How to Write a LinkedIn Recommendation That Actually Means Something

Most LinkedIn recommendations share the same problem: they could have been written by anyone, about anyone. "Jamie is a dedicated professional who consistently delivers results and is a pleasure to work with" tells a hiring manager nothing useful.

A recommendation that actually helps someone is specific in a way that only you could write. Here's how to do it.

Why vague recommendations don't work

Hiring managers and recruiters read recommendations on LinkedIn to supplement the resume — to get information they can't find in a list of bullet points. What was this person like to work with? How did they handle hard situations? What did they accomplish that wasn't in their formal job description?

Generic recommendations answer none of those questions. They're also indistinguishable from manufactured ones, which means they register as background noise rather than signal.

The recommendations that get read, remembered, and acted on contain specific details that prove the recommender actually worked closely with the person and observed them directly.

The structure that works

Opening sentence: Lead with one specific, memorable thing. Not the person's job title and how long you've known them — that's what the timestamp and relationship field are for. Open with something concrete. "The quarter we shipped our biggest feature, Jordan was the reason it landed on time" is a better opener than "I had the pleasure of working with Jordan for two years."

The specific example: What did they do that you won't forget? One story, told in two or three sentences. Not a list of adjectives — an event. "When our lead engineer left the month before launch, Jordan took on scope she'd never done before and handled it without complaint" is useful. "Jordan is a hard worker who rises to challenges" is not.

What they're uniquely good at: One or two specific skills or traits, grounded in the example you just gave. The skills section lists what they claim — your recommendation shows what you've seen. Those are different things.

The closing endorsement: End with a direct statement of what you'd hire or work with them for again. Specific is better: "I'd bring Jordan into any project that involves shipping under pressure" is more credible than "I highly recommend Jordan to any employer."

How long it should be

Three to five sentences. Short enough that a recruiter will read it in full; long enough to actually say something.

Most LinkedIn recommendations are 200+ words because the writer felt they needed to fill space to show effort. The opposite is true: a tight, specific three-sentence recommendation signals confidence. You knew exactly what to say.

What to do when you're asked to write your own

Being asked to draft your own recommendation and send it for approval is common and not considered bad practice. When you're in this position, write exactly what you'd want a recommender to say — not what feels humble. The person asking you to draft it has already decided they want to endorse you; your job is to make their job easy and help them say something useful.

Include a specific example they were part of. They'll remember it, it'll ring true when they read it, and they'll hit submit rather than rewriting from scratch.

The LinkedIn Recommendation Generator produces a warm, specific recommendation from your inputs about the person, your relationship, and what they're particularly good at. Ready in two minutes.