Writing
Letters of Recommendation
Information
& samples for writing letters of recommendation - special tips and
persuasive writing techniques.
Quick, what
is the most important factor in determining whether something gets read?
It's simple,
really: length.
The shorter
something is, the easier it is to complete - and the more likely you will
be to pick it up in the first place. Every time you come across an article
or book, the first thing you do is a quick cost / benefit analysis: given
my interest in this topic, is reading this article worth the effort. The
longer and denser the pages, the less likely you are to want to plow through
it.
Now if you
are stranded on a deserted island and you only have one book to read,
chances are you'll eventually make the time. |
Yours Free
Quick-Start Guide to
Letters of Recommendation |
But your letters of recommendation
are unlikely to be reviewed by anyone in this type of situation. People
are busy. How likely are people to snuggle up to a four-page letter of
recommendation in an 8-point font? Not very!
Well, some
people might read some of it... if they are more conscientious than most,
but how likely are they to be moved by the best selling point the you
have going for you that is buried somewhere at the bottom of page three?
Get my point?
All too many writers take the vomit-it-all approach. They don't know what
the recipient is looking for, so they just inundate them with data, hoping
that something somewhere makes an impression. This is rarely effective.
Reviewers
are human too. They don't like plowing through tons of dense and mostly
irrelevant material to see if you might mention one of the three things
that they are looking for. Not when they have lots of other things to
do.
QUICK NOTE:
In our so-called information age, we are all becoming swamped with data.
The ability to summarize massive amounts of data into the few key points
needed to make effective decisions is a life-skill that is imperative
for individuals (and organizations!) to be successful. Not surprisingly,
brevity is well appreciated by most reviewers. It shows you appreciate
the importance of their time.
Top / Bottom
Less is More
Instead,
consider a letter of recommendation that looks like this:
- Two-page
long with large, easy-to-read font; able to be read in less than two
minutes
- Focuses
on two or three key points, all of which demonstrate characteristics
that the recipient is looking for
- Is from
a credible source that is in a position to observe the characteristics
described
This candidate's
letter will be noticed, read, and it will strike a good chord. For a letter
of recommendation, that is called success!
But Wait a Minute!
At this point,
you might be thinking: OK, so this is the theory. What if she doesn't
know what the recipient is looking for? What if she picks the wrong three
things to focus on? Isn't it safer to make lots of stabs in the hope that
at least one works?
Well, let's
work backwards here. First of all, taking lots of stabs might allow you
to finally make a point that is on the mark, but it also risks saying
something that will get you in trouble too.
The key is
to know what they're looking for. If you don't know, then you need to
find out; research as best you can before writing your letter. The more
informed you are, the better your chances.
Top / Bottom
Stay in Character
Just recently,
I spent the day in traffic court, fighting an outrageously unjust citation
(that's another story). While waiting for my turn before the judge, I
got to see a lot of sheepish people groveling for mercy to avoid fines.
One woman,
though, really stood out. She was bubbly and loud. And instead of groveling
quietly like everyone else, she starts with this "I-think-I-know-you-from-somewhere"
bit with the judge. All of this is in open court in front of everyone.
To her credit, it seems he was the cousin of a close friend in her neighborhood,
so there was a connection there - however distant.
So do you
think she got off? Not a chance. Not in front of everyone like that. The
judge would have to be a fool to risk being accused of playing favorites
for someone he barely knows. He was visibly uncomfortable with the whole
situation. She would have done better as an anonymous stranger; after
all, I found the guy to be more than fair in most instances (judges were
elected in that county).
Pushing Relationshps too Far
Here's my
point: don't get too chummy in your letters with the reviewer - even if
you or the recommender knows this person very well. Letters of recommendation
are official business correspondence. As such, they should be written
in a very business-like tone.
Using a relationship
to your advantage can be an effective tactic, but you need to be subtle
about it; you need to stay in character. After all, your friend may have
to justify his decision to help you at some point. If this decision is
called into question, your letter of recommendation could serve as evidence,
if you will. This could mean trouble for both you and your friend. Your
friend's boss may very well doubt the wisdom of a decision based on a
real chummy letter of recommendation.
What is more,
recipients really resent it when people try to use undue influence in
this way. Pushing relationships too hard usually backfires quickly. Someone
who should be your stalwart supporter could end up being the very one
to shoot your application down, just to avoid the implication of any misdeed.
Top / Bottom
Some more
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.
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.
Top / Bottom
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.
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.
Top / Bottom
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.
Where to Next?
Instant Letter Robot
Fill in the form and the computer does the rest; impressive quality
Sample Letters of Recommendation
Complete letters you can mix and match to develop your own
Letter
of Recommendation Template
One
of the biggest challenges in writing is to organize your thoughts effectively;
this section will show you how
Letter
of Recommendation Forms
Fastest,
easiest, and surest way to professional results. Standard letter of
recommendation forms can serve as templates for writing effective letters
of recommendation quickly and easily; the most practical are software-driven
Letter-Machine.com - Out of all, this is the easiest and surest way to success. Letter-Machine.com
is a letter generator - or electronic form / template - for letter of
recommendation. You fill in the blanks, select the options you want,
and press a button; the software does the rest. Very cool. Click the
following link for more information: Letter
of Recommendation Forms
Letter
of Recommendation Example Pack - Provides several examples of
the various types of letters people generally need: job application,
student admission, scholarships, personal, etc. All of the letters use
the "success formula" we discuss here (see Letter
of Recommendation Template), so they all have the same structure.
This makes it relatively easy to cut and paste different sections together
from several different letters to produce a coherent and professional
letter. The package is in Acrobat (PDF) format, which virtually all
computers these days can read (the reader is a free download anyway).
You will be able to copy and paste what you need, so there is no re-typing.
Click the following link for more information: Letter
of Recommendation Example Pack
How
to Write a Letter of Recommendation
Getting started. Information, tips, & samples for
writing letters of recommendation - special tips and persuasive writing
techniques.
Specific
Types of Letters of Recommendation
We've
included a special section on some of the more common types of letters
of recommendation to discuss issues particular to each one
Letters
of Recommendation.org Index
Home page
of this web site.
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