Week 3: Attracting Recruiters Like Bees to Honey
How to Add Skills & Get Endorsements
Video Time: 6 Minutes Action Time: 30 Minutes – 4 Hours
In the last episode, we talked about the importance of listing out all your skills. Now we are going to talk about how to decide which order to rank them in on your LinkedIn profile and the actual step-by-step process.
When adding these skills put the most important skills that you want to be known for at the top! You will see below the step-by-step details on how to do that. Once you do that, get 99+ endorsements for what you want to be known for.
This may seem like a lot, but don’t worry, we are here to help you! Just think of it as getting more likes on your social media posts, except the goal is to attract potential employers and not your crush!
You also want your experiences to line up with all the amazing skills you have on your profile. It’s important to give yourself a great title whenever possible! Don’t call yourself a volunteer, instead, identify the position or job you did and give yourself that title.
In the last episode, we talked about the importance of listing out all your skills. Now we are going to talk about how to decide which order to rank them in on your LinkedIn profile and the actual step-by-step process.
When adding these skills put the most important skills that you want to be known for at the top! You will see below the step-by-step details on how to do that. Once you do that, get 99+ endorsements for what you want to be known for.
This may seem like a lot, but don’t worry, we are here to help you! Just think of it as getting more likes on your social media posts, except the goal is to attract potential employers and not your crush!
You also want your experiences to line up with all the amazing skills you have on your profile. It’s important to give yourself a great title whenever possible! Don’t call yourself a volunteer, instead, identify the position or job you did and give yourself that title.
For example, if you “volunteered” to set up a fundraiser, change your title to “Fund Raising Specialist” or if you helped put a website or landing page together, don’t use “volunteer” – instead, Web Designer or Front End Web Designer. There’s no such thing as a LinkedIn police task force! We aren’t asking you to lie, we’re telling you to maximize the experiences you have to your greatest advantage!
1
Go to your LinkedIn profile and click on Add a profile section, and from the Skills section of the drop-down menu, click the plus sign next to Skills.
You may have to expand the Skills section to get to it!
2In the box that pops up, click on as many of the suggested skills that apply to you as you’d like, and then click on the Search bar at the top of the window.
3When you begin to type a skill or keyword into the bar, a list of suggestions will pop up. Click all that apply.
4Once you’ve identified all the skills that you want, click Add in the bottom right-hand corner of the window.
Keep in mind, when adding skills to LinkedIn, to put your most important assets at the top of your list. That is, the skills you want to be most known for and that would be the most beneficial to the role you would like to land. These three top skills will be featured in your profile. Here’s how:
1On your profile, scroll down to the Skills & Endorsements section and click on the pencil on the upper right-hand side.
2A box will pop up that will show you all of your skills in a list. To remove a skill from your top three, click on the solid thumbtack. To add a skill to your top three, click the empty thumbtack.
3 You can rearrange your skills by clicking the four horizontal lines on the right-hand side and dragging the skill to its new spot.
4You can also delete skills by simply clicking the trash can.
5Once you’re done rearranging your skills, click Save!
Once you’ve got your skills sorted out, get to work on getting 99+ endorsements on your top skill. Once you’ve reached that goal, move your next skill up to number one and work on getting another 99+ endorsements for that. And so on and so on… Lather, rinse, repeat!
1On your connection’s profile, scroll down to the Skills & Endorsements section near the bottom.
2Next to their top three skills, you will see a +. Click it!
The Bonus Window!
When you click that endorse button, a window will pop up asking you for more details. While you can just click off of the window or click the X on the upper right-hand side to close it, answering these quick questions does help your connection!
3Under the top three skills, click Show More.
4Endorse the rest of their skills!
Here’s a Tip
Do you know who gets a ton of recommendations? Take a guess? Okay, time’s up! Still don’t know? Okay, fine, we’ll tell you. People who get tons of recommendations are those who ask for them!
Ask and you shall receive! Ask people in our Private LinkedIn Membership Community for endorsements! Ask your friends, your supporters, your community, past employers/coworkers and your cheerleaders!
If you ask for a recommendation, let the other person know that you’ll give them one too! Reciprocity! It’s the practices of exchanging things with others for mutual benefits. And if you’re a savvy career seeker, you’ll tell the other person what you want them to mention!
Here is an easy template to follow when giving or asking for recommendations.
[ Name] is a [phrase that best describes the person]. He/She has worked with me as the [job title] at [company name] for [time duration], during which [working relationship]. He/She was [descriptive phrase] when it comes to [skill/expertise], and was a great asset to the team [memorable achievement/ problem solving challenge] As a [job title/team member] he/she [describe overall attitude at work]. It was an absolute pleasure to work with [name], and give him/her my full recommendation.
