How to WHow to write a good LoR(rite a Good LoR( Very Detail)

7/26/2019 How to WHow to write a good LoR(rite a Good LoR( Very Detail)

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How to write a recommendation letter

Recommendation letters are letters written by professors who know you, assessing youcapacity to meet the requirements of a program you are applying for. They're supposed to helpdecision-makers to get a better picture of your potential. The sure thing is, if you apply for a

Masters program, or for a h!, sometimes e"en for a summer school, you cannot a"oidthem. #nother part of the harsh reality is that due to different reasons, if you are a student in$astern $urope you will often find yourself in the position to write these letters yourself. The

professor will, in this case, only proof-read and sign the te%t. &n case you belong to the luckyones who don't ha"e to write recommendation letters themsel"es, you should still read thissection. ou will find useful hints hoe to handle properly this delicate part of the application

process.

How to deal with them. (sually, recommendation letters ha"e to be written on especiallydesigned sheets of paper that come as part of your application form. &n some cases, letters onletterhead will be accepted, if for some reasons, you cant use those special pieces of paper.

Read carefully what has been written in the application booklet about such situations. )ill inthe fields at the beginning at the form that ask for your name, department, etc. Take the formsto a professor who knows you and is familiar with your skills or acti"ity. #llow the professoras much time as possible *ideally +- weeks to write your letter. Try to make sure the

professor is aware of who you are, what your interests are and understands what you areapplying for. # small talk when you are handing the recommendation forms or a printedsummary of all that that accompanies the forms can help to this respect. Try, with politenessand attention, to make sure the professor will write you a recommendation in warm terms.Recommendations tend to be, e"en though not always are, somewhat bombastic in"ocabulary. &f you e"er get your eyes on such a te%t, you might upgrade the opinion you hadabout yourself . /e prepared with en"elope and stamps, in case the professor wants to sendthe letter him-or herself. ou should also read the related lines from the application bookletabout this point. 0ome uni"ersities prefer to recei"e the recommendation letters together withthe rest of the application, while some would rather get them separately, sent directly by the

professor who recommends you. &t is usual practice that en"elopes are signed by the professoro"er the lid, in such a way that one cannot open the en"elope without deteriorating the lid. &norder to increase the confidence the recruiters put in the letter when you ha"e to send therecommendation together with the rest of the application, we ad"ise you to request such asignature and1or an official seal.

Content.0ometimes, a busy professor will suggest more or less directly that you produce a

first draft of the te%t that he or she will correct and sign. &n other cases, this is the only wayyou can get a letter that differs from the standard te%t e"ery student gets from that professor.2ur goal is not to discuss the reality of $astern $uropean campuses here. 0till, if you thinkyou might be offended by the practice of writing your own recommendation letters, it is

probably better that you do not read the rest of the te%t.

# recommendation letter ideally starts by stating the name of the professor who writes theletter and his1her title, together with the name of the student for whom the letter is written.The professor should also state since when has s1he known the students3 year, class or otheracti"ity. &t should in any case be clear that the professor had the opportunity to get to know thestudent well and assess his1her capabilities.

The assessment of the students capabilities should be made from a multiple point of "iew


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o"er the ne%t -4 paragraphs. )rom a professional point of "iew, it should gi"e account of thestudents knowledge, interests and capabilities, acti"ities and results, work capacity, etc.ersonally, it should assess the students personal characteristics, character, social skills, his orher relations with the students and professors. 0ame as in other application documents, thedirection should be from facts1e%perience to qualifications, and from those, to "alue

5udgments. $specially those skills rele"ant for the desired program should be outlinedthroughout the paper.

The final paragraph should pro"ide an o"erall assessment of the students potential to fulfillthe requirements of the program, e"en though partial 5udgments can and should be pro"ided inthe body of the letter.

!on't forget to write the date and the name of the home uni"ersity. The name of the programyou are applying for should come out e%plicitly in the body of the te%t, in order to make clearthat the letter has been written for that occasion. (nless the format of the paper on which theletter should be written makes this difficult, you can print the te%t. $"en better, ha"e the te%t

on a disk with you, in case the professor will consider any changes necessary. /e ready togi"e the professor time to read your draft and make those changes.

Most recommendation forms contain a certain number of fields, the multiple-choice kind,where the professor has to assess, by checking cells, your abilities. Make sure those fields arechecked and insert the te%t in the place left for additional remarks. 6e strongly suggest thatyou do not lea"e blank that portion of the form, but use it instead as a self-standingrecommendation letter.

