What a LinkedIn recommendation is actually for
A LinkedIn recommendation is a short, first-person account from someone who's worked with you. It tells a story about how the person works and what they changed, which is why recruiters and clients bother reading them.
You write it, the person you're recommending receives it, and they decide whether it appears on their profile; they can also ask you to tweak it. The interface changes from time to time, so go with whatever LinkedIn shows you when you sit down to write.
It isn't the same as an employment reference, which usually goes privately to an employer: a recommendation is public and carries your name. For a formal letter, our reference letter template will be more use.
How to structure a good recommendation
The ones that land almost always follow the same shape, in a handful of sentences.
- Open with what makes them stand out. The first line or two may be all anyone reads.
- Give the context: how you know them, which team or project, and roughly when.
- Pick one strength and prove it with something that happened: the situation, what they did, what changed.
- Add a personal quality the team relied on: calm, patience, generosity, a good sense of humour.
- Finish with a clear recommendation, and say what for: a role, a kind of project, a type of team.
Examples for a colleague at your level
The examples are written in the third person, which is how most recommendations read. Swap the bits in square brackets for your own details, and adjust he, she or they to suit.
A peer sees someone day to day, without the filter of a reporting line. Talk about what their manager might have missed, like the way they helped others or kept their head in a crunch. Keep it warm but not matey.
- I worked alongside [Name] in the [team] team for [length of time]. When [project] fell behind, she took on the trickiest part without being asked and delivered it on time, while still finding a minute to help the rest of us. Reliable, generous and very good at what she does. I'd recommend her without hesitation.
- [Name] has a rare knack for making complicated things simple. When we moved over to [tool], he wrote the guides and answered the same questions with endless patience. The switch went far more smoothly than anyone expected, largely thanks to him. Any team needing a clear communicator would be lucky to have him.
- Sharing a desk with [Name] was an education. She asks the question everyone else is thinking, in a way that moves the conversation on rather than putting people on the spot. On [project], she got us all to agree on a realistic timeline. A brilliant colleague, and I recommend her warmly.
- [Name] and I ran [project] together from kick-off to launch. He brought energy, an eye for detail that caught problems before they got expensive, and a sense of humour that kept us going through the late finishes. I'd work with him again tomorrow.
- If you want something done properly, give it to [Name]. I never saw her miss a commitment or flag a problem without a suggested fix, and she's always the first to share the credit. I'd recommend her for any role that calls for real ownership.
Examples for someone you've managed
From a line manager, a recommendation reads almost like a reference. Talk about growth, independence and results, and say what kind of role you'd recommend them for. If they're leaving in difficult circumstances, back them up without mentioning the reasons.
- I managed [Name] for [length of time] and watched her build a role that hadn't existed before she arrived. She set up the way we track [area] and trained every new joiner. She combines high standards with genuine kindness. Whoever hires her next is getting an outstanding professional.
- As [Name]'s line manager, I saw his development up close. On [project], he spotted a flaw in how we handled requests, proposed a fix and saw it through, and we still work that way now. I recommend him for a step up in responsibility.
- [Name] is one of those people you never need to chase. In our busiest periods she prioritised sensibly, raised risks early and always turned up with a possible solution alongside the problem. Managing her was a pleasure, and I recommend her without reservation.
- I led the team where [Name] worked as [job title]. With unhappy customers, he listens, takes the heat out of the conversation and turns a complaint into trust. Some of our most loyal clients started out as our most difficult. I'd recommend him to any business that takes its customers seriously.
- I'm recommending [Name] with particular conviction, because her leaving has nothing to do with the quality of her work. On my team she was dependable, inventive and well liked by everyone. I'm very happy to speak to any future employer about her.
Examples for your manager
Recommending the person you report to takes tact: pile on the praise and it sounds as though you're angling for something. Talk instead about what it's like to work for them: clear priorities, useful feedback, the times they stood up for the team.
- [Name] was my line manager for [length of time], and I've learnt more from her than from anyone else so far. She set clear goals, gave us room to work and was always around when we got stuck. When [project] went to the leadership team, she made sure the credit went to the people who'd done the work.
- Working for [Name] changed the way I work. He explains the thinking behind decisions, and his feedback, always specific and always kind, helped me improve faster than any course I've been on. Teams he leads tend to stick together, and now I know why.
- [Name] is at her best when everything around her is changing. During the restructure of [department], she kept us honestly informed, shielded the team from the noise and kept her door open. That's rarer than it should be, and I recommend her without a moment's hesitation.
- I joined [Name]'s team early in my career. He trusted me with important work sooner than I expected, and was there to catch my mistakes without ever making me feel small about them. I owe a good part of my professional confidence to him.
Examples for an intern, graduate or apprentice
For someone starting out, yours may be the first recommendation on their profile. Focus on how fast they learnt and one thing they actually delivered. For a fuller letter, see our guide to writing a reference for an intern.
- I supervised [Name] during her internship with [team]. She took on [task] and saw it through from start to finish with very little hand-holding. Curious, thorough and great company, she has everything she needs to do well in [field]. I recommend her highly.
