LinkedIn recommendation examples (and how to write a good recommendation)

With over a billion users worldwide, standing out on LinkedIn is far from a foregone conclusion, no matter your credentials. That’s where LinkedIn recommendations can do wonders for someone’s job prospects.  

LinkedIn recommendations are short references that you can add to someone's profile to let potential employers know about their talents and skills.  

While you’d think it would be easy to summarize someone’s abilities in a couple of short paragraphs, it’s often difficult to know where to start. Thankfully, we’re here to help. Read on for some examples of LinkedIn recommendations that will help potential employees stand out from the crowd. 

What are LinkedIn recommendations? 

LinkedIn recommendations are short, snappy references that endorse a user’s skillset and positive qualities. Unlike traditional references, employees can scan through LinkedIn recommendations without having to ring a list of people added to the bottom of a resumé.  

They are a useful tool to help people stand out from other employees using the platform, increasing chances of being handed interviews and job offers. This is because people tend to trust the opinions of others over somebody talking about themselves. 

Who can write LinkedIn recommendations? 

LinkedIn recommendations can be written by first-degree connections on the platform. These connections don’t have to be former bosses or people in positions of authority at former workplaces. If you can provide any level of insight into someone’s credentials, you can write a LinkedIn recommendation. 

LinkedIn understandably restricts recommendations to one per first-degree connection, with the number of first-degree connections a user can have capped at 30,000. While it’s useful to have a few recommendations under your belt, it’s safe to say that hitting the limit of 30,000 might be overdoing it. 

Why should I write a LinkedIn recommendation? 

Much like leaving a review online for your favorite restaurant or independent business, writing a LinkedIn recommendation is a way of supporting and appreciating someone. Whether you’ve worked with the person for decades or a short stint, your words can potentially open doors for them in the future. 

While you shouldn’t do nice things solely to have the favor returned, there’s every chance that someone you recommend will do the same for you. After all, people are notified by LinkedIn when somebody recommends them. 

Important things to remember when writing a recommendation

Once you nail the formula for writing LinkedIn recommendations, their simplicity becomes evident. You don’t have to be a high-level writer; you just have to include specific details about the person and your relationship with them. Here is a brief overview of what to include: 

• Memorable opening line: The opening line is important as it hooks the reader in, increasing the chance that they’ll read the entire recommendation instead of scanning over it. 
• Your relationship with the person: Letting the reader know your relationship with the person adds context to your recommendation.  
• A unique skill of theirs: Everyone has at least one unique skill that they seem to be better at than most. It could be work ethic related or the way they get across their ideas. Whatever it may be, it needs highlighting. 
• Character references: Next, it’s important to give an insight into the person’s personality. Not only does this reveal their character, but it also adds validity and color to your recommendation. 
• Closing line: It’s good to close with a strong recommendation line, explaining how the person would be an asset to a working environment.  

Now let’s dive in to some examples for each aspect of a LinkedIn recommendation. 

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Opening line examples 

Your opening line works as an invitation for people to carry on reading. You’ll want to keep it brief, stating how much you enjoyed your time working with the person you are recommending. Be careful, though. If the line is too generic, it won’t entice the reader in. This is why you should opt for a phrase that has more color than your usual, “I enjoyed working with (name).” 

“It’s not often that you get to work with a talent like (name).” 

This is an easy alternative to generic statements like, “X is a very talented worker.” It marks the individual as being a cut above the rest, which is exactly the type of candidate that the hiring manager hopes to find. 

It also refrains from using hyperbole, which can somewhat invalidate a recommendation if used too blatantly. Saying that somebody is the absolute best at something is just too exaggerated a statement, which should always be avoided. 

“When I think of (name), I think of hard work, efficiency, and a great attitude.” 

Squeezing in some key traits early on in your recommendation will do no harm whatsoever. In fact, it can be a great method of keeping your recommendation concise, as you can rattle off three keywords in one sentence. 

Hiring managers will be scouring recommendations for traits that align with what they want from a candidate. The sooner they see words such as ‘hard-working’ and ‘efficient’, the better. 

“In the five years I worked under (name), I learned a lot about my profession and myself.” 

If you’re writing a recommendation for a former or current manager, it’s good to mention the effect they had in a mentorship sense. As human interaction is so important in management roles, employers will be interested in the way the person treats those who work underneath them.  

But alas, it’s also important that you highlight the way they have guided you in a professional sense. After all, hiring managers will be looking for someone highly competent in the professional aspect of a role. 

Relationship examples 

Now you’ve written your opening line, it’s time to move on to the main bulk of the text. A good place to start is by describing your working relationship with the person that you are recommending.  

“I loved my time working alongside (name) throughout the two years that I worked for (company name).” 

This is a fairly basic but effective way of providing the reader with some context about your relationship with the person you are recommending. It also lets the hiring manager know that your recommendation has weight behind it and isn’t just a made-up reference from one friend to another.  

If you wanted to add extra oomph to the sentence, you could go into more depth around projects that you worked on together. This will solidify your relationship with the person to anyone reading the recommendation. 

“Since I hired (name) in 2021, they have contributed enormously to the success of our company’s flagship product.” 

