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How
to Write a Letter of Recommendation
Information
& samples for writing letters of recommendation - special tips and
persuasive writing techniques.
A
letter of recommendation is not intended to be an objective evaluation
of someone; it is supposed to recommend, not analyze. As such, negative
comments about the job candidate in question should be avoided.
Most
candidates submit only the most glowing letters of recommendation anyway.
A letter expressing an objective opinion will look like a condemnation
compared to letters from other candidates; it will be the kiss of death
to any hopes for admission or scholarship or whatever the objective. A
negative comment in your letter will probably be enough to keep the candidate
from using it, which of course defeats the whole purpose of the exercise.
In
the academic arena, sometimes schools arrange for a candidate's references
to send their letters of recommendation not to the candidate, as is usual,
but instead directly to the schools - by-passing the candidate so that
she cannot read the contents of the letter. This approach is supposed
to make the information in the letters the schools receive less biased.
Generally, this does not work. A good portion of referrers will share
the contents of their letters with their job candidates anyway, despite
the schools' wishes. In practice, rather than lead to a more fair assessment
of candidates, this tactic tends to weed out the few candidates whose
letter-writers are perhaps a bit too honest - that is, naive. In my opinion,
this situation is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
The
worst that you should say about a candidate is that she "struggles with"
something. For example: "Sally does not have a mind for details, which
has been a real challenge for her in this environment. However, her organizational
and computer skills have allowed her to keep her research assignments
on schedule." In this way, Sally is not presented in a negative light;
instead, she is shown to be able to use her strengths to overcome her
weaknesses, which is something we all need to do.
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Just
Say No
All
of this is not to say that you should portray your candidate to be better
than he is; this is, of course, dishonest - and dangerous to your professional
reputation. Present positive characteristics and accomplishments accurately
and just avoid mentioning negative traits.
Now
if the candidate in question has so many negative qualities that you cannot
in good conscience recommend him, then you shouldn't. Thus, you have no
business writing a letter of recommendation. Simply refuse.
Tone
Letters of recommendation are official correspondence. As such, they should
be written in a very business-like tone. If you are writing a letter of
recommendation that is being sent to someone you know well, do not let
that influence the tone of your letter; you should stay in character.
Your
friend may have to justify a decision to accept the candidate you are
recommending. If this decision is called into question, your letter of
recommendation could serve as evidence, if you will. If so, your friend's
boss may be reading the letter. She may very well doubt the wisdom of
a decision based on a letter of recommendation that seems a bit too chummy.
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Length
Letters
of recommendation should be kept to two pages - one, if possible. Just
from a logistical point of view, this is important. Reviewers deal with
a very large amount of paper during the process of looking through candidates,
and multiple-page letters can become separated in a large stack of documents.
In our information-burdened society, one page documents are always popular;
important people (and if your letter of recommendation is to carry any
way, that includes you!) do not write long letters.
Short
letters are more effective at selling a candidate anyway, in large part
because they are more likely to be read (and effective letters are generally
read multiple times). Focus your letter on making the one or two points
most likely to make the prospect want to read the candidate's file carefully.
Your candidate may have a very large number of positive characteristics,
but unless you narrow the field down a bit, your letter may be largely
passed up due to its sheer bulk. One strong point is much more valuable
than a dozen weak ones.
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Bare
Minimums
Sometimes
you don't have the option of refusing write a letter of recommendation
you would prefer to skip. For example, some schools require their teachers
to write letters of recommendation for their students, even if they don't
want to. This is, of course, a strange and ineffective policy, but it
happens. In addition, there might be any number of other circumstances
which make an out-and-out refusal impractical.
In
these cases, you should resort to using an "IBM-style" letter of recommendation.
In years past, IBM's policy was that managers could not offer more than
the bare minimum for letters of recommendation. They could confirm that
an employee worked for the company and give the start date and end date
of employment. I'm not sure whether this policy was to avoid lawsuits
or discourage turnover, but this was the policy - however Draconian. (I'm
also unsure whether this is still the policy at IBM or not.)
If
you have to write a letter of recommendation that you would prefer to
avoid, use this same approach. Just give basic information about the candidate's
performance in your class (we're assuming here that you are his teacher;
adjust as needed if your relationship with the candidate is different.):
- Courses
you have taught the student
- How long
you have known the student
- Assignments
completed
- Attendance
record
- Grades
received
Here's
an example; let's assume that while this student has performed well in
terms of grades, the teacher finds the student obnoxious and disruptful:
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Dear
Sir / Madam:
This is a letter
of recommendation for Joe Bishop, who is applying for admission to your
school.
Joe has been a student
for one year. He is in my English Composition class. In this class,
students study how to put together research papers that analyze various
works of English literature. Three such papers are assigned throughout
the year, culminating in an extensive paper on one of the plays of William
Shakespeare. Students are required to develop theses and research their
topics either on-line or at the library of the local university.
During this year,
Joe missed only two days while he was visiting college campuses with
his parents. He has turned all of his assignments in on time. For the
most part he has maintained a B+ / A- average in the class.
If you would like
more information, feel free to contact me using the information provided
above.
Respectfully yours,
Erin Harding, English Department Chairman
cc: Joe Bishop
Notice
that none of this information is subject to interpretation or opinion;
the letter simply states facts about the candidate's performance that
can be readily documented. Even this minimal amount of information will
have value to an admissions reviewer; it will at least allow her to confirm
some of the information in the candidate's application. It will also prevent
the candidate from being able to pad his work record in your class.
A
couple of other details from this example are instructive. First is the
cc; the letter indicates that Mr. Bishop received a copy of the letter.
