1. AWESOMEPIMP YOUR LINKED-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
LIKE A PRO
YOU ARE TOTALLY

2. ITDOESN’TMATTERIFYOU
THINKTHEY’REMALARKY

3. LINKED-IN
RECOMMENDATIONSARE
NOW CRITICAL TO CAREER
PROFILES

4. RECOMMENDATION
KEYWORDS IMPACT WHERE
PEOPLE SHOW UP IN SEARCH
RESULTS

5. AND THEY’RE USED BY
RECRUITERS & HR FOR PRE-
SCREENING

6. HERE ARE 7 WAYS TO PIMP
THE RECOMMENDATIONS
THAT YOU GIVE OTHERS

7. (OR TO ADVISE THOSE WHO
RECOMMEND YOU)

8. BE SPECIFIC
Unspecific wording makes it sound
as if you do not really know the
candidate. This undermines your
credibility.
BAD
BOB IS GREAT!
BETTER
BOB IS A GREAT
PROJECT MANAGER

9. STAY ON MESSAGE
A recommendation is marketing. It helps
a candidate sell herself. Talk with the
candidate to determine 2 or 3 key
messages. At minimum, review her
profile & reverse engineer the messages.
BAD
BOB IS A GREAT
PROJECT
MANAGER!
BETTER
BOB’S ABILITY TO 1)
UNDERSTAND REQUIREMENTS, 2)
MANAGE THE MATRIX & 3) LEAD
TEAMS MAKES HIM EFFECTIVE AS
A PROJECT MANAGER

10. QUALIFY & QUANTIFY
Support every assertion by proof, and
ideally with hard metrics.
ASSERTION
BOB’S ABILITY
TO 1)
UNDERSTAND
REQUIREMENTS,
2) MANAGE THE
MATRIX & 3)
LEAD TEAMS
MAKES HIM AN
EFFECTIVE
PROJECT
MANAGER.
QUALIFY/QUANTIFY
ALONG WITH 23 DEVs & BAs, I WORKED
WITH BOB DURING 2013 AND 2014 TO
DELIVER PROJECT XYZ. DESPITE THE
FACT THAT NONE OF US ACTUALLY
REPORTED TO HIM, WE ALL ENDED UP
THINKING OF BOB AS OUR DIRECT LINE
MANAGER AND AS A SINGLE TEAM
WITH CLEAR VISION & GOALS. IN MY
DISCUSSIONS WITH CLIENTS DURING
AND SINCE, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE
PROJECT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS AND
HAS SAVED $15M SINCE COMPLETION.

11. TELLASTORY
Start with a Hook. Next, argue your
case. Finally, close.
A GOOD HOOK
• SURPRISES
• INTRIGUES
• FORESHADOWS
“IT’S VERY RARE TO MEET A
PM WHO UNDERSTANDS
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS,
TEAM DYNAMICS, & PEOPLE
– WELL, I’D LIKE TO
INTRODUCE YOU TO BOB!”
A GOOD CLOSE
• SUMMARIZES
• EXPLICITLY
RECOMMENDS
“BOB IS A UNIQUE &
EFFECTIVE PM WHO CAN
X,Y,Z. I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIM FOR ANY
FIRM GRAPPLING WITH
LARGE, COMPLEX,
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS.”

12. EXPLAIN YOUR RELATIONSHIP
Make clear to the reader how close, how
long, and how related you actually are to
the candidate.
A reader will be more impressed by long,
deep relationships because it makes you a
better character witness.
EXPLANATION
I WORKED DIRECTLY FOR BOB AT COMPANY X FOR ABOUT 18
MONTHS DURING WHICH I WAS THE LEAD BUSINESS
ANALYST FOR PROJECT X, WHICH HE MANAGED. SINCE THEN,
WE HAVE REMAINED IN CLOSE CONTACT AS HE HAS BECOME
MY GO-TO MENTOR FOR ADVICE AROUND MY PROJECTS.

13. SELLYOURSELF
Recommendation letters are forms of
social proof. Thus, the more credible
you are, the stronger the impact.
Make the reader feel that you, the
writer, are serious, seasoned,
respected, and trustworthy.
Explain why you are qualified to be a
relevant recommender.

14. HIGHLIGHT WHAT & HOW
How we accomplish things can be as
impactful as What we accomplish.
If you complete a project, but burn all
your bridges, you won’t complete the
next project.
WHAT
COMPLETED A
PROJECT ON TIME,
ON BUDGET, & TO
SPECS
HOW
LISTENED WELL, BUT WAS
DECISIVE WHEN NEEDED,
MANAGED WITH
EMPATHY, & BUILT TRUST

15. TELL THE TRUTH
Don’t lie. Don’t Exaggerate. ‘Nuff
Said.

16. BYWAYOFEXAMPLE
IT’S VERY RARE TO MEET A PM WHO UNDERSTANDS PROJECT REQUIREMENTS, TEAM
DYNAMICS, & PEOPLE – WELL, I’D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO BOB!
BOB’S ABILITY TO 1) UNDERSTAND REQUIREMENTS, 2) MANAGE THE MATRIX & 3) LEAD
TEAMS MAKES HIM AN EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGER.
I WORKED DIRECTLY FOR BOB AT COMPANY X FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS DURING WHICH I WAS
THE LEAD BUSINESS ANALYST FOR PROJECT X, WHICH HE MANAGED. DESPITE THE FACT THAT
NEITHER ME, NOR THE OTHER 23 MEMBERS OF THE PROJECT TEAM ACTUALLY REPORTED TO
HIM, WE ALL ENDED UP THINKING OF BOB AS OUR DIRECT LINE MANAGER AND AS A SINGLE
TEAM WITH CLEAR VISION & GOALS. IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH CLIENTS DURING AND SINCE,
IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE PROJECT WAS ALSO A GREAT SUCCESS, AND HAS SAVED THE FIRM
$15M SINCE COMPLETION.
PART OF THE REASON BOB WAS ABLE TO DELVIER ON TIME, ON BUDGET, AND TO THE SPECS
WAS THAT HE LISTENED WELL, BUT WAS DECISIVE WHEN NEEDED, MANAGED WITH EMPATHY,
& BUILT TRUST.
SINCE FINISHING PROJECT XYZ, BOB AND I HAVE REMAINED IN CLOSE CONTACT AS HE HAS
BECOME MY GO-TO MENTOR FOR ADVICE AROUND MY PROJECTS.
BOB IS A UNIQUE & EFFECTIVE PM WHO CAN X,Y,Z. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND HIM FOR ANY
FIRM GRAPPLING WITH LARGE, COMPLEX, INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS.

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