can be more important than what they write. A recommendation from a higher-level person makes more of an impact than one from a colleague who is on the same rung of the business ladder as you are. A prospective employer will judge any recommendation by the quality and status of the person writing it. That’s just business as usual.

Finally, don’t write or display any bad recommendations on your LinkedIn profile. What’s a “bad recommendation?” It’s one that is:

• Generic
• From a person who doesn’t have a clear understanding of you or your work
• Written without context, such as how or when this person knows you or worked with you
• Obviously out-of-date or has information that is irrelevant

For more LinkedIn tips and tricks to help you with your job search, be sure to download “Resume to Payday: Online Secrets to Find and Land Your Dream Job” today.

Someone you worked with for two weeks in 1992 sends you a  LinkedIn request for a recommendation.  A colleague whose work ethics leave you cold asks for a LinkedIn recommendation. A kid you hardly knew in high school wants you to recommend her. What to  do?

Here’s one of those many instances when what Mom told you was spot-on:  “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Niceness abounds on LinkedIn. The reason you will rarely see a negative recommendation there is because the content is public. Anyone with a LinkedIn profile controls the content on the profile, including recommendations. No one is going to approve negative comments for public display.

Solutions to Problem Requests

Business etiquette says you can’t completely ignore requests for LinkedIn recommendations. But you don’t have to accept them either.  Here are your choices. Choose the one that best suits the situation.

Beg Off.
Respond that you don’t feel the person well enough to write a recommendation. The nice way to say this is, “I realize we’ve known each other for years, but I don’t know enough about your career and industry to be a credible reference.”

Put Them Off.
If you don’t have a history with this person, it’s acceptable to say something like, “Once we’ve worked together for a while, I’d be happy to write a recommendation for you.” This buys you time, lets the person know you take the recommendation seriously, and saves face for you both.

Blame LinkedIn
When you agree to recommend someone, LinkedIn offers a form that makes it difficult to be evasive. You’re required to specify how and where and in what capacity you know Joe. If you know Joe only from your weekly game of pick-up basketball or because his daughter is your children’s babysitter, you’re within bounds to respond with,  “Although we know each other socially, because LinkedIn attaches recommendations to specific jobs, I don’t feel I’m a good fit for you.”

Steps to Easy Rec Writing

If you do decide to write a recommendation, here are some ways to make the process simple.

Ask About the Goal
The first question you should ask is: “What is your objective?” Once you know the answer, you’ll provide better service. You should learn if the individual is job hunting, wants a promotion, is looking to land a certain client, or is in the midst of a career change.  Knowing the goal means you can tailor the recommendation to meet your contact’s specific needs.

Check Out the Profile
Look at the individual’s LinkedIn profile. Especially look at the job description of her position when you worked together, so you can align what you say to what she says, adding weight to her credibility and documentation.

Ask for a Draft
There’s no rule against asking a person to shoot you a few talking points. Heck, they may write the entire thing for you, making your task  a whole lot easier. Just be sure that you personally agree with what’s sent to you.

It makes good sense to consider the big picture when you’re dealing with LinkedIn. Your own profile there is an important piece of the puzzle that employers will put together when they are considering  you as a hire.  You don’t want your own profile to look fluffed up or watered down. I can help you fine tune your LinkedIn profile. Just contact me and we’ll go from there.

Remember that recommendations you write show up on your own profile, so excessive and indiscriminate  recommendations may come back to bite you.

And that sounds like something your mother would say.

As in every business situation, there’s a right way and a not-so-career-advancing way to ask for a reference or recommendation.

Employers looking at you will look at your LinkedIn profile. They will read your recommendations.

Let’s make sure that your recommendations favorably impress that future boss, or that HR exec, or that recruiter. Even your Mom.

A recommendation from someone higher up the ladder carries much more weight than one from someone further down the ladder (or the jungle gym, as author and Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg calls it).

A recommendation from someone who has worked directly with you is preferable to one from someone who knows you casually or outside of business circles.

