It’s also a written document that you, as the writer, are staking your reputation on.īy writing one, you’re vouching for someone and putting your reputation as a professional and brand on the dotted line, as well as the company’s reputation and brand.
#Letter of recommendation how to#
So how do you say no gracefully? How To Decline a Request to Write Oneįirst off, keep in mind that a letter of recommendation is more than just a piece of paper that says nice things about someone. There are a million reasons you might not want to write a letter for someone. Then again, maybe it’s someone you just don’t like and writing them a glowing letter feels like lying. Maybe it’s someone you don’t know well enough to really recommend for anything.
Maybe they don’t have the skills in place yet for the job. Maybe they’re not right for the position they’re applying for. (We’ll have a template at the end of this post for you to build off of.)īut what if the person asking you for a letter isn’t someone you feel comfortable writing one for? In that case writing a letter should be fairly straight forward and simple. Hopefully the person asking you to write one is a solid candidate for whatever position they’re applying for. Let’s start with how to respond if you’re asked to write one. Not only may you be asked to write a letter of recommendation for a coworker or colleague, but knowing what goes into one will only make asking for your own letter later on easier and more effective. No matter what stage of your career you’re in, knowing how to write a solid recommendation letter can only help you. If you are looking for info on character reference letters check out our article here. NOTE: This article is about a letter of recommendation from your professional career. In this article, we’re going to break down reference letters into two parts: what to do if you’re writing one and what to do if you’re asking for one to be written for you. Not only is it giving your name, but also highlighting some of your best qualities that might not be revealed should a hiring manager just be looking at your resume. To go back to our earlier party scenario, that letter of recommendation is acting like your friend and introducing you to potential employers. Having a well written recommendation letter can do more to help you get a job than almost any other piece of paper in your job hunting arsenal.Ī letter of recommendation (sometimes also called a reference letter) is a document where the writer (also called the referee) breaks down the potential job seeker’s skills, qualities, and abilities based on the job for which they’re applying and relates personal anecdotes and examples to help give the reader an inside look at their personality and work ethic. So just what do you call this amazing pre-introduction? No, we don’t mean you should start using the buddy system for all your interviews, but it is possible for an interviewer to have a good heads up as to who you are and what some of your best qualities are. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a friend who could help you out? It’s tough to walk into a room and suddenly find yourself having to interact with total strangers. Within minutes you’ve met everyone and suddenly you’ve gone from being an awkward outsider to an insider with a whole new slew of people to hang out with.īeing in the job market and going to interviews with hiring managers is a little bit like going to that party where you don’t know anyone. They not only introduce you by name to everyone, but also go so far as to even brag a bit about knowing you, sharing short stories about funny and smart you are as well as how hard working you are and how proud they are to know you. Your friend takes you by the arm and pulls you into the crowd. Come on, I’ll introduce you to the gang!”
Let’s be honest…it’s a little intimidating. You nod and look around the room, again taking in the crowd of total strangers. “Boy am I glad to see you,” you tell your friend. You rush over to your friend and suddenly that strange feeling of being totally alone in a crowd is gone. Then, out of the corner of your eye you spot a familiar face! Whew, you’re saved! You keep looking around, trying to find somebody – anybody – you know. Sure, you could go up and start introducing yourself to people but that’s always tough. You want to interact but you don’t know a single person there.
The room is filled with people you’ve never met and you’re standing awkwardly off to the side, unsure of what to do. The best way to discuss your letter of recommendation is clearly by beginning with a little role playing ( wink wink).
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