7ood luck.

6rite a recommendation or a reference about someone

8lick here for 9etters

8opyright : ;> 6rite$%press 8orporation. #ll Rights Reser"ed. (se of this materialis sub5ect to the 6rite$%press 0hareware 9icense #greement.

Tips3

&f you ha"e reser"ations about writing a recommendation or reference, see ?!eclining to writea letter of recommendation.?

/efore writing this letter be sure to determine your company's or institution's policy regardingletters of recommendation. 0ome policies e%ist as protection against potential lawsuits. &f youwrite a letter, stick to the facts, a"oiding personal or derogatory statements. 7i"e onlycomplimentary opinions.

&f the requester pro"ides you with a recommendation form to fill out, you may still addcomments in a space pro"ided on the form or on a separate sheet. 6hen sending aconfidential recommendation in an en"elope, it is often required that you sign your name

across the seal. This practice is common in academic applications.


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ou will usually write a letter of R$82MM$@!#T&2@ when you know who the specificemployer is and what the position will be. &n your letter you address a person's qualificationswith that position and that employer in mind. (nless the person for whom you are writingwai"es the right to read your recommendation, be aware that he or she will probably read it.

ou will usually write a letter of R$)$R$@8$ when you do not know who the employer willbe or what the position may be. #lthough the strategy for writing a reference is essentially thesame as for writing a recommendation, a reference is more general. The letter is generallyused to introduce a person and1or "ouch for that person's integrity and general character. The

person for whom you write the reference will usually read it and perhaps duplicate it forfuture use.

!o not include comments about race, color, religion, handicap, se%, national origin, maritalstatus, or parental status.

;. &f you do not know who will recei"e your letter of recommendation, other salutations suchas ?To whom it may concern? are acceptable. ou may include in the sub5ect heading the factthat you are writing confidentially.

0entences3T23 (ni"ersity #dmissions 8ommittee)R2M3 !oe 8orporation!#T$3 0eptember ;, ;


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+. $%press your positi"e feeling about writing the letter. Then e%plain how long you ha"eknown the person and what your relationship has been *super"isor, teacher, co-worker.

0entences3& am delighted to be called upon as a reference for Aohn !oe. & first became acquainted withMr. !oe in ;


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hrases3am honored to support him as a candidateam pleased to pro"ide a reference for

am pleased to write a character reference foram delighted to be called uponam happy to recommendam pleased to comment oncan offer only the highest recommendation forfirst became acquainted withfirst came to my attention whenhas worked under my super"ision forhas worked directly under my super"isionhas been a pleasure to super"iseha"e known Ms. !oe for

ha"e no hesitation in recommendingha"e been his super"isor sinceher performance as ahis qualifications and performanceha"e had the opportunity toin response to your enquiryin the past two yearsis a pleasure to recommendwas a student in two of my classeswas employed by us from

. !iscuss the person's qualifications for the position. 0tatements of past performance,accomplishments, and contributions are helpful. The more rele"ant the items mentioned, andthe greater the detail, the better your letter will communicate your positi"e recommendation.7eneral comments pro"ide a neutral recommendation or suggest that you do not reallyrecommend the person highly.

0entences3

6hile she was with us she super"ised the maintenance of all computer networks. Thisresponsibility in"ol"ed working with 4+ separate offices.

Cis e%traordinary ability to analyDe problems and outline necessary courses of action alwayskept us on schedule.

0he was always punctual and willing to take on new assignments.

Cer ability to interact with customers and resol"e their complaints in a pleasant manner ga"eus a significant ad"antage.


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&n the past ten years he has submitted + suggestions that the !oe 8orporation hasimplemented, sa"ing the company thousands of dollars.

&n a class of thirty, he completed the course with the second highest grade.

&n the first si% months of her employment with us, her inno"ations sa"ed the company o"erE;+,>>>.

/y restructuring the packaging process, he was able to reduce deli"ery time by twentypercent.

Cer keen sense of organiDation and unlimited energy led to her promotion a year earlier thanusual.

Ce has remarkable ability to moti"ate co-workers and build a spirit of camaraderie.

Cer greatest talent is in de"eloping inno"ations for new products.

& cannot o"eremphasiDe his track record in writing successful proposals.

