How to Ask for a LinkedIn Recommendation Responsibly
Choose someone who knows your work, make a specific request, and protect privacy while giving them room to decline.
Ask someone who has worked with you directly to write an honest LinkedIn recommendation, and make it easy for them to say no. Give them a brief reminder of your shared work, then let them choose their own words. Keep confidential details out of both your request and the recommendation.
Three things to remember
- Pick someone who knows your work, not just someone with an impressive title.
- Give them context instead of a testimonial to copy.
- Follow up once, then leave the decision with them.
Asking can feel awkward. That may be especially true if you haven't spoken to a former colleague for a while. A short, considerate note can make the request easier to answer without making the person feel cornered.
What makes a useful recommendation?
A LinkedIn recommendation is a written account of someone's experience working with you. A skill endorsement is different: a connection endorses a skill on your profile without necessarily writing an account.
The details are what give a recommendation its value. "Sam coordinated the handoff checklist for our onboarding project" gives a reader a clearer picture of the work than "Sam is a great collaborator."
Think of a recommendation as one firsthand perspective, not a substitute for your resume, interview examples, or a formal reference check. There's no magic number to collect. No recommendation count guarantees an interview or a job offer.
Choose someone who has seen your work
Start with people who worked with you directly. A former manager may come to mind first, but a peer, client, or project partner could also have useful firsthand knowledge.
| Person to consider | What they might describe |
|---|---|
| Former manager | A contribution they supervised or a way you approached your work |
| Peer or project partner | Collaboration on a shared task or project |
| Client or stakeholder | Work they saw firsthand and can discuss appropriately |
A senior person's title isn't the main thing. If they know little about your day-to-day work, they may have less to say than a colleague who saw you contribute.
If you've moved countries, keep the language easy for an international reader to understand. You can remind the person of a shared project, especially if it's been a while, without asking them to inflate your role or recast it as an unfamiliar title.
Send a specific, low-pressure request
Give the person enough context to place you and the work, particularly if you've both moved on and the project wasn't recent. Keep the request brief.
Thing is, the writer shouldn't have to guess what you're asking. Name a contribution they may remember, say you'd welcome their own view, and make clear that declining is fine.
Here's a note you can adapt:
Hi Maya, I enjoyed working with you on the customer onboarding project. I'm applying for operations roles and wondered if you'd feel comfortable writing a LinkedIn recommendation about our work together. You might remember how I coordinated the handoff checklist, but please use your own judgment. No worries if you don't have time or would rather not. Thanks for considering it.
Use a real project and describe your contribution accurately. If you haven't been in touch for a long time, a short update before the request may feel more natural. Mention a deadline if you genuinely have one, but don't manufacture urgency.
Do: Point to a project or skill the person saw firsthand.
Don't: Supply polished praise for them to copy, or ask them to describe work they didn't observe.
Follow up once, then close the loop
Give the person time. Writing a recommendation takes effort, and your request may not be at the top of their list.
If a week or two passes without a reply, one short reminder is reasonable:
Hi Maya, just following up on my recommendation request in case it got buried. No pressure at all if the timing doesn't work. Thanks!
Then leave it there. Thank them if they agree or decline, and don't keep sending reminders if they stay silent.
You can also recommend someone whose work you genuinely want to recognize. Write it because you mean it, not on the condition that they recommend you in return.
Protect privacy and confidential details
Caution: A recommendation may be visible on a public profile. Don't put private client names, internal figures, or sensitive project details in your request, and don't ask the writer to disclose them. If you're unsure whether a detail can be shared, describe the work generally or leave it out.
Be careful about asking someone at your current workplace, too. If you're not comfortable with your manager knowing you may be updating your profile for a job search, a former colleague may be a better person to approach.
For current instructions on requesting recommendations and managing their visibility, visit LinkedIn Help and search for recommendations. Check the relevant settings. Don't assume who can see either a request or a completed recommendation.
Review the recommendation for accuracy
Read what the person writes before moving on. Check the project, your role, and any details they include. Make sure those details are accurate and appropriate to share.
If you find an error or confidential information, thank the writer and explain the concern politely. The point is to correct the record or protect information, not to ask for more flattering language.
For related job-search topics, you can browse DossierPro's career resources. A recommendation works best as one honest part of a profile that reflects your experience.
The bottom line
Choose one person who knows your work firsthand. Send a short note with a reminder of what you did together, and give them room to decline. Then wait for their response.