4 Ways to Take Control of your LinkedIn Endorsements

4 Ways to Take Control of your LinkedIn Endorsements I’m a self-identified control freak when it comes to certain aspects of my life, and as such, I am perpetually perturbed by the Skills Expertise section on LinkedIn. The way this section works, anyone can endorse me for anything – even things I know nothing about! And if enough people endorse me for things I do not consider important, these skills will be prominently displayed at the top of my Skills list. Aargh! You might, like me, get an email almost daily telling you that someone wants to endorse you for â€Å"new† Skills not currently listed on your profile. And if you’re like me, there was a reason you didn’t list that skill in the first place. Either you don’t have that skill or you don’t want to market it. What I do in this situation is press â€Å"Skip† and wait until the next well-meaning person endorses me for skills I don’t have. At the National Resume Writers’ Association Conference in Chicago this past week, LinkedIn endorsements were a hot topic. We are all concerned that the wrong people are endorsing us for the wrong things. In one session about LinkedIn, trainer Dean DeLisle suggested that we take control of our Skills Expertise and stop complaining about it! How can you wield control over this pesky section? Well, let me tell you: Fill in ALL 50 Skills. This way there will be less likelihood of additional, inappropriate skills being added to your profile. You would have to delete one skill to add another. Press â€Å"Skip† to decline adding Skills to your profile. Know that the skills listed at the top of your Skills list are the ones with the most endorsements. If you want different skills to show up there, ask your connections to endorse you for the ones you want to appear at the top! (I am going to do this momentarily. Be forewarned.) As a last resort, you can delete a skill, add it back, and start over from zero endorsements. That will push other skills higher up on your list. Please Take Action! A Request I’ve found that a lot of people seem to endorse me for Blogging, Social Networking, Social Media Marketing, Nonprofits, Career Management, Time Management, and a lot of other things I don’t market as my specialties. My request to you is to endorse me for the list of Skills Expertise that appears below. Please only do so if you are confident that I have the skill! Also note that to endorse a skill, you must be a 1st-degree connection. I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn if we are not already connected. Hint when endorsing anyone for skills: Don’t default or be limited to the ones suggested at the top of their profile! Scroll down in the profile to the Skills Expertise section and choose from there. You will be able to click on a + sign to choose the skill. For example: Heres my list of requests. Thanks in advance for your support! Resume Writing Executive Resumes Executive Resume Writing Sales Resumes Marketing Resumes C-Level Resumes Senior Management Resumes Supply Chain Resumes Operations Resumes LinkedIn LinkedIn Profiles Cover Letters Professional Bios College Application Essays MBA Admissions Consulting Law School Admissions Consulting Law School Resumes I’m making this request partly as an experiment in service of my e-book, How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile. If I can change the appearance of my Skills Expertise section, then I will be able to stand tall and recommend similar action to my e-book readers in the 8th edition. Also, if you think I am familiar with your skills and want me to endorse you for specific ones, I will do so IF I know your abilities first-hand. Thank you and I look forward to the changing face of all our LinkedIn profiles!