6hen our production date was mo"ed up, he willingly worked o"ertime e"ery day for eightweeks to help us catch up.

0he is an acti"e and articulate participant in staff meetings and policy discussions. 0he"olunteers useful comments without being prodded, and when called upon une%pectedly toanswer a question she can always frame an intelligent response.

Ce grasps new concepts quickly and accepts constructi"e criticism and instruction concerninghis work.

0he finishes her work on schedule. 6hen she has a concern or question about an assignment,she speaks her mind clearly and directly, gi"ing "oice to what others may feel but cannot orwill not say.

hrases3a creati"e problem-sol"er


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always cheerful and dependablealways met his deadlinesalways beha"es professionallyamong her significant contributions to the company are

broad range of skills

can attest to his integritycareful attention to detailcomments are well thought out and clearly articulatedcommunicates her ideas clearlycommunicates effecti"ely in writingcompletely loyal and trustworthydeals sensiti"ely with customers and co-workersdemonstrated particular strengths indischarged her duties satisfactorilyfollows tasks through to completionfulfilled the 5ob requirements admirably

gets along well with othershandles administrati"e tasks efficientlyhandles responsibility wellhas a take-charge personalityhas a flair for organiDationher sensiti"ity and concern for othersis inno"ati"e and creati"eis a tireless workeris mature beyond her yearsis intelligent and ambitiousis personable and easy to work withkeeps calm under pressuremeticulous attention to detailone of our finest, most well-rounded undergraduatesoutstanding leadership abilitieso"ersees a meeting tactfully and effecti"ely

punctual and reliablepunctual and hard workingself-moti"ated indi"idualwide-range knowledge ofwilling to go beyond what is required

willing to take on new responsibilitiesworks efficiently and effecti"elyworks independently and effecti"elyworks well with little super"ision

4. &f appropriate, gi"e reasons for the termination of the indi"idual's employment.

0entences3

& belie"e he left us to pursue a more challenging 5ob opportunity.


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Ce left the company when we were downsiDing our /oston operation. Ce was the mostrecently hired.

6e are sad to see him lea"e our firm, but we understand that he needs to relocate for familyconsiderations.

The loss of go"ernment contracts has caused us to curtail operations in our 0pringfield plantwhere she was employed. &f circumstances were to change, we would not hesitate to rehireher.

6e are reluctant to let him go, but we recogniDe that this position would be an e%cellentprofessional opportunity for him.

#lthough we wish she would stay with us, we don't want to stand in the way of herprofessional ad"ancement.

6e are sorry to learn that she is lea"ingF our loss is clearly someone else's gain.

hrases3a more challenging 5ob opportunityam sorry to see him goare reluctant to let him goare sorry she is lea"ingare sorry to lose herare sad to see him lea"eas a result of a layoffcontributions will be missedga"e no reason for his resignationgood career mo"e for herha"e curtailed operations in

in line with the company's policyit is with regret that weleft us to pursuemost recently hiredneeds to relocate becauseour loss will be someone else's gainunderstand that he needs towhen we were downsiDingwill certainly misswish that she could staywish we were in a position to

would not hesitate to rehire


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B. 8lose with a clear statement of your recommendation and a willingness to cooperatefurther.

0entences3Mr. !oe will be a great addition to your staff. &f & can further assist, please call.

& am pleased to gi"e my unqualified recommendation for Aohn !oe to be your personneldirector.

/ecause she has been so inno"ati"e and conscientious, & do not hesitate to recommend her"ery highly to your company.

& ha"e no hesitation in recommending Mr. !oe to you as a highly effecti"e managerF & belie"ehe will e%ceed your e%pectations.

Aane !oe has my strong recommendation. 0he will be a credit to your firm.

& am confident that Mr. !oe will continue to be "ery producti"e. Ce has my highestrecommendation.

&f & could, & would hire her back. & am sorry to see her go. @e"ertheless, & know that this mo"eis important to her family. & am sure she will continue to rise in her career.

& gi"e her my highest recommendation, without reser"ation. lease call me if you ha"e furtherquestions.

& ha"e nothing but admiration and respect for Aohn. Ce lea"es my company with my highestrecommendation.

&t is satisfying to be able to gi"e him my highest recommendation. & hope this informationpro"es helpful.

/ased on her performance with us, & am confident she will do "ery well in any sales conte%t.

& know of no reason why you should hesitate to hire Mr. !oe.