If you were responsible for hiring or managing the person you’re writing for, it’s good to be specific about their achievements during your time together. Understandably, hiring managers want real-world examples of how the person can positively affect their own company. 

Always prioritize professional achievements over character references, as that is the hiring manager’s main focus. There is plenty of time to mention the person’s positive personality traits later in the recommendation. 

“As soon as I joined (company name), (name) helped me to settle in and get to grips with the role.” 

While management will be responsible for getting someone through the door, workplaces often rely on regular staff to help keep each other working well together. Having someone that takes people under their wing and offers professional and moral support is a huge bonus for any team. 

This highlights how the person treats other staff members and also shows that they are willing to give up time to keep things running smoothly.  

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Unique skill examples 

With limited space in the recommendation available, you should try and fit in as many unique traits possessed by the person as you can. It’s important not to forget that your role with the recommendation is to sell the individual in question’s best qualities.  

Remember, these are not just generic professional traits but instead qualities that go above and beyond what is expected of someone in a job role. 

“(Name) has a knack for dealing with problems calmly and with assurance, no matter how difficult the situation is.” 

Discussing someone’s unique skill is more than just naming a generic trait. Instead, you’ll want to dive deeper into how they carry themselves. If they’re a specialist in customer service, let readers know exactly what it is that makes them this way.  

In this section of your recommendation, you’ll want to devote two or three sentences to explaining the person’s best professional or personal traits. These are the qualities that will help them to stand out from other candidates, especially those who share similar professional abilities. 

“(Name) has a unique ability to command a room. When they talk, everybody listens.” 

If you’re writing a recommendation for someone in a management role, you’ll want to be specific about how they operate as a leader. While they may be great at doing the job itself, it’s best to let their future employers know how well they lead a team. 

This will help boost their credibility as a leader, a trait that doesn’t come naturally to everybody. It’s also worth mentioning someone’s leadership skills even if they haven’t been operating in a management role, as it could propel them toward a promotion. 

“(Name) is an excellent multi-tasker, able to concentrate on multiple tasks without getting flustered.” 

Being able to multi-task in a professional setting is another highly regarded but hard-to-come-by trait. Producing great work while under significant pressure is a desirable quality for any worker to possess.  

Mentioning it in your recommendation will show employers they’ll have someone in their ranks they can trust by hiring this person. 

If the person you’re recommending possesses any trait that is uncommon among the majority of the workforce, don’t hesitate to mention it. These traits are exactly what employers will be looking out for when hiring new staff, as they will fill ability gaps present among colleagues.  

Character reference examples 

When employers are looking for a new staff member, they’ll not only be looking for a competent professional but also someone who won’t upset the apple cart. If you’re good at your job but aren’t good at gelling with existing staff members, it can do more harm than good to a company.  

“(Name) always found a way of making us smile, even during the toughest days.” 

Infectious, jovial personalities are always welcomed in professional settings as they help to boost colleague morale. This is especially important for office-based roles, where colleagues have constant interaction with each other.  

If spirits are high among workmates, jobs tend to get done more efficiently and to a better standard. So, if the person in question can make you laugh, let their potential future employers know! 

“(Name) always did an incredible job in planning the office Christmas parties.”  

This quote works on two fronts, as it demonstrates the person you’re recommending is keen to bring everyone together and has good organizational skills. If anything, it’s a more subtle way of adding an extra professional trait to your recommendation. 

Above all, it suggests that the person will be a good character to have around the place, helping to unite the team going forward.  

“(Name)’s freshly baked cakes are sorely missed around the office.” 

If the person used to bring cakes into the office, whether it be for someone’s birthday or just out of kindness, mention it. This shows that they are a generous person, a trait that is of incredible use to employers. 

If they are generous with their home bakes, it likely means they’ll be generous with other things, such as their time or their expertise. Having someone who won’t mind helping out a new employee will be great for any team.  

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Closing line examples 

When finishing off your recommendation, you’ll want to end with a strong closing line. This is likely to be the easiest part of the process, as you should keep it short and snappy. You’ll also want to keep it fairly general, otherwise you run the risk of over-categorizing the person you’re recommending. 

“I couldn’t recommend (name) highly enough.” 

When we say, keep it short and sweet, we mean it. A line like this will easily suffice, as it is a literal recommendation of the person in question. It does an effective job of wrapping up all the good things you have said about the person in an efficient manner.  

“(Name) would be a fine addition to any team.” 

It’s good to be fairly generic with your closing line, as it doesn’t pigeonhole the person into one role. For example, if you said, “(name) would be a fine addition to any finance services HR team”, the specificity may hold the person back. Employers may be put off if it seems as though their prospect is a one-trick pony.  

“With (name) as a manager, any team will be in great hands.” 

Once again, if the person you’re recommending is going to be going for a management role, it’s best to highlight their management credentials. The line above is the right blend of specificity (the management job role), and generality (any team).  

As you can see, the closing line is the easiest part of the recommendation that you’ll have to write. However, this doesn’t make it any less important. Make sure that it is assured, respectful, and memorable, as it could be the difference between the person being hired or overlooked. 

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