I have to turn you down….

I have gotten used to bald, boilerplate connection requests and rejecting them outright. Not that I like them at all. So no reply from me, I just click “ignore.”

I might inquire politely to connection requests from people I do not know, and only if their profile is interesting to me, “Have we met? How can I help you?” They get a week to reply or they are ignored.

But an unsolicited, boilerplate recommendation request? Really?

I have to admit this one threw me. But there’s always a first time.

I barely know her. We spoke on the phone once. I was on a zoom call with her once as part of a group.  

No warning, no guidance or clue what she wanted me to recommend her for, so no way. Not that I would anyway. Don’t do this to anyone else please. 

And don’t feel pressured to recommend anyone even if they ask. Your reputation is on the line in what you write for that person. They have to earn it. 

I replied that I was not comfortable recommending her since we had just met and had only worked together tangentially once. I was polite. She graciously replied that it was not a problem. 

Not that I needed to be reassured.  

I will keep a keen eye on her value in my connections group. Weak link in a chain, ya know.

I am in charge of whom I associate with. You are too.

Yes, I packed a number of messages in this short post for you to consider. 

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