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& offer my highest recommendation for Ms. !oe to be a member of your task force.

& enthusiastically recommend Mr. !oe as a promising candidate.

0eldom ha"e & been able to recommend someone without reser"ation. &t is a pleasure to do soin the case of Aohn !oe.

& will be pleased to answer any additional questions you may ha"e.

& am "ery interested in Mr. !oe's application and will be happy to pro"ide further information.

hrases3an asset to your organiDatione"ery confidence in her ability togi"e my unqualified recommendationhas always pro"ed satisfactoryhas my highest recommendationha"e admiration and respect forha"e no reser"ations inhope this information pro"es helpfulif & can further assistif you ha"e further questionsif you need additional informationif you would like more informationrecommend without reser"ationrecommend her "ery highlyrequest your fa"orable consideration ofshould be gi"en serious considerationshould you ha"e any questionsunder other conditions with another super"isorunder the right circumstances

will be happy to speak with youwill meet your e%pectationswill be successful in any enterprise he undertakeswill be a credit to yourwill measure up to your high standardswill be a great addition towould be an asset to any companywould be a "aluable addition to

0ample 9etter G;3


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$mployment Re"iew 8ommittee3& am pleased to recommend Aane !oe as a candidate for the position of office manager. Ms.!oe has managed our 0pringfield office capably since ;


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&'m honored to recommend Aane !oe for admission to graduate studies at the &nstitute of!esign. 0ince Aane will be "isiting you soon, the following information should help introduceher as well as con"ey my wholehearted recommendation that she be admitted to your

program.

My association with Aane--&'"e known Aane closely for three years, during which we'"ecollaborated on many pro5ects. Cer role has been that of a consultant to our architectural firm.Aane and & ha"e also con"ersed pri"ately on theoretical and practical matters of style,aesthetics, and philosophies of design. &'"e always been impressed by her know-how--fromhow to design an arboretum to good principles of document design.

Aane's integrity--The hallmark of Aane's character is her honesty. This e%tends from those areaswhere we easily see it *in relationships and business transactions to integrity of thought.0cientific, thorough, and meticulous, she approaches any analytical task with an e%acting eye.This is the kind of care and concern & mean by integrity of thought.

Aane's scholarship and balanced education--#s a student of the humanities, Aane pursued acourse of study that could ser"e as a model for any general education curriculum. 0he knowsnot only 0hakespeare but mathematics. 0he's as comfortable in a wood shop as at the opera.

Cer professional manner--Aane !oe is one of the most pleasant persons you'll e"er meet orwork with. 0he's forthright, but neither intimidates nor intrudes. 0he's open, friendly, andauthentic--the Aane you'll soon meet is the Aane you'll get, without any surprises.

Aane has my unqualified professional endorsement and my deep personal respect. lease feelfree to call at any time if & can be of further assistance.

R$82MM$@!#T&2@ 9$TT$R0

our recommendations are important because they "erify your claims and pro"ide theadmissions committee an opportunity to learn more about you from people you ha"e workedclosely with. Cence, good recommendations can ser"e as a powerful tool to Hsell yourself tothe committee. 6e list here the common issues3

6hy are Recommendation letters importantI8hoosing your Recommenders

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6hy are Recommendation 9etters importantI Top

$"ery part of your application, builds an image of your personality in the minds of theadmissions committee. The recommendation letters pro"ide a third persons perspecti"e on


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the kind of person you are. 6hat a recommendation letter writes about you should add orsupplement what you claim to be through your essays102 and work e%perience details. &tcertainly would create doubts about you as a person if the image that your recommendationletter creates completely in"erts the image that you"e been trying to create through youressays102s and work e%perience details.

The one simple way to make recommendation letters contribute to your admission process isto keep your application straight and honest. resent the facts as they actually are J be truthfulabout e"ery claim you make in e"ery aspect of your application.

There is one thing that you certainly can do and that is to choose the people who canrecommend you 5udiciously. 8hoose a person who knows you well and likes you as a personand then ask him1her to gi"e a fair assessment of you as a person in the recommendationletter.

our application form will gi"e you details about the recommendation letters you are required

to submit. The number of recommendations and from whom J whether from your work orfrom your school or both.

