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What is Endorsing in LinkedIn? Your Guide to Skill Validation
Valeria
/ Updated 27 august
LinkedIn is a powerful platform for professional networking and career advancement. It helps you connect with peers, find job opportunities, and build your personal brand.
One key feature that helps showcase your expertise is skill endorsements. This guide will walk you through everything about them.
You will learn how to use endorsements effectively to boost your profile and career.
What is Endorsing in LinkedIn? A Core Feature Explained
Many professionals ask, "What is endorsing in LinkedIn?"
It is a simple yet effective way to validate the skills of your connections.
This feature adds a layer of credibility to your professional profile.
With over 900 million members globally, LinkedIn serves as the world's largest professional network. Studies show that profiles with at least five skills endorsed by connections receive up to 17x more profile views and are 33x more likely to be messaged by recruiters. This makes understanding what is endorsing in LinkedIn not just a feature, but a strategic imperative for career growth.
Defining What is Endorsing in LinkedIn
To define what is endorsing in LinkedIn, think of it as a quick vote of confidence.
When someone endorses you, they confirm that you possess a specific skill listed on your profile.
It is a public acknowledgment from your network about your abilities.
These endorsements appear on your profile under the "Skills" section.
The Purpose of Skill Endorsements on Your Profile
Skill endorsements serve several important purposes.
They visually confirm your abilities to potential employers or clients.
Endorsements make your profile more robust and trustworthy.
They act as social proof, showing that others recognize your expertise.
In fact, a LinkedIn survey revealed that 79% of hiring managers consider skill endorsements when evaluating candidates. This means that when you clearly define what is endorsing in LinkedIn on your profile, you're not just listing abilities; you're providing concrete, network-backed evidence of your capabilities. This social proof significantly enhances your appeal to potential employers and clients.
Initial Setup: Adding Skills to Your LinkedIn Profile
Before you can get endorsements, you need to add skills to your profile.
Go to your LinkedIn profile and scroll down to the "Skills" section.
Click "Add new skill" and type in relevant abilities.
Choose skills that truly represent your professional strengths and experience.
How LinkedIn Endorsements Work: The Mechanics of Skill Validation
Understanding the mechanics of endorsements helps you use them better.
The process is straightforward for both giving and receiving.
Knowing how they work can maximize their impact on your profile.
The Process of Giving an Endorsement
Giving an endorsement is a simple act of support.
Visit a connection's profile and scroll to their "Skills" section.
You will see a list of their skills with a "+" sign next to them.
Click the "+" next to a skill you know they possess, and you're done.
LinkedIn might also prompt you to endorse connections for skills it thinks they have.
To make your endorsements more impactful and authentic, consider these tips:
- Be specific: Endorse for skills you've directly observed in action.
- Add context: If prompted, briefly explain *why* you're endorsing that skill.
- Reciprocate thoughtfully: If someone endorses you, consider endorsing them back for a skill you genuinely know they possess.
This approach strengthens your network and ensures your actions align with the true spirit of what is endorsing in LinkedIn.
Receiving and Managing Endorsements
When someone endorses you, LinkedIn sends a notification.
You can choose to display or hide specific endorsements on your profile.
It is wise to curate your skills, showing only the most relevant ones.
You can also reorder your skills to highlight your primary strengths.
Algorithm and Visibility: How Endorsements Impact Your Profile
Endorsements play a role in LinkedIn's search algorithm.
Profiles with more endorsements for relevant skills often rank higher in searches.
This increased visibility helps recruiters and potential clients find you.
Tools like Scrupp leverage LinkedIn's data to help businesses find leads.
A strong, endorsed profile makes you more discoverable for B2B lead generation efforts.
The impact of endorsements extends to modern recruitment technologies. AI-driven platforms like CVShelf leverage sophisticated algorithms to screen resumes and identify top candidates. When your LinkedIn profile boasts a strong array of endorsed skills, it provides external validation that complements your resume. This helps CVShelf's smart matching capabilities to more accurately identify you as a fit for specific roles, streamlining the hiring process for companies and increasing your visibility for relevant opportunities. Understanding what is endorsing in LinkedIn is therefore vital for navigating an AI-powered job market.
The Strategic Benefits of Endorsing and Being Endorsed on LinkedIn
Endorsements offer significant advantages for your professional journey.
They go beyond simple skill validation, impacting your career growth.
Understanding these benefits helps you use the feature strategically.
Enhancing Your Professional Credibility
Endorsements act as powerful testimonials for your skills.
