Networking and Asking for Online Recommendations

Networking and Asking for Online Recommendations Networking and Asking for Online Recommendations It’s a tried and true piece of advice from career counselors everywhere: Network, network, network. Depending on who you ask, 70 to 80 percent of jobs are found through networking. And part of networking is the act of asking for recommendations to add to your professional portfolio. These days, professionals use online recommendations through websites like LinkedIn, but it’s still important to go about getting those recommendations in the proper way. Thanks to a recent article on Mashable, we can brush up on How to Ask for an Online Recommendation. Asking for online recommendations is very similar to asking for a paper recommendation. Here are some of their tips along with our thoughts. “Plan a recommendation strategy.” You’ll need to get your story straight: Why do you want a recommendation? What are you hoping to achieve? Who might see this recommendation? By telling your would-be recommenders these details, you’re giving them proof that you deserve a recommendation, and you’re helping them figure out how to write your recommendations in ways that will help you achieve your goals. “Selecting the person to ask.” People tend to prefer a personal approach to asking for a recommendation, but it depends on each person. Consider your relationship with them, in terms of how well you know them and how close you are to them. Sometimes e-mail is the most convenient method for everyone, but don’t neglect a nice phone call when it’s possible. If you’re using a website like LinkedIn, they’ll have a process you can use to get recommendations “Balance is the key.” Most people instantly think of their boss or supervisor as a good source for a recommendation, and they’re correct. But you should also include “peers, subordinates and customers or vendors” to help create a full picture of you as a professional. “Volunteerism demonstrates skills.” As we’ve said time and time again, volunteering in an area related to your professional pursuits is a great way to beef up your resume, make connections, and gain experience. AND the people you volunteer with are great sources for recommendations. Here are a few more ideas from : Be grateful and remember to thank EVERYONE that takes the time to write you a recommendation. Create a formal method to keep track of all recommendations. Save them as Word documents in a folder on your computer. Or get permission from your recommenders to add them to LinkedIn or to your professional website/portfolio. Pick and choose which recommendations to use for each job application. Some will be more appropriate than others. Prospective employers do not want to read every nice thing anyone has ever said about you. Instead, give them two to three of your best and most relevant recommendations rather than inundating them with every one you’ve ever received. Ask for touch-ups. Over the years, your closest recommenders might want to change or add to your recommendations. For the folks with whom you are closest, every once and a while ask them if they want to check out your recommendation and add anything. This is especially important for recommenders who you work with on a regular basis, because hopefully you are doing more and more fabulous work for them!