A recommendation from someone who has known you a long time is far better than one from a new acquaintance.

Who and How to Ask

To further guide you in choosing people, let me make some suggestions.

Ask only people who are relevant to your goals. Believe it or not, a few flakey recommendations can harm your LinkedIn profile and your credibility. So, tailor your requests and choose individuals who will boost your image, and drive home your brand. Choosing people in the same profession as you (or an allied field) is one way to do this.

Another way is to make sure your recommendation-writer knows what your current goals are. Ask him to be specific when he gives you a rec. For example, you could say,

“Would you provide me with a recommendation based on the lunar landing project we worked together on, because that’s part of the job I am applying for.”

In fact, it’s always a good idea to give your contact some context for your request. Like this:

“I’m writing ask if you will give me a recommendation on LinkedIn. As you know, I’m looking to make a career change, and I believe a recommendation from you based on our work together on the JFK assassination investigation would be useful in highlighting my transferable skills.”

One of the ways I advise clients get good LinkedIn recommendations is to write them the recommendation themselves. Don’t be shy. Doing the writing makes it easier on the person submitting the recommendation.  And it increases the likelihood that the recommendation will be specific and detailed, two important qualities.

Your request could look like this:

“I’m writing to request a recommendation based on our work together on the Academy Awards Ceremony that I can include on my LinkedIn profile. To make this easy for you, here’s a draft recommendation. Feel free to edit this or create your own.” 

Here’s another tip: Before you ask anyone for a recommendation, go to the individual’s LinkedIn profile and see if she has written any other recommendations. Ask yourself if they are articulate and positive.

Also, see if all the recommendation she’s written say basically the same things. You want details that are unique to the person being recommended. If what she’s written isn’t very believable, strong, clear, or specific, you should consider providing the draft that you’ve written yourself about yourself.

Nitty Gritty of LinkedIn

You probably know that LinkedIn has a recommendation request form that guides you through the process. From your profile tab you can type “Request Recommendations” into the search box. You will be taken to a page that says “Ask your connections to recommend you.”

You’ll then fill in the form that asks what you want to be recommended for. You want to keep this updated as you apply for different positions, or else use a generic title for the positions you’ll be apply for – electrical engineer, dietitian, bank manager, chocolate tester…

LinkedIn provides a cookie-cutter message that you can use, beginning with the subject line. I suggest you type in, “Will you recommend me?” It’s a better question than “Can you recommend me?” because it’s accurate and more complimentary, more likely to get an affirmative answer. You know they can, but will they?

Then, you’ll want to customize the actual message.

So, under “Create your message,” replace the existing text with a personalized message. Gear it to the nature of your relationship – friendly and casual for a long-time friend, more formal if it’s going to the CEO of the last big company you worked for.

Although LinkedIn gives you the option of sending bulk recommendation requests, I suggest you don’t do that. If someone is going to take the time to recommend you, he deserves a personal note from you.

Your request might read,

“Thanks for agreeing to write a recommendation for me. I am hoping you can mention our mutual work with Royal Caribbean. I’m positioning myself as a cruise recreation director, so if you say something about my expanding the program to net an additional million dollars per cruise while reducing overhead 50%, that would be great.”   

Up Close and Personal

An even better idea is to ask for a recommendation through more personal means — in person, on the phone, or by email.

In fact, one of the best ways to get a LinkedIn recommendation is to ask after someone gives you a compliment “in real life.” If a business or a social contact praises your work in an email, for example, you could respond with a message that thanks them and adds,

“Are you on LinkedIn? Would you mind if I sent you a request for a recommendation? It would mean a lot to me to have you say that on my profile.”

Reciprocation is another useful channel to acquire recommendations. Generally, if someone provides you with a recommendation, he will expect you to write one for him. So it’s a good idea to ask for recommendations only from people whom you’d be willing to recommend in the spirit of reciprocity.