They show that your peers and colleagues trust your abilities.
A high number of endorsements for a key skill makes you appear more credible.
This credibility is vital when seeking new roles or business opportunities.
Boosting Your Profile's Searchability (SEO)
LinkedIn uses your skills and endorsements as keywords.
When recruiters search for specific talents, your profile is more likely to appear.
More endorsements for a skill can push your profile higher in search results.
This is a direct form of LinkedIn SEO, making you easier to find.
Strengthening Your Professional Network
Giving endorsements is a great way to engage with your network.
It shows you value your connections' expertise and are willing to support them.
This often leads to reciprocal endorsements and stronger professional relationships.
A strong network can open doors to new collaborations and opportunities.
Best Practices for Giving and Receiving LinkedIn Endorsements
To get the most out of endorsements, follow some best practices.
Thoughtful engagement makes your endorsements more impactful.
Strategic management ensures your profile accurately reflects your strengths.
Tips for Thoughtful and Meaningful Endorsements
Always endorse skills you have personally witnessed or know well.
Avoid endorsing someone for every skill they list; focus on their true strengths.
Consider adding a brief recommendation if you want to give more detail.
Meaningful endorsements build genuine trust within your network.
| Action | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Endorse relevant skills | Increases credibility for the connection |
| Endorse based on experience | Ensures authenticity and trust |
| Focus on top skills | Highlights true expertise, avoids clutter |
An optimized LinkedIn profile, rich with strategic endorsements, can significantly impact your career trajectory. Data from LinkedIn suggests that professionals with a complete and well-endorsed profile are 40x more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn. This underscores the power of actively managing your profile and leveraging features like endorsements to ensure you're visible and attractive to recruiters and potential collaborators. It's a testament to the real-world value of understanding what is endorsing in LinkedIn.
Consider these scenarios for clarity:
- Endorsement Example: You're a Digital Marketer. You want quick validation for "SEO," "Content Marketing," and "Social Media Strategy." Ask connections to endorse these specific skills.
- Recommendation Example: You led a successful project that increased client revenue by 20%. Ask your project manager or client for a recommendation detailing your leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills on that specific project.
Each serves a distinct purpose in showcasing your professional brand and understanding what is endorsing in LinkedIn helps you choose wisely.
While endorsements are valuable, it's equally important to avoid common pitfalls that can detract from your professional image:
- "Endorsement spam": Don't endorse everyone for everything; it dilutes the value.
- Irrelevant skills: Don't list skills you barely possess or that aren't central to your career.
- Outdated skills: Regularly prune skills that are no longer relevant to your current professional trajectory.
Focus on quality over quantity to truly benefit from what is endorsing in LinkedIn.
Encouraging Others to Endorse Your Skills
You can gently ask trusted colleagues or former managers for endorsements.
A simple message like, "I'm updating my LinkedIn profile, would you mind endorsing me for [specific skill] if you feel I excel at it?" works well.
Also, actively endorsing others often encourages them to reciprocate.
Make sure your skills section is up-to-date and reflects your current expertise.
Avoiding Common Endorsement Pitfalls
Do not endorse skills you know nothing about.
Avoid having too many irrelevant skills on your profile, as it dilutes your focus.
Regularly review and remove outdated skills that no longer apply to your career goals.
Quality over quantity is key for effective endorsements.
Endorsements vs. Recommendations: Understanding the Key Differences
While both endorsements and recommendations boost your profile, they are distinct.
Knowing the difference helps you choose the right tool for the right situation.
Both contribute to a strong professional brand, but in different ways.
The Nature and Depth of Each Feature
Endorsements are quick, one-click affirmations of a skill.
They are quantitative, showing how many people vouch for a skill.
Recommendations are written testimonials, offering qualitative insights.
They provide detailed stories and examples of your work and character.
| Feature | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Quick, one-click validation of a skill | Builds quantitative credibility, boosts searchability |
| Recommendation | Detailed, written testimonial about your work | Provides qualitative proof, showcases work ethic and character |
When to Seek an Endorsement vs. a Recommendation
Seek endorsements for specific skills you want to highlight quickly.
They are great for validating a broad range of abilities.
Ask for recommendations for significant projects or roles where you made a strong impact.
Recommendations are best for showcasing soft skills and detailed achievements.
How Both Contribute to Your Professional Brand
Endorsements provide a clear snapshot of your recognized skills.
They offer quick visual proof of your expertise.
Recommendations add depth and personal stories to your profile.