This is a signal to the reviewer that the candidate is aware of the letter's
contents. There is also an invitation for the reader to call for more
information; negative evaluations are usually better handled that way.
If
the candidate is really as obnoxious as this teacher thinks, then this
is probably the best recommendation Mr. Bishop will be able to muster.
And, well... admission boards aren't stupid!
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If
you write a letter like this one for a candidate you do not know well
(as opposed to someone you do not respect well), then you should mention
in that fact in your letter. You might say something like this:
I regret that the
size of the classes I teach prevents me from getting to know many of
my students as well as I would like; unfortunately, this has been the
case with Mr. Meyn. I can highlight some of the details of his performance
in my class which I think are most noteworthy, but I am afraid I cannot
offer much more insight into the kind of person he is. This lack of
candor on my part should not be interpreted as a negative opinion of
him. I have had no reason to believe him unworthy of my recommendation.
Specific Examples
A
statement of overall recommendation, such as "I can recommend her highly,"
has little persuasive power for most reviewers; after all, most letters
of recommendation make some sort of statement like this. If you've seen
one, you've seen them all.
Prospects
want to know why you are recommending a candidate. They want to know on
what your assessment is based. They need to see enough evidence to feel
confident that they would have made the same recommendation in your place.
They need enough specifics to compare the record of your candidate with
those of others who are competing for the same slot.
That's
a key word in writing effective letters of recommendation: "specifics."
Don't just give traits; provide examples as supporting evidence. Don't
just say a candidate is intelligent; tell them what he did that demonstrates
his intelligence.
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Here's
an example:
Ms. Dunkin is able
to maintain an upbeat attitude, even in adversity. After failing to
place in a state speech competition after months of preparation, she
focused on learning from the experience how she might do better next
time and was cheerfully busy putting together ideas for her science
project the very next day.
Here
the author doesn't just say this candidate is cheerful (a positive trait),
he gives a specific example of when her upbeat attitude was put to the
test and came shining through.
Undeniable Truth
Another
great reason to include specific examples in your letter is to keep yourself
out of trouble. As I said before, readers who accept a candidate based
on your recommendation can get angry if the candidate turns out to be
a disaster. However, if you provide specific examples that are verifiable,
then not only do you give your opinion - you also point out the evidence
on which your opinion is based.
This
tactic allows the reader a better opportunity to assess the candidate
for herself. She doesn't have to take your word for it; she can reach
her own conclusions based on the evidence you present. She will know why
you said what you did, and she can form her OWN opinion. Reviewers' decisions
don't always pan out; people change. Regardless, this keeps your professional
credibility largely in tact.
Here
are some more quick tips...
Be choosey.
In most cases, agree to writing letters of recommendation only if you
can honestly write something supportive. If you cannot portray an individual
positively, decline to write the recommendation.
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Assemble
data.
Ask for a current resume and as complete a description as possible of
the position or program to which the person is applying. Assemble and
review all other relevant information you may have about the person
for whom you are writing letters of recommendation. It is often easy
to overlook some important accomplishment.
Be positive.
Writing letters of recommendation is about recommending people, not
analyzing them. Present the person truthfully but in a decidedly positive
light. A recommendation that focuses on negative qualities may do more
harm than intended. Focus on strengths. If you can't, then refuse to
write the letter.
Connect
yourself in.
Begin writing letters of recommendation by describing how you know the
individual you are recommending and the specific contexts upon which
you are basing your evaluation. In what situations have you known the
individual? For how long? How closely?
Be specific.
Don't just give a general recommendation - highlight specific characteristics
that stand out and make the candidate worthy of your recommendation.
Present the individual's general qualities relevant to the position
along with one or two detailed examples. Including vivid detail will
make the recommendation much more effective.
Provide
proof.
Naked characteristics (or traits) don't carry much weight either. Give
specific examples of things the person did to give you that impression.
Don't just say your candidate is a quick learner; give a specific example
of when she learned something quickly.
Differentiate.
Your candidate is likely to be competing with other candidates - often
a great number of such competitors. It is important to make your candidate
stand out somehow. Say how this person is unlike other people: his or
her specific strengths that are somehow unique.
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Target.
Tailor the recommendation to the opportunity. A letter recommending
an individual for a job as a camp counselor should contain different
information from that in a letter recommending the same individual for
a job as a computer programmer. Focus on what you believe will be the
reviewer's hot buttons.
Compare.
When writing to someone who shares context with you, name names. ("The
best student I've graduated since little Al Turing." "The best engineer
I've seen at Astro Chemicals in twelve years.") Rankings in class are
another example of a helpful comparison.
Be plausible.
Don't make the person out to be perfect. A recommendation that paints
an unrealistic picture of a candidate may be discounted. Often shortcomings
are just ignored, but it can also be reasonable to note some, particularly
if the person has started to overcome them. We all must rely on our
strength to overcome our weaknesses. How does your candidate accomplish
this?
Qualify
yourself.
The reviewer needs to know why you are writing letters of recommendation.
Say how well you know the person, and for how long. This should come
at the beginning of the letter. State your own credentials. Give the
reviewer an idea of the caliber of candidates you typically see. If
most of the people you deal with are world class, then you need to make
that clear.
Don't
be too brief.
One or two short paragraphs is the kiss of death. If you don't know
the candidate well and don't have much to say, then highlight the element
of the candidate's resume that impresses you most. This won't fool most
people, but will soften the blow of a short letter.
Don't
ramble.
Short letters get read. In most cases, a letter of recommendation should
consist of five or six paragraphs and one or two pages in length.
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