Remember that the reverse is also true. If you are the one who initiates the exchange and writes an unsolicited recommendation for someone you know, that person is likely to return the favor and recommend you. Sometimes even these people take a little prodding, though.

The problem with swapping favors like this is that a reciprocal rec is less powerful than a rec that is given without strings attached. They are usually less convincing. To complicate things, visitors to your profile can see whom you have recommended and who has recommended you, and it’s likely they can spot any exchanges of support.

Social media has few secrets!

One final note is that if you don’t receive a response from someone after you request a recommendation, or if you don’t feel comfortable following up, consider whether you should be asking for a recommendation from that person in the first place.

I hope these tips can help you as you gather favorable and impressive recommendations for your LinkedIn profile. And remember, if you need help, I love doing LinkedIn makeovers for my clients!

With LinkedIn becoming increasingly important in the recruiting and hiring process, having Recommendations on your profile is important. Great Recommendations can be the difference in getting the job offer. In today’s blog post, I’m going to outline four main reasons you should be actively pursuing LinkedIn Recommendations.

1. You Can Get Endorsed

LinkedIn Recommendations are a natural evolution of references and letters of recommendation. However, they often are more credible than these traditional documents, because it is harder to fake a Recommendation on LinkedIn than it is to forge a letter. Since many companies are restricting reference checks to verification of title and dates of employment, a LinkedIn Recommendation from a supervisor — and/or coworkers — carries weight.

LinkedIn has been described as a “reputation engine.” That’s an apt description, because your reputation does precede you online — not just in your work history, but also in your LinkedIn Recommendations.

Someone looking at your Recommendations wants to know two things:

• What are you like?
• Are you good at what you do?

2. You Can Boost Your Visibility

Recommendations are also vital in increasing your visibility on LinkedIn. In order for your profile to be considered “complete,” LinkedIn also requires you to receive a minimum of three Recommendations. According to LinkedIn, “Users with Recommendations in their profiles are three times more likely to receive relevant offers and inquiries through searches on LinkedIn.”

3. You Can Sound Smart

In addition, you can enhance your own reputation by providing Recommendations, because people viewing your profile can see (and read) the Recommendations you make. (Go to the person’s profile on LinkedIn, and on the right-hand side of the page, you’ll see a box for “(Name) Recommends.”) You can see excerpts of their Recommendations, or click the link for “See all Recommendations.”

4. You Can Improve Your SEO Results

Recommendations can also provide Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results — meaning, they will help you get found — both on LinkedIn as well as on search engines. Use industry-specific terminology in your Recommendations. Keywords included in LinkedIn Recommendations also receive emphasis in search engine results — especially searches within LinkedIn. When conducting a keyword search, all the keywords in a profile are indexed, and profiles with a high match of relevant keywords come up higher in the results listings. Although LinkedIn’s specific algorithms are secret, some experts suggest that keywords in Recommendations receive double the rankings of keywords provided in the profile itself.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll blog about how to give a good LinkedIn Recommendation, I’ll show you how to actually make a Recommendation on LinkedIn, and I’ll explain how to request your own Recommendations on LinkedIn.

My clients often ask me how many Recommendations they should have on their LinkedIn profile.  The simple answer is: At least three. After three Recommendations, LinkedIn considers this section of your profile “complete.”

The better answer, though, takes these considerations into account:

1. Connections-to-Recommendations Ratio

How many Recommendations you have really depends on how many contacts you have. A good guideline is 1-2 Recommendations for every 50 connections.

2. A Variety of Professional Relationships

Ideally, your LinkedIn Recommendations will be from a variety of individuals — not just supervisors, but co-workers, people you supervise, and clients/customers. Choose quality over quantity.

3. Inclusive of All Positions and Companies

Try to get a handful of Recommendations from each of the positions you’ve held and from people at each of the companies you’ve worked for. If all of your current Recommendations are from just one job or company, go through your connections and solicit Recommendations for those jobs/companies that are under-represented.