LinkedIn is a great way to build your personal brand online. The platform can be your best advantage to further your career if your profile is filled out completely, with pertinent information in each section.

One easy area to gain credibility is with LinkedIn endorsements for skills you’ve developed throughout your career. There are plenty of ways to build up endorsements but there are a few that stand out.

Credible LinkedIn Endorsements

Quality, Not Quantity: To start building up your endorsements, LinkedIn allows you to choose up to 50 skills you can be endorsed for. Be selective and choose skills that are worth being recognized for, ones that are relevant to your work history. Don’t feel pressured to have 50 skills listed, it’s best to keep a modest number of skills that define your career and credibility.

Move On Up: Reposition endorsements near the top of your profile. This will allow others including, recruiters and HR managers, to see these skills before having to scroll too far. If you have the right skills needed to fill a position, that’s one more bonus for you as a candidate.

Offer Endorsements: Endorse others, and in turn they will endorse you. Now this isn’t always true, but the Law of Reciprocity, is a powerful thing and can be beneficial when endorsing others. Start with colleagues you are close to, endorse them for credible skills they have and they will be more inclined to do the same.

Just Ask: Once you’re endorsed others, it’s always a great idea to ask others to endorse you. Sending a quick message to current or former colleagues will open up opportunities for endorsements. Most people are willing to endorse others, so take a moment and send out some messages but ask if there is anything you can do to help them professionally as well.

Send A Thank You: It takes just a minute to say “thanks” so send out a few thank you messages when people endorse you. It’s a great way to build relationships with connections and will mostly turn into more endorsements in the future. It might even open up business opportunities.

LinkedIn is an integral part of today’s job market so building up your profile to represent who you are professionally is important to your success. The more endorsements you build up the more credibility you will have when recruiters and HR mangers look at your profile.