8hoosing our Recommenders Top

/usiness 0chools

Most schools require +- recommendation letters. 8hoosing the appropriate mi% ofrecommenders largely depends on the program you are applying for. )or an M/# program,two recommendations from work and one from school is generally a good balance. &f theschool asks for only two recommendations, it would be ad"isable to get both work related. #sfar as possible, it is ad"isable to get one recommendation letter from your immediatesuper"isor. Cowe"er, if it is not possible, then a former super"isor would be a good choice.#s a last alternati"e, you could use a colleague who has worked closely with you. &t is notad"ised to apply without a recommendation from your current 5ob place. )or more details,check out the recommendation letter section on the M/# channel.

7raduate rograms

)or an M0 or !octoral program, you should get atleast two recommendations from yourprofessors. &f you ha"e performed research or worked on thesis, it is highly recommendedthat you get the reference letter from your #d"isor. &f you worked for a company either fulltime or as a summer intern, you could take one letter from your immediate super"isor.

(ndergraduate rograms

)or candidates applying for an undergraduate program, "ery few schools ask for arecommendation letter. &f asked, you should get it from one of your fa"orite teachers in

school.


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0ome other points to keep in mind while choosing your recommender3

8hoose people who know you well. Rather than choosing a famous person who has nointimate knowledge of your skills and abilities, it is much more powerful to use a person whocan illustrate your strengths and show you at your best.

8hoose people who really like you. &t is important that a recommender in"ests time in writingyour recommendation. # person who likes you will take out the time as well as put a positi"espin on your qualities.8hoose people who can address more than one key criterion3 your business and managerialskills, intellectual ability, leadership potential, maturity, work ethics etc.7i"e your recommender an outline of the assignments you ha"e handled at work. &nclude inthe outline some suggestions on how he1she might address specific issues such as analyticalability, integrity, intellectual curiosity etc.

0ample3 Therapy rogram Recommendation&t is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that & am writing to endorse KKKKKKKK's application to

your program. )or the last +B years at KKKKKKKKK (ni"ersity, & ha"e been a psychotherapistand instructor in the 8ounseling and 0tudent !e"elopment 8enter, as well as super"isor tomany interns and social work students. & hope my perspecti"e will be helpful to you as youe"aluate this e%ceptional candidate.My first contact withKKKKKKK was during the summer of ;


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as importantly, she would come with an enthusiasm for both learning and teaching, well as aresolute desire to understand new theories and ideas. &t is e%citing to think of the ways inwhich she might contribute to your program.& urge you to carefully consider KKKKKKKK who is, quite simply, the most remarkable teacher &ha"e e"er met.

0incerely,To 6hom &t May 8oncern3This ser"es as a letter of reference for !r. Martin aye, h.!., who has applied for anadministrati"e position at your company, Cealthcare 0ystems. &t is my honor to recommend!r. aye. & ha"e known him since Aanuary ;


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0incerely,!onald 0tern, h.!.To 6hom &t May 8oncern3& am proud to recommend a belo"ed student, aya 0tone, for your fellowship program. & wasasked to write as one who has functioned in the capacity of an employer of aya, but & would

first like to say a few words about him as a student.aya is a highly intelligent, percepti"e young man. Ce came to our institution committed tocapitaliDing on the opportunity of a third year of study in &srael, and he left with thesatisfaction of ha"ing accomplished that goal. aya grew in learning, in character, in depth ofunderstanding. Ce seeks truth in each and e"ery area of his life, whether in learning,discussing philosophy, or relating to his fellow students and his teachers. /ecause of his

positi"e disposition, his reflecti"e way of operating, and all of the character traits that makehim so special, aya s questions ne"er go unanswered, and his searches always bring him toe%citing new disco"eries. #s a student, aya is outstanding. #s an educator, & ha"e watchedhim grow, seen his talents and abilities not only in the classroom but outside its walls, wheninteracting with all types of people, as well.

!uring his time at our institution, aya, who as & m sure you know is an e%cellent writer andpublicist, also has done a good deal of work for the yeshi"a. This has included the te%t formany public relations brochures and packets, letters to parents, potential donors, and alumni,and essentially any correspondence which & ha"e requested that he compose. The feedback isalways o"erwhelmingly positi"e, and he has done so much in that way for our yeshi"a. $"entoday, while he studies elsewhere, he continues to do a great deal of this work for ourinstitution, in addition to the recruiting and other ser"ices he performs for the yeshi"a.#lways, in his work, aya is consistent, dedicated and passionate, enthusiastic, cheerful, anda pleasure to work with. Ce has incredible creati"e energies and a refreshing idealismtempered only enough to accomplish what needs to be done. & highly recommend him for any

position of work, leadership, education, or any other capacity in which he can spread hise%citement and share his talents with others. #t our institution, we are e%pecting big thingsfrom aya in the way of educational and communal leadership in the years to come. #ndknowing aya, he will not disappoint, and probably will e%ceed our e%pectations.Thank you once again for the opportunity to recommend such a special and impressi"e youngman.

