If you’re not asking for recommendations on LinkedIn, you’re missing one of the simplest ways to boost your credibility and stand out to recruiters . Why? Because recommendations act as social proof . Recruiters read them like informal reference checks . They’re quick, personal, and powerful. But here’s the catch: most people either don’t ask, or ask the wrong way.
I remember walking to my car one day on my way to work. I was dressed in a suit, had my high heels on and was carrying my handbag. Nothing really out of the ordinary, except on this particular day I felt different. I remember distinctly feeling like I was wearing my mum’s clothes. Like I wasn’t really as experienced as people thought and that I wasn’t really capable to perform my job. What I didn’t know at the time, is that’s called “imposter syndrome”, something that up to 70% of knowledge workers experience at some point of their career. Technically speaking, Imposter Syndrome is a sense of self-doubt related to work accomplishments. You might have feelings of being a fraud, despite evidence of your competence and success. People who experience imposter syndrome may attribute their achievements to luck, timing, or other external factors, rather than their own abilities, and often fear being exposed as an imposter. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, and inadequacy, and fear of failing your team.
