extracurricular activities of the Department?
Character references
Character reference letters are a special category of recommendation because they are usually written by friends, neighbors or relatives. These letters meet a variety of non-employment and non-academic related needs. Everything from gaining memberships and winning awards to child custody and adoptions. Character reference letters can also be useful in job seeking.
3. Character reference From: friend, relative Usual purpose: getting a job, winning an award, child adoption, court hearing, etc.
Employment Recommendations
Do you have good interpersonal skills that enable you to get along with faculty and other students?
Do you exhibit strong leadership skills? Have you contributed to the various
A reference letter
Provides an organized analysis of your attributes and abilities
Is a "fresh when written" appraisal not clouded by time
Saves future employers the effort of interviewing your former supervisor
Saves your former supervisor the time and trouble of being interviewed
A reference letter (Cont.)
Importantly, obtaining a written letter also gives you insight into how your former employer perceives you—on balance either favorably or unfavorably. With this information in hand you can spotlight a good reference or downplay a poor one.
Don't write a letter unless...
Never agree to write a letter of recommendation unless you:
have the time to write it know the individual well enough to
recommendation Is familiar with your work Knows you well enough to be able to include
personal anecdotes in the letter Has the highest and/or most relevant job title
Academic Recommendations
Letters of recommendation are required for acceptance to the vast majority of both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Often applicants must provide three or more letters.
What they need from you are four things:
A sense that your credentials are meaningful and therefore what you say in your letter is worth listening to
Structure for a recommendation
Recommendations often have three parts:
Opening Body Conclusion
Opening
to give the name of the candidate and the position sought.
A sense that you know the candidate well enough to form sound judgments
A sense of whether or not you are vouching for the candidate
Insights into the candidate's personal dimensions. Insights that cannot be gleaned from a resume or transcript, and often not from an interview.
Sample Opening 1
Dear Mr. Villas:
This is in response to your recent request for a letter of recommendation for Maria Hillman who worked for me up until two years ago.
discuss him or her in a tangible way honestly feel comfortable writing the
letter
Formulaic Recommendation Letters
That the more personalized a letter of recommendation is the more effective it will probably be.
Whether you are laid off or leave your job on your own accord, a letter of recommendation from your employer can be a valuable tool for finding a new job. Such a letter is often preferable to listing your supervisor and his or her phone number on your resume.
The reader of your letter will most likely have read hundreds of recommendations before, and will have only limited time to devote to it.
The business reader will have the applicant's resume. The academic reader will have the applicant's transcript and his or her standardized test scores. Additionally, both types of readers will have the opportunity to interview their respective candidate.
Chapter 14 Letters of Recommendation
Three types of recommendation letters
1. Employment recommendation From: employer Usual purpose: getting a job
Three types of recommendation letters (Cont.)
Guidelines for recommendations
Respond only to written request. Provide only job-related information. Avoid vague or ambiguous statements. Supply specific evidence for any negative. Stress facts. State that your remarks are confidential.
2. Academic recommendation From: teacher, professor Usual purpose: getting into college or graduate school, receiving a scholarship or fellowship
Three types of recommendation letters (Cont.)
Approaching your letter from this context will not only make your writing easier—it will make your recommendation more useful.