0incerely ours,

0te"en Rudenstein!ean, eshi"a 9orentDen 8hainani

To 6hom it May 8oncern,& am pri"ileged to write in support of my dear friend and student, !an eel. !an studied in myclassroom and laboratory program for close to three years, during which time & witnessed histremendous growth and de"elopment. This de"elopment came not only in the area ofscientific achie"ement and disco"ery, but in maturity and character as well.!an entered 6hitman at the young age of ;=,a precocious high school graduate. #t first, hehad difficulty accepting his place as a young, less e%perienced lab member. /ut soon, helearned the "aluable trait of humility, and en5oyed the opportunity to learn from his older

peers and his professors.!an quickly learned to manage his time, work in group situations under strict deadlines, andto recogniDe the importance of a strong work ethic, persistence, and intellectual integrity. Ce

has long since become the most "aluable member of my student-lab team, and a role modelfor his newer classmates.


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& recommend !an to your program with absolute confidence. Ce has made me proud, as histeacher and friend, and & am sure will continue to do so as he grows in your program and

beyond.Thank you for the opportunity of correspondence,0incerely,

!r. #my /eck,rofessor, 6hitmanTo 6hom &t May 8oncern38arrie oustis is an e%ceptional young lady. Most e"eryone knows of her intellectual acumen,lofty ambitions, dancing abilities, and kindnessF indeed, she is a sort of legend in her smallhometown of 0outhwest lainsfield, @A, but few know of the struggle 8arrie endured duringher middle years of high school.. 8arrie had a close friend, aya, whom she had met atsummer camp. 0he and aya had grown "ery close during the first two years of high school.!uring the middle of tenth grade, 8arrie recei"ed news that aya was suffering from a raredegenerati"e disease. &t was terminal, 8arrie was told but did not cry. 0he did not e"en take amoment to worry about how this might affect her. 0he simply called me, her principal, and

asked if she could miss a few days of school, e%plaining to me the gra"e situation. & told herthat, of course, she may miss school, pro"ided that she make up her work.Then, before she hung up, 8arrie asked me to pray on her friend s behalf, and said, O & can goon without aya -- & ha"e many friends and & will mourn but & ha"e a wonderful life. aya issuffering so much, though, and when it s all o"er, that will be it for her. #nd she is hermother s only child. Cow will she go onIP & was so impressed that 8arrie was thinking aboute"eryone affected e%cept herself3 aya, aya s mother, but not 8arrie oustis. 0uch maturity.8arrie knew she had a wonderful life, a belief in 7od, but she felt for others so profoundly.8arrie "isited aya often for se"eral months, always bringing her cards and flowers and ofcourse, good cheer. aya finally passed away that 0pring, and 8arrie made sure to "isit themother e"ery week that following summer.ou will read of 8arrie's grades and scores and sports abilities, of her awards and accoladesF &wanted to relate this episode, as it characteriDes what this remarkable young lady is really allabout. #s she graduates high school, & and all of 0outhwest lainsfield are so sad to see hergo, but realiDe that she is destined to effect great things far beyond the narrow confines of asmall town in @ew Aersey.0incerely,$sti &turralderincipal, @orth 0outhwest lainsfield Cigh 0chool!ear 0ir3$sti worked for me as my assistant for one year. & recommend her without qualification for the

Tri% are for ids program.6hile working in commercial production, & often relied on $sti to put together creati"epresentations, for which she described and outlined the artistic approach to the pro5ect,researching illustrations and photographic reference materials. Cer creati"ity, resourcefulnessand ability to see a pro5ect through really made these presentations distincti"e and successful.6hen we went into production on the feature film Cotcha, $sti was able to obser"e e"ery stepof the process, sitting in on meetings and working with people in all areas of the productionfrom the moment the production was set in motion through the release of the film ten monthslater.!uring this time, she was an effecti"e communicator, often ser"ing as my liason to scatteredmembers of the crew. 0he also coordinated pro5ects in"ol"ing numerous people, and her

ability to work collaborati"ely while guiding the pro5ect quickly and effecti"ely wasoutstanding. )or e%ample, when we suddenly needed to reconcei"e se"eral action sequences


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that had already been storyboarded, $sti quickly found a new storyboard artist on location andworked with him, the stunt coordinator and the cinematographer through se"eral drafts tomake sure the new sequences worked, and then communicated with crew members from alldepartments, making sure e"eryone was up-to-date on the changes that were rele"ant to them.0he e"en 5umped in to draw a few last-minute storyboard changes herself.

