Recommendation-Letters

RecommendationLettersWhatisarecommendationletter?Arecommendationletter(youcanalsocallitreferenceletter)isawrittenreferencedesignedtoofferinformationaboutyourcharacterandworkethic.Aletterofrecommendationisaletterfromasupervisor,instructor,orsimilarauthorityfigurewhichrecommendsaparticularcandidateforaposition.Somecollegesandmostgraduateschoolsrequireatleastonerecommendationletterduringtheadmissionsprocess.ArecommendationletterisalsohelpfulintheworkingworldandmayhelpyoutonetthejobofyourdreamsTypesofRecommendationLettersAcademicRecommendationLettersEmploymentLettersofRecommendationAcademicRecommendationLettersRecommendationsfromteacherscanbeusedwhenapplyingforjobsandinternships.Academicrecommendationsarealsoincludedincollegeandgraduateschoolapplications.Reviewacademicrecommendationletterexamplesincludingcollegerecommendationletters,lettersforstudents,lettersfromteachers,lettersforteachersandotheracademiclettersofrecommendation.AcademicRecommendationLettersEmploymentLettersofRecommendationEmploymentLettersofRecommendationLettersofrecommendationareoftenusedbyjobseekersduringemploymentinterviews.Mostemployersaskjobcandidatesforatleastthreereferences.Therefore,it'sagoodideaforjobseekerstohaveatleastthreerecommendationletters.Generally,employmentrecommendationlettersincludeinformationaboutemploymenthistory,jobperformance,workethic,andpersonalaccomplishments.Thepersonsyouasktowriteyourrecommendationlettersshould:knowyouwellknowyoulongenoughtowritewithauthorityknowyourworkdescribeyourworkpositivelyhaveahighopinionofyouknowwhereyouareapplyingknowyoureducationalandcareergoalsbeabletofavorablycompareyouwithyourpeersbewellknownbeabletowriteagoodletterHowtoaskforGraduateSchoolRecommendationLetters1Thinkaboutwhohaspositivethingstosayaboutyoufirst.Notallofyourprofessorsoremployerswillhavepositiveviewsofyouandit'shardtotellsometimes.Tomakethingseasier,chooseapersonortwowhohavementoredyouandknowyouverywell.Trustisalsoimportantasyouwantthemtoportrayyouinapositivelight.2Donotchooseyourcurrentsupervisorunlessyoutwohavediscussedspecificplansforpositionchanges.However,ifyou'repursuinggrowthineducationorforanaward,askingyoursupervisorisperfectlyacceptable.3Calloremailwhoyou'dliketowritetheletter.Tellthemfirstwhatyou'repursuingandwhyyouwouldspecificallyaskforhimorhertowriteit.Makesureyourpointsarecompelling.4Decideifyouwantthelettertobegeneral,givingittheabilitytobeusedformultiplepurposesoverthenextyearortwo.Havingamulti-purposerecommendationletter,especiallyintheprofessionalfield,isalwaysusefulbecauseitsavestimelater.5Offertowritetheletteryourselfwhileasking,givingthemtheabilitytoeditittotheirliking.Makesuretoclarifythisasrespectingtheirtimeinsteadofdistrustoftheperson'sopinionofyou.Alsomakesurethatyougivethepersonyou'reaskingatwo-weeknoticetowritetheletter.6Askifyoucanreceiveacopyoftheletterafterthefactforfuturereferences.Iftheletterwillbeemailed,asktobeCC'dontheemail.7Thankthepersonforwritingtheletterbysendingahand-writtennote,callingorsendinganemailtotheperson.HowtowritearecommendationletterBeforeYouWrite:Writingarecommendationletterforanotherpersonisalargeresponsibilityandshouldbetakenveryseriously.Beforeyouagreetothetask,makesureyouhaveaclearunderstandingofwhattheletterwillbeusedforandwhowillbereadingit.Youshouldalsomakesurethatyouknowwhatkindofinformationisbeingexpectedfromyou.Ifyoufeelthatyoucannotproperlyconveythenecessaryinformation,offertosignaletterthathasbeendraftedbythepersonwhoisrequestingthereference.Thisisaverycommonpracticeandoftenworkswellforbothparties.However,beforeyousignsomethingwrittenbysomeoneelse,makesurethattheletterhonestlyreflectsyourtrueopinion.Youshouldalsokeepacopyofthefinalletterforyourrecords.RecommendationLetterTemplateSalutationIfyouarewritingapersonalletterofreference,includeasalutation(DearMr.Marina,DearMs.Templeton,etc.).Ifyouarewritingageneralletter,sayToWhomitMayConcernorsimplydon'tincludeasalutation.Paragraph1Thefirstparagraphofthereferencelettertemplateexplainsyourconnectiontothepersonyouarerecommending,includinghowyouknowthem,andwhyyouarequalifiedtowriteareferencelettertorecommendemploymentorgraduateschool.Paragraph2Thesecondparagraphofthereferencelettertemplatecontainsspecificinformationonthepersonyouarewritingabout,includingwhytheyarequalified,whattheycancontribute,andwhyyouareprovidingareferenceletter.Ifnecessary,usemorethanoneparagraphtoprovidedetails.RecommendationLetterTemplateParagraph3Whenwritingaspecificletterreferringacandidateforaparticularjobopening,thereferencelettertemplatewillincludeinformationonhowtheperson'sskillsmatchthepositiontheyareapplyingfor.Askforacopyofthejobpostingandacopyoftheperson'sresumesoyoucantargetyourreferenceletteraccordingly.SummaryThissectionofthereferencelettertemplatecontainsabriefsummaryofwhyareyouarerecommendingtheperson.Statethatyouhighlyrecommendthepersonoryourecommendwithoutreservationorsomethingsimilar.ConclusionTheconcludingparagraphofthereferencelettertemplatecontainsanoffertoprovidemoreinformation.Includeaphonenumberwithintheparagra