Career Advice Talk

LinkedIn - “Recommendations Preferred”

5th June, 2009 - Posted by Robin Ogden -

Well, if you haven’t spent time building out your LinkedIn profile or reaching out for recommendations - here’s something that may change your mind.

One of the job postings I saw on LinkedIn the other day indicated that the job would only be posted on LinkedIn, they were seeking individuals within the LinkedIn network only and preference would be given to those with recommendations.  This is the first time I have seen a job posting like that but I expect that it will grow.

Reaching out for recommendations is something that some individuals may not feel comfortable doing (just like tooting their own horn in an interview).  But it is something that you ‘must’ do if you want to compete in the job-seeker arena.

What do recommendations say about a person - beyond what is in print?  Well, here are a couple of things: one is that the person actually had to reach out to others to acquire something, another is that they feel comfortable enough in their own skin to ‘ask’ for what they need/want and another is that they believe in themselves and that what they have contributed in other organizations is worth talking about.  These are all valuable assets for an employer to have in an employee.

I know that I bug my clients all the time about creating or finishing up their profiles on LinkedIn.  It is so easy - the profile page literally eggs you on to keep completing different sections.  So, don’t let your profile go ‘unfinished‘ - because what might that say about you?  And be sure you reach out for recommendations because employers are beginning to exclude those who don’t.