$sti's sensiti"ity, diligence, energy and sense of humor made working with her a 5oy. & highlyrecommend her as a welcome addition to the program.0incerely,Aeff ookThis letter is intended to ser"e as a college recommendation for $Dra $dlarruti. & ha"e beenacquainted with $Dra for four years but came to know him well last year, as he was in the oneclass that & taught, a thirteen-student 5unior $nglish class.9ast spring, while he was singing the lead in ?The Marriage of )igaro, ? $Dra becameespecially interested in a short story that we read as a class, #lbert 8amus's ?The 7uest.? &t isa challenging story for any reader, and $Dra became interested in the subtleties of interpretingit, especially in the difficulties inherent in the translation of such a story. 6hat did 8amus

really mean to say and how might his intentions ha"e been compromised by its $nglishtranslationI $Dra read the original, )rench, "ersion of the story and then wrote a superbanalysis of the compromises inherent in its $nglish translation. Cis essay was flawless -- hiswording apt, and his analysis insightful, logical and comprehensi"e. 0ome of our $nglishfaculty can't write so well.0tudents and faculty often remark that $Dra is blessed with considerable talent. 6hat many ofthem o"erlook is how hard $Dra works to culti"ate his talent, whether it be the de"elopment ofhis beautiful "oice for an operatic performance or of his writing skills as he works through anessay. & know of the effort that he put into book re"iews of K;


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and debate circuits, and qualified for national tournaments. 0uccess in these interscholasticacti"ities requires e%tensi"e research and persuasi"e skills. aya also holds the degree of0pecial !istinction, as a member of the @ational )orensic 9eague.!ue to its nature of metro, state, and national interscholastic competition, the successful highschool forensics student ser"es by not only representing his or her school but also by

representing his or her community as well. 2ne of the requirements in my ad"anced class is toprepare lectures and guidance for the beginners. 6ith aya s superior knowledge andin"ol"ement in the political sciences, she de"eloped a strong sense of confidence with acharming attitude. Therefore, & could always depend on her to set the best e%ample as aninstructor. /ecause of her natural leadership abilities, aya was selected as our !ebate8aptain. 2n account of her mature approach to her responsibilities, & often thought of aya asa colleague.0ince her classmates, my fellow teachers, and & will always hold her in the highest esteem, &sincerely recommend aya 0tone as the ideal candidate for matriculation at $astern 9ittleCope 0tate.Respectfully submitted,

!an eel, h.!.


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XYZ Engineering

;+ Q 6ay S @ew ork 8ity S @ S ;+4B*;+ BBB->>>> S )a% *;+ BBB->>>;February 1, 2000

To Whom it May Concern:I've been Michael Smith's manager at !" #ngineering $or almost $ouryears% It &as my leasure to romote Michael to mechanical engineer IIlast year, because he consistently meets an( o$ten e)cee(s his *obre+uirements%Michael is an enthusiastic, (e(icate( emloyee &ith reliable &or habits%-e o$ten (oes not nee( gui(ance or suervision, but &illingly accets it&hen o.ere(% -e is consistently success$ul in imroving his sills, an( he&ors har( to (o so%Michael is al&ays &illing to itch in to hel the team, an( he gets the *ob(one right the /rst time% -e is ecient in lanning ro*ects, unctual inmeeting (ea(lines, an( conscientiously a(heres to comany stan(ar(san( gui(elines%

!ou'( be har( resse( to /n( an emloyee more (e(icate( than Michael,an( I recommen( him as a rocsoli( a((ition to your engineering sta.% I$you'( lie more in$ormation, I'( be hay to rovi(e it% lease call thehone number above an( as $or me by name%Sincerely,