- [Name] joined us as an apprentice and balanced college and work without ever letting a deadline slip. By the end, we were giving him work we'd normally keep for experienced staff. He's a quick learner and a steady pair of hands, and any team would be glad to have him.
- From her very first week, [Name] asked the right questions. As a graduate on our team, she produced [piece of work], which we still use. She takes feedback on board and comes back with something better. I'd recommend her for a first role in [field]: she'll be useful from day one.
- I'm pleased to recommend [Name], who spent his placement year in my team. He took ownership of [task], improved it week by week and was never shy about putting forward his own ideas. He'll be an asset wherever he goes next.
Examples for a client you've worked with
If you were the agency, supplier or consultant, recommending your contact on the client side is a generous and surprisingly rare gesture. Praise what made the work go well: a clear brief, decisions that stuck, respect for the people doing the job.
- My team worked with [Name] on [project], and she was the client every supplier hopes for: a clear brief, quick decisions that stuck, and real backing for the work inside her own organisation. I'd recommend her to steer any project from the business side.
- We worked for [Name] for [length of time]. He was demanding in the best possible way: precise feedback, fair decisions and real respect for our constraints. Relationships like that are why projects succeed. I recommend him without reservation.
- [Name] was our main contact at [organisation] throughout [project]. She bridged the gap between her teams and ours, calmed things down when tempers frayed and kept everyone to the timetable. I'd recommend her for any role built around coordination.
Examples for a freelancer, contractor or supplier
For anyone self-employed, every recommendation is marketing. A prospective client wants to know whether the work was good, on time and easy to deal with. Name the job. There's more in our guide to client testimonials for freelancers.
- We brought [Name] in to [job]. The result went beyond what we'd hoped for, and so did the way he got there: deadlines met, regular check-ins and suggestions that saved us time and money. I'd recommend him to anyone looking for a dependable freelancer in [field].
- [Name] took on our [website, branding, accounts] when the project was, frankly, in a mess. She gave us an honest diagnosis and put things right without once making us feel bad about the state of it. A professional who understands what her clients are up against.
- Working with [Name] never felt like hiring an outside contractor. He supported our [area] work with speed and candour: when an idea didn't stand up, he said so and offered a better one. I recommend him without hesitation.
Examples for someone in another team
Your view shows how they work beyond their own patch, with people who have different goals and a different jargon.
- I've worked with [Name] in [department] on a long list of shared projects. She always took the time to understand our constraints before answering, which saved us endless back and forth. Thanks to her, our two teams finally speak the same language.
- [Name] was our go-to person in [department], and he made every exchange easier: quick replies, clear explanations and a real determination to find a solution rather than someone to blame. I recommend him warmly.
- Our departments usually work side by side rather than together. On [project], [Name] changed that: she set up joint catch-ups, shared information freely and got the work moving faster than anyone expected. I'd recommend her for any role that cuts across teams.
Short recommendations that still say something
Short is fine, as long as there's one concrete detail. ‘Very professional’ on its own tells the reader nothing.
- [Name] is reliable, generous with her time and meticulous in her work. I recommend her without hesitation.
- A sharp, kind colleague who makes everyone around him better at their job. I'm glad to recommend [Name].
- I worked with [Name] on [project]: efficient, unflappable and good company on the hardest days. Any team would be lucky to have her.
Mistakes that make a recommendation forgettable
Most weak recommendations aren't unkind, they're just vague. Check yours before you hit send.
- Adjectives with nothing behind them. ‘Dynamic, detail-oriented’ only convinces with an example to back it up.
- The one-size-fits-all text. If you could swap in anyone else's name without changing a word, start again.
- Confidential details: internal figures, client names, old disagreements. A recommendation is public.
- Praise with a sting in the tail. ‘Despite a slow start’ is the only phrase anyone will remember. If you can't recommend someone wholeheartedly, say no politely.
- Nicknames, in-jokes and banter. Save them for the leaving card.
- Typos and misspelt names. Read it aloud first.
- Anything personal: health, family circumstances or private reasons for leaving have no place in it.
How to ask for a LinkedIn recommendation
Ask right after a project has gone well, or when one of you is moving on and the work is still fresh. Choose people who've genuinely seen you work: someone who managed you, a peer, a client.
Ask each person individually, never in a group message, and remind them of the work you did together without writing it for them. Something like: “Hi [Name], I really enjoyed working with you on [project]. Would you be happy to write a short LinkedIn recommendation about how I handled [skill]? It would help a lot with what I'm doing next. No pressure if you're snowed under.”
Thank them whatever the answer. Our guide on how to ask for a reference has more wording for different situations. On Take Your Skills, the Ask for a recommendation button on your profile gives you a link to send to colleagues.
Keeping your recommendations in one place
Take Your Skills is a free platform that gathers every recommendation your colleagues write about you on one profile, including from the ones who barely touch LinkedIn. When it's time to write one, an assistant asks questions, one at a time, about real situations you went through with the person, then suggests a text you read and edit before it's published. You can also recommend someone who isn't on Take Your Skills yet using their email address, and they're invited to claim their profile with your recommendation already waiting.