Читать книгу LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies - Donna Serdula - Страница 47

Most people focus on getting endorsements, but it’s just as important to give endorsements. Endorsements are a great way to remind connections that you recognize their strengths. By endorsing connections, you are showing acknowledgement and respect for their areas of expertise. Think of endorsements as a “thumbs up” from a business acquaintance. It’s an easy way to say, “Hey, I remember you and respect your skill set.”

When giving endorsements, read through the person’s entire list of skills and endorse those skills that you are able to authentically validate from personal experience with that person.

Here’s how to endorse a connection’s skills:

1 Visit the LinkedIn profile of the person you want to endorse.

2 Scroll down to the Skills & Endorsement section.

3 Click Show More to expand the Skills & Endorsement section to see all of his or her skills.

4 Hover over the skill you want to endorse and click the plus ( + ) sign that appears to the right of it.A pop-up window opens.

5 Select how good the person is at the skill and how you know about that skill.You can choose from Good, Very Good, and Highly Skilled. You can also note whether you managed or reported to the person. This information is not shared with person you are endorsing.

6 Click the Submit button.You can endorse numerous skills; just keep clicking the plus ( + ) signs.

You are only able to endorse first-degree connections. When you visit a profile of a second-degree, third-degree, or Out of Network profile, you see their skills and endorsements, but the plus ( + ) sign to endorse does not appear.

Endorse your first-degree connections honestly and genuinely. No one wants to be endorsed by someone who is only guessing at their skills. When you make a thoughtful endorsement of a connection you admire, that person is more likely to return the favor in kind.

There may be times you receive endorsements from people within your network that you don’t know all that well or at all. This is especially true when you are an open networker and connect with people regardless of whether you know them or not. These first-degree connections that you don’t know so well may endorse you because they know of your work and wish to promote positivity in the world. They also may hope that you operate with a quid quo pro mentality and want you to endorse them right back. Do not feel strong-armed! Endorse people because you appreciate their work, not because you feel guilt.

When viewing a first-degree connections’ profiles, every now and then LinkedIn may provide you the ability to endorse them for skills they have listed (see Figure 3-8). This prompt is a great way to keep in touch with connections and show your appreciation for their strengths.

FIGURE 3-8: Endorsing a connection during a visit to her LinkedIn profile.