How to Ask for LinkedIn Recommendations

LinkedIn recommendations are probably the most underused part of a job seeker's profile. A well-written recommendation from the right person does something your own words cannot: it puts credibility behind the claims you are already making. Most people skip asking because it feels uncomfortable, but with the right approach, it really does not have to be.

Who to Ask, and in What Order

The most valuable recommendations come from people who managed you directly. A line manager who can speak to your work output, your approach under pressure, or how you contributed to the team over time is the most persuasive voice a recruiter can read. After that, peer recommendations carry real weight when the person can speak to how you collaborate, what you bring to a team, or how you handle difficult situations. Direct reports are valuable if you are seeking a management role, since they can vouch for leadership qualities from the only angle that really counts. Clients and external partners round out the picture for commercial or client-facing roles.

Avoid asking people who barely interacted with you, even if they are senior. A glowing recommendation from a director who only knows you from two meetings reads very differently to a specific one from a peer who worked alongside you for two years. Specificity beats seniority.

When to Ask

Timing matters more than most people realise. The best time to ask for a recommendation is within a few weeks of a project ending, a role changing, or a significant piece of work landing well. At that point, the experience is fresh, your contributions are clear in the other person's mind, and the ask feels natural rather than out of nowhere. Asking two years after you left a job is still worthwhile, but expect a less specific result because memories fade.

If you are actively job searching, send requests before you start applying. Recommendations can take time to appear, and you want them visible when a recruiter lands on your profile, not three weeks after you have already moved through a process.

How to Ask Without Making It Awkward

The single biggest reason people hesitate to ask is that they do not know how to phrase the request without it feeling like an imposition. The answer is to make the request easy to say yes to. A message that explains why you are asking now, suggests the angle you would like the person to focus on, and gives them the option to decline graciously removes most of the friction.

Here is a template that works:

"Hi [Name], I hope you are well. I am currently [job searching / updating my LinkedIn profile] and would love to ask if you would be comfortable writing a brief LinkedIn recommendation for me. If you are happy to, it would mean a lot if you could touch on [specific project or skill] since I think that reflects what we worked on together particularly well. Of course, completely understand if you are too busy or would rather not. Thanks so much either way."

Three things make this message effective. You tell them why you are asking now, so it does not feel random. You suggest a focus area, which makes writing the recommendation much easier for them. And you give them a real out, which paradoxically makes most people more likely to say yes.

How to Make It Easy for the Writer

Once someone agrees, do not leave them staring at a blank box. Offer to share a few bullet points about the project or period you worked together, the outcomes you achieved, or the specific skills you would like them to highlight. You are not writing it for them; you are giving them raw material so they can write something specific rather than something generic. A recommendation that mentions "increased pipeline conversion by 30% during the rebrand project" is infinitely more useful than "great to work with, would recommend."

Keep the ask reasonable. You are asking for a paragraph or two, not an essay, so make that explicit: "Even just two or three sentences would be a real help."

How Many Recommendations to Aim For

Three to five well-chosen recommendations is enough for most profiles. A profile with ten recommendations from former colleagues who all say variations of the same thing is not necessarily more persuasive than one with four recommendations that are each specific and varied. Aim for a mix: one or two from managers, one or two from peers, and ideally at least one from someone in a different function who can speak to cross-team collaboration.

What Makes a Good Recommendation vs a Weak One

The difference between a useful recommendation and a forgettable one is specificity. A good recommendation mentions a project, a challenge, a result, or a behaviour. It tells a mini-story that a recruiter can use to form a picture of how you work. A weak recommendation is all adjectives and no examples: "Sophie is incredibly talented and a real pleasure to work with." That sentence communicates almost nothing a recruiter could act on.

If you are offered the chance to suggest a focus area, point the writer toward something specific: a product launch you ran together, how you handled a difficult client, the technical problem you solved, or the way you led the team through a particular period. Give them a story to tell.

Whether to Reciprocate

If someone writes you a recommendation, it is good practice to offer one in return, but only if you can write something genuine. A reciprocal recommendation that is vague or clearly written out of obligation is worth less than nothing. If someone asks you to return the favour and you cannot honestly write something specific and positive, it is better to explain that you feel unable to do the experience justice and offer to find another way to support them.