The Power of Recommendations: Elevating Your LinkedIn Profile

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In today's competitive job market, having an impressive LinkedIn profile is essential. While showcasing your skills and experiences is crucial, there's another vital element that often gets overlooked – recommendations. These recommendations from professionals and key influencers can make a significant impact on how decision-makers perceive you on the platform. But here's a key point to remember: we're talking about recommendations, not endorsements.

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Endorsements, where connections can simply click to vouch for your skills, might seem like a quick and easy way to beef up your profile. However, they lack the personal touch and depth that recommendations provide. They often appear as an attempt to boost one's visibility on LinkedIn rather than a genuine testament to your abilities.

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So, how can you go about getting valuable recommendations for your LinkedIn profile? Let's delve into the strategies that can help you stand out.

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Choose Your Recommenders Wisely

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Start by scanning your list of LinkedIn connections. Select around six to eight individuals to reach out to for recommendations. It's a good idea to pick people who hold senior positions in their respective fields. Their recommendation will carry more weight and impress potential employers. However, don't discount your former coach or manager if they aren't senior – their insights can be valuable too.

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Provide a Template

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Writing a compelling recommendation can be a time-consuming task, and most people are quite busy. To make the process easier for your recommenders, send them a template that outlines what you'd like them to include in their recommendation. A well-structured template not only streamlines the process but also ensures that you receive recommendations that align with your goals.

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For instance, if you were an athlete, your former coach or manager could say something like:

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"Aaron was one of the finest athletes I've ever coached, not simply because of his athletic skills but because he brought an incredible work ethic to the field every day. He demonstrated leadership qualities far above what others have at that stage of their careers. His ability to earn the respect of fellow teammates and coaching staff and his patience when training others with less experience set him apart. He will continue to be a strong leader, able to manage a group and train its members with ease. His ability to handle pressure in a time-sensitive environment and his insistence on performing at the top of his game at all times will make him a tremendous addition to any company."

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Similarly, if someone you used to work for or someone in your target industry provides a recommendation, it might look like this:

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"Stephanie is one of the brightest, most enthusiastic and positive people I've ever known. Her work ethic is extraordinary: she demonstrates coolness under fire but brings a necessary edge when needed. She has consistently proven herself comfortable and effective in front of a camera or on stage. Without a doubt, she can perform admirably in a media relations environment. I urge any company looking to increase their standing within their industry to strongly consider adding Stephanie to their team, and I'm more than happy to speak with anyone directly about her and her tremendous skill set."

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Learn from Others

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While the examples provided above are excellent starting points, there's a wealth of inspiration out there on LinkedIn. When you browse through profiles and recommendations, take note of the language that resonates with the position you're targeting. Feel free to adapt and personalize those phrases for your recommendation templates.

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Avoid the Reciprocal Trap

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One final piece of advice: never recommend someone who is recommending you. This kind of mutual back-scratching is easily noticeable and can diminish the authenticity of your recommendations. It's important to maintain a genuine and unbiased appearance on your profile.

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Securing recommendations on LinkedIn is an essential step in presenting a compelling and influential profile to potential employers or partners. It may require some effort and thoughtful strategy, but the value it adds to your professional image is undoubtedly worth every minute of your investment. So,

Don't underestimate the power of recommendations in making your LinkedIn profile shine.

Please reach out to me directly at mark@winagainacademy.com if you'd like a boost to your current business or career, or a shift into something completely different. After all, business and career coaching is what I have a couple of decades of experience with, using my many years in executive search as a compass to navigate the often treacherous waters of a job search! Connect with me, you'll be thrilled you did!

Networking in the Win Again Clubroom

The Win Again Clubroom platform is revolutionizing virtual networking because of the “live event” experience it emulates and the ease with which you can meet others and take your businesses and careers to a whole new level!

See why we've had 1000+ impressive athletes, entrepreneurs, business owners and executives attend our Clubroom events which have led to over $1.5 million in deals!

