During last couple of weeks, there have been sudden surge of people adding their business skills in LinkedIn. The main reason for this is that you can now do one-click endorsement of particular skill of your LinkedIn contacts. It is as easy and probably as worthwhile in professional way as Facebook like in less-professional setting. I don´t know will the amount of endorsements affect your employment opportunities in future, unless you apply to become a social media manager.
More than just another way to flex the virtual vanity, endorsements are a great example of smart “nudging” from LinkedIn to make people use their service more. More complete LinkedIn profiles, the closer will be the day that your LinkedIn profile has completely replaced traditional CV.
LinkedIn Endorsements is a great example of the power of social recognition and how it can be one of the most powerful incentives you can have. Overall LinkedIn has been build brilliantly combining nudges, gamification and social elements to make people make their profile complete and spend more time with the service. Naturally that helps LinkedIn to better monetize their service with advertisers. And while everyone has been concentrating on hoopla around Facebook, LinkedIn has been doing their thing more quietly and arguably more effectively (at least adjusted to user numbers) as well.
And thanks for all the endorsements I have gotten in LinkedIn. I probably thank by endorsing you back.
Stand-Up Strategy 