LinkedIn recommendations aren’t likely to make or break a career opportunity for you; however, the professional networking site is without a doubt a resource for people who are considering job applicants. With that in mind, my philosophy is to take advantage of every avenue available to make a great and lasting impression – including requesting LinkedIn recommendations from colleagues, coworker and clients.

Here are the three tips I follow when I’m requesting recommendations:

1. Be Timely – The best time to ask for a recommendation from someone is when your work is top of mind, this goes for digital and print mediums. As soon as you know someone’s happy with the project you completed, reach out via phone, email, or LinkedIn’s “Ask for recommendations” tab. Being that some people don’t often check their LinkedIn account and the email they receive alerts on may be different from the one they check regularly, it doesn’t hurt to request the LinkedIn recommendation via phone or email and follow up with a request through LinkedIn itself.
2. Request Strategical Recommendations – Plan your recommendation requests to showcase the range of your work. Ideally, you’ll garner a couple of solid recommendations for each of your areas of expertise. If you have ‘holes’ focus on requesting recommendations that will speak to your strengths in those areas.
3. Manage Your Recommendations – Now that LinkedIn lets us rank our recommendations, make sure you put your best ones front and center. Just like with a digital portfolio, you want to showcase the skills that you are focusing your career on with the best possible recommendations.