If you haven't been to the Clubroom, you'll be amazed at how easy it is to move table to table, speaking with whoever you want, whenever you want, not being stuck in breakout rooms here!

Develop valuable relationships that become collaborations - it's been such a great way to expand our networks!

For those of you who have, feel free to bring a friend or three who you believe could use an upgrade in their circle of connections!

Read more about it here: https://www.winagainacademy.com/the-clubroom

Our Next Clubroom Event

We are discussing philanthropy in sports in the Win Again Clubroom this week!

In the world of athletics, we often witness incredible talent, dedication, and teamwork.

However, beyond the stadiums and arenas, there exists a profound commitment to giving back, to making a difference, and to using the power of sports to transform lives.

Our event features three fantastic guest speakers who have made a lasting impact through the influence of sports to champion a wide range of social causes.

They will share their personal journeys, stories of transformation, and insights into the transformative potential of philanthropy in the world of sports.

Get ready to be inspired and empowered by the incredible stories and initiatives that make philanthropy in sports a powerhouse of change.

Register here for Philanthropy in Sports in the Win Again Clubroom:

https://live.remo.co/e/philanthropy-in-sports

30 Seconds with Mark

I don't know about you, but I hate getting hounded by people.

That's why I take the initiative to control the situation.

It's incredibly annoying to have someone email and call you every day. To avoid this ask them to do you a favor and reach back out in two weeks if they haven't heard from you.

You aren't going to reach out to them in that time period, but at least it buys you two weeks.

This works regardless of the time frame to free up your schedule and avoid annoying emails or phone calls.

Go get 'em!

Be sure to check out the Win Again YouTube channel for more quick tips!

Win Again Assessments

Are you ready to launch a new chapter in life, and need the guidance, tips and strategies to truly catapult you forward?

Then let's partner up!

I'm certified in offering valuable assessments that feature Axiology, the study of values.

Wait until you see how they highlight not just your strengths and how to leverage them, but also some of the things that you could use some work on.

Ask to see a sample report, you'll be amazed at how thorough and accurate they are!

Whether you are a graduating student, a seasoned professional, a retiring executive or member of our military, or a current or retired athlete, there are assessments that fit your background and future careers and businesses.

Check out a few of the most valuable and insightful assessments here: https://www.winagainacademy.com/assessments

Reach out to me directly at mark@winagainacademy.com.

WIN AGAIN! - The Job Search Playbook

WIN AGAIN! The Job Search Playbook, is filled with over 150 pages of my proven WIN AGAIN methodology, where you’ll discover how to define your true identity outside of being an athlete, plan your path towards an ideal job and business and work towards it. You’ll turn strangers into allies and grow your network as you position yourself for meetings and interviews, negotiate offers, and anticipate your prospective client's or employer’s needs.

WIN AGAIN helps you transition from the playing field to the boardroom. Yes, there’s competition in the corporate world, but you’re used to competing.

You’ve already got an edge!!

You can join the WIN AGAIN social media pages, its LinkedIn Group, Facebook page and follow on Twitter to be able to access exclusive content just for you.

ABOUT ME

Combining my passion for sports and a desire to help others succeed, I founded Win Again, where current and former athletes can discover their identity beyond sports, develop the structure needed to succeed again, and receive the tips, strategies and actionable advice that allows them to WIN AGAIN and be elite in their next great career. Over the past 20 years as a business advisor and career coach, I have guided athletes and executives, holding them accountable during their transition.

The Win Again Clubroom events, "Make Your Mark" podcasts, and MYM Live webinars highlight athletes who are making a positive impact post-playing career, and my book “Win Again!” is a job search playbook for athletes, equipping them with strategies needed to land their ideal job or boost their entrepreneurial ventures.

As a graduate of Colgate University and a longtime Manhattan resident with my wife, kids, and Duke, I enjoy playing ice hockey, softball and golf, along with the guitar and piano.

Reach out to me anytime and let me know how I can be of service!

If you've read this far, many thanks for sharing your time with us at Win Again and have a great rest of your day!

Thanks to our Win Again partners!