Now it’s time to give recommendations! Recommendations do several things for you:
- They show that a third party is willing to vouch for you. Your colleagues, former co-workers, bosses, etc. are giving you their stamp of approval.
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They affirm your skills and talents.
Remember that having others voluntarily giving you their recommendation or endorsement truly verifies your skills even more.
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They allow you to be an advocate.
The more you stand out, the more you can help others!
- They show that a third party is willing to vouch for you. Your colleagues, former co-workers, bosses, etc. are giving you their stamp of approval.
-
They affirm your skills and talents.
Remember that having others voluntarily giving you their recommendation or endorsement truly verifies your skills even more.
-
They allow you to be an advocate.
The more you stand out, the more you can help others!
So start giving those beautiful people the recognition they deserve and let them give you that recognition right back! Reciprocity is a wonderful thing. Here’s how to give someone a recommendation:
1At the top of your connection’s profile, click the More button. In the drop-down that appears, click Recommend.
2A window will pop up, and you will be given two drop-downs for your relationship to the connection and the position you are recommending them for. Choose from the options listed and then click Next.
If your connection was your boss at the time, you can find the position they held when you worked with them and choose that. Also, we’re just as disappointed as you that there’s no “It’s Complicated” option for your relationship status. Opportunity missed!
3In the middle section of the window, type in your well-thought-out recommendation, and then hit Send.
This is the part where you talk your connection up! If you’re stuck on what to say, take a look at the box below!
- How you know the person. Were you their senior? Team member? Were you managed by them?
- How long you worked together and what you worked on. Did you work with them daily, on a specific project, or on numerous projects?
- The qualities that would make someone want to hire them. How did they demonstrate their skills and positive qualities. How were their results?
And remember: When you’re giving a recommendation to someone, be genuine!
Now it’s time to ask for them to return the love. Never forget this statement: Ask and you shall receive! You’d be surprised how many people will do something for you if you ask nicely, and here at Super Purposes™, we’d be honored to do so! Everybody fudges their resume, and we’ve got PLENTY of fudge. We’re your cheerleaders and want you to succeed. So get those fingers ready, because here’s how you ask for a recommendation:
1At the top of your connection’s profile, click the More button. In the drop-down that appears, click Recommend.
2
A window will pop up, and you will be given two drop-downs for your relationship to the connection and the position you held when you worked with them. Choose from the options listed and then click Next.
3In the middle section of the window, type in your request and then hit Send.
What to Include in your Request
- A statement that lets them know how much you value them and their support. We know it feels like brown-nosing, but when your connection receives this request it won’t come off that way. Who doesn’t like to feel like their thoughts are valued?
- A statement that lets them know what sort of feedback you’re looking for. Do you need someone to elaborate on specific skills? Let them know, so they can focus their attention on that! Believe it or not, this helps them out a lot.
- Gratitude. Even if they don’t write you a recommendation, you should thank them for the time they took to read your request.
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A call to action.
Last, but definitely not least, phrase your request in a way that causes them to view it as a reminder!
An Example of your Request
Dear [Connection’s Name],
I am so happy that we had the chance to work together at/on [company/project name]! I know that you are a [good quality] person and I’d really like to get some feedback on my ability to [specific skills/actions]. I’m recommending you for [skills/actions]!
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read this. I really appreciate you and look forward to hearing what you have to say!
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
What to Include in your Request
- A statement that lets them know how much you value them and their support. We know it feels like brown-nosing, but when your connection receives this request it won’t come off that way. Who doesn’t like to feel like their thoughts are valued?
- A statement that lets them know what sort of feedback you’re looking for. Do you need someone to elaborate on specific skills? Let them know, so they can focus their attention on that! Believe it or not, this helps them out a lot.
- Gratitude. Even if they don’t write you a recommendation, you should thank them for the time they took to read your request.
-
A call to action.
Last, but definitely not least, phrase your request in a way that causes them to view it as a reminder!
An Example of your Request
Dear [Connection’s Name],
I am so happy that we had the chance to work together at/on [company/project name]! I know that you are a [good quality] person and I’d really like to get some feedback on my ability to [specific skills/actions]. I’m recommending you for [skills/actions]!
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read this. I really appreciate you and look forward to hearing what you have to say!
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
A lot of people have trouble asking for these types of things because they feel like they’re bothering someone or are afraid of a bad recommendation. You know that saying, “beggars can’t be choosers?” Well, you’re choosing to ask them for their support, so you’re not begging! Let other people brag about you for once, because chances are if they don’t have anything good to say, they won’t spend the time it takes to write a recommendation.
In case you are just starting out, check out our internships!