I'm starting to use LinkedIn now (I have very few connections) and I would like to use it professionally and to give a good impression both to my friends, to former colleagues, and to potential recruiters.
I like the idea to give recommendations for three reasons:
- I want to be grateful to people who deserve it;
- I hope they'll give recommendations in turn if I deserve it;
- I suppose that spending time writing something positive for others gives the impression to be a positive person to work with. In other terms, I want to show recruiters that I am kind, grateful and also committed to using Linkedin in the most serious way (which is what I am and what I'm trying to do).
Sometimes it happens that people have a good opinion of you but they are too lazy or overwhelmed at work and they forget to give a recommendation in turn, or just because such a practice is not very used in certain contexts.
In my case, I gave two recommendations to my former colleagues and I would like to make them visible on my Linkedin profile for the reason (3) expressed above. On the other hand, for they didn't return, I'm afraid that this "one-way" effort may be counterproductive and give the impression that I don't deserve recommendations / they don't want to give recommendations to me for some other reason.
Is it a good idea to show the recommendations I've given to others on my Linkedin profile, even when they aren't given in turn? Or is it better to hide them on my Linkedin profile?