Together, they create a comprehensive and compelling professional brand.
Maximizing Your LinkedIn Profile with Effective Endorsements
Strategic use of endorsements can significantly enhance your LinkedIn presence.
It is about more than just collecting numbers; it's about strategic presentation.
Regularly reviewing and updating your skills ensures ongoing relevance.
Curating Your Top Skills for Endorsement
Identify 5-10 core skills that are most relevant to your career goals.
Place these at the top of your skills section on LinkedIn.
These are the skills you want to receive the most endorsements for.
Focusing on a few key skills makes your profile clearer and more impactful.
Leveraging Endorsements for Career Advancement
Use your endorsed skills to tailor your job applications.
Mention highly endorsed skills in your resume and cover letters.
During interviews, refer to your strong endorsements as proof of your abilities.
This reinforces your claims with social validation from your network.
| Goal | Action with Endorsements |
|---|---|
| Job Search | Highlight top endorsed skills in applications |
| Networking | Use shared endorsed skills as conversation starters |
| Personal Branding | Showcase highly endorsed skills on your profile |
Continuous Improvement: Keeping Your Skills Current
The professional landscape changes constantly, so your skills should too.
Regularly review your LinkedIn skills section.
Add new skills you acquire and remove those that are no longer relevant.
This ensures your profile always reflects your most current and valuable expertise.
Conclusion:
Understanding what is endorsing in LinkedIn is crucial for any professional.
It is a simple yet powerful feature that boosts your credibility and visibility.
By strategically giving and receiving endorsements, you can strengthen your professional brand.
Make sure to keep your skills updated and engage thoughtfully with your network.
This will help you maximize your opportunities on the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions About LinkedIn Endorsements
How do endorsements help me get a job?
Endorsements make your profile much more attractive to hiring managers.
They act as quick votes of confidence from your professional network.
When recruiters search for specific skills, profiles with many endorsements often rank higher in search results.
This increased visibility can significantly boost your chances of being noticed and contacted for job openings.
Can I remove an endorsement if I don't want it?
Yes, you have full control over the endorsements displayed on your profile.
To manage them, go to your LinkedIn profile and find the "Skills" section.
Click the pencil icon to edit, and you can hide specific endorsements or reorder your skills.
This helps you curate your profile to highlight only the most relevant and valuable abilities for your career goals.
How many skills should I list on my profile for endorsements?
It is generally best to list between 5 to 10 core skills that truly reflect your expertise.
Having too many skills, especially irrelevant ones, can dilute your professional focus.
Focus on skills that align with your career aspirations and where you want to receive strong validation.
Quality endorsements on a few key skills are far more impactful than many on a long list of minor ones.
Consider these points for your skill list:
- Relevance: Are these skills crucial for your target jobs?
- Proficiency: Do you genuinely excel in these areas?
- Visibility: Are these skills commonly searched by recruiters?
Does endorsing others really help my profile?
Yes, endorsing others is a highly effective way to engage with your professional network.
It shows you value your connections' expertise and are willing to support them.
This often leads to reciprocal endorsements, strengthening your own profile's credibility.
Building a strong, active network through mutual support can open doors to new collaborations and opportunities, as discussed in the section on Strengthening Your Professional Network.
What's the best way to ask for endorsements from my connections?
You can gently ask trusted colleagues or former managers for endorsements.
A simple, personalized message works well, such as: "Hi [Name], I'm updating my LinkedIn profile to better reflect my skills. Would you mind endorsing me for [specific skill, e.g., 'Project Management'] if you feel I excel at it?"
Make sure your skills section is current and reflects your top abilities before asking.
Remember, actively endorsing others often encourages them to reciprocate naturally, creating a positive cycle of support.
| Strategy | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Politely ask connections | Directly targets desired skills |
| Endorse others first | Encourages reciprocity and goodwill |
| Keep skills updated | Shows clear focus to potential endorsers |
How does endorsing in LinkedIn relate to AI tools like CVShelf?
Understanding what is endorsing in LinkedIn is crucial for modern recruitment processes that use AI.
AI-driven platforms like CVShelf intelligently screen resumes based on keywords and job criteria.
A strong, well-endorsed LinkedIn profile provides external validation for the skills listed on your resume.
When recruiters use CVShelf, they look for candidates with verifiable expertise, and your LinkedIn endorsements can act as powerful social proof.
This helps CVShelf's smart matching algorithms to identify you as a top candidate more efficiently, streamlining the hiring process for companies.
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