going through my exceptionally well-managed inbox just now and saw that an acquaintance had endorsed me on linkedin. problem: it was one of linkedin’s suggested endorsements, rather than a skill I created in my profile. I’ve commented before that endorsements on linkedin are like promise rings – if it’s real, there’ll eventually be a diamond (that is, a recommendation), but don’t get your hopes up. I’ve read a lot from people who believe endorsements have ruined the service, but it’s pretty easy to manage your linkedin endorsements:
linkedin solicits endorsements you never requested
on seeing the email today, I realized that I was getting a number of endorsements for skills I didn’t claim to have.
the one for gift baskets is the one I created in the video above, but the others (like “sales” in the video) were suggested endorsements proposed to my connections by linkedin. you have seen the box at the top of the page – there is no indication of whether the proposed endorsee has requested plaudits for that particular skill. it would be great if linkedin would offer up only skills I thought were worthy of endorsement. wishes not being horses, what can we do instead?
managing suggested endorsements on linkedin
- delete the unwanted skill. if the skill is completely unrelated to what you do, odds are you will only get the single endorsement. it will not appear in your “wall of fame” endorsement graphic. and, as I show in the video, it is easy to remove entirely.
simply delete the skills you don’t care about. goodbye, gift baskets
- put in a change order. if the skill relates to one for which you are seeking endorsements and you would like to boost your count, send the endorser a message asking them to endorse you for the “correct” skill. Then you can delete the oddball endorsement. this is useful if you do not have many endorsements yet.
- relax already. if it fits with your skills portfolio, leave it be. in the example above, the suggested endorsements – strategic communications, integrated marketing, strategy – are closely related to what I do. in effect, they are “tagging” my profile with alternative phrasings for skills I have. if someone searches on linkedin for marketers with integrated marketing or strategic communications skills, my profile will pop up. the keywords they used might not be as prominent, but I believe my profile will communicate my abilities effectively, and I’ve gotten in front of a new prospect.
the new “unofficial” skills are in my portfolio, effectively invisible to most viewers but potentially helpful to searchers and to me.
I hid those endorsements a few weeks ago. I didn’t mind that people were endorsing me — and they still are despite the hide — but they were endorsing me for skills that everyone else endorsed me. I wanted endorsements for the skills at the bottom of the list. I didn’t want to email people to endorse me for those skills, so I turned them all off. Now my profile lists my skills without cluttering your view with a gazillion faces.
that’s definitely a good approach for people looking to transition from one career focus to another. it also helps to pick up some recommendations in the preferred area of expertise! thanks for commenting.