3ohn 4oe

3ohn 4oeManager, Mechanical #ngineering

*(oe5)y6engineering%com


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XYZ Technologies, Inc.127 !" Way 8 9e& !or City 8 9! 8 127;


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XYZ Company127 !" Way 8 9e& !or City 8 9! 8 127;


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eter S% SimsonD2 #ast E7r( Street9e& !or, 9! 1001


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#Center7 #ast 27r( Street9e& !or, 9! 1000


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-art ublications, Inc%100 Fi$th ?venue,9e& !or, 9! 10012


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ro$essor &ill give you a maeu e)am at your convenience, regar(less o$your reason $or missing the e)am%>e very casual about class atten(ance% When you see your ro$essor besure to as, 4i( I miss anything imortant in class to(ayN This &ill (o&on(ers $or his or her ego% >y all means e)ect the ro$essor to give a

recital o$ all o$ the things you misse( instea( o$ taing the resonsibility$or getting the in$ormation $rom another member o$ the class%>e consistently late to class an( other aointments% This sho&s othersho& much busier you are than they%4o not rea( your assignments in a(vance o$ class lecture an( (iscussion%

This actually allo&s you to stu(y more eciently, $or you can tae u classtime asing about things &hich are e)laine( in the rea(ing% To be surethat you get the imortant in$ormation you can a(ot a loo o$ aine(con$usion &hen the ro$essor re$ers to oints ma(e in the rea(ingsB this&ill romt him or her to go over them again%?voi( using the ro$essor's oce hours $or maing an aointment%Instea(, sho& u &hen he or she is trying to /nish a lecture be$ore thene)t class hour, an( e)lain that you must see him or her right thatminute% It is esecially (esirable to say, as you enter the oce, ?re youbusyN This &illonly tae a minute% Then as the ro$essor to hel you &rite a etition toe)emt you $rom #nglish Comosition I%4o not articiate in such mun(ane activities as (eartmental a(visingaointments% Instea(, &ait until the last minute $or aroval o$ yoursche(ule, an( then e)ect the ro$essor to be available at yourconvenience% ?n esecially goo( strategy is to go to the oce (uring

lunch hour &hen you can be $airly certain he or she &ill not be in class%>ut, &hen you (o not /n( the ro$essor, be sure to reort to the (ean orregistrar that you have not been able to comlete your registrationa(vising because you have been looing $or your a(visor $or three &eesan( he or she is never in the oce% I$ you (o meet &ith your a(visor, besure to come to the a(vising session &ith no i(ea o$ &hat classes you nee(or &ant to tae so that your a(visor has to (o all o$ your lanning $or you%9ever bring a class sche(ule or college catalog to the a(vising sessionBal&ays borro& the ro$essor's an( then leave &ith it%9ote: It is acno&le(ge( that stu(ents coul( rovi(e a similar list o$$aculty transgressions &hich result in less enthusiastic evaluationsO

How to Get Good Letters of RecommendationI$ you as a ro$essor &ho (oes not no& you very &ell to &rite you a lettero$ recommen(ation, then you &ill liely receive a lue &arm letter o$recommen(ation% WhyN Well sto an( thin about it% What i$ I ase( you to&rite me a letter o$ recommen(ation $or an a(ministrative osition &ith theFe(eral LovernmentN I$ you only no& me $rom class, then &riting ane)cetional letter o$ recommen(ation &oul( be very (icult $or you% >e$oreyou as a ro$essor to &rite you a letter o$ recommen(ation, you shoul(

reali6e that a ro$essor &ho (oes not no& you very &ell &ill not be able tocomment on many o$ the +ualities that gra(uate schools &ill be looing $or


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in an alicant%When you as a ro$essor to &rite you a letter o$ recommen(ation, youshoul( as about the tye o$ letter the ro$essor $eels con/(ent &riting% !oumay be very gla( to get three ro$essors to &rite you a letter o$recommen(ation, but i$ those letters are &ea they &ill not hel you get

into gra( school%For the single best thing you can (o to get a goo( letter o$recommen(ation, clic here%So you &ant to go to gra(uate schoolN When you aly to a gra(uaterogram, you &ill be ase( to rovi(e ob*ective an( +uantitativein$ormation, such as L?, Lra(uate ecor( #)amination scores, Statemento$ urose, etc% In a((ition to ob*ective an( +uantitative in$ormation, you&ill be ase( to have letters o$ recommen(ation


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your re$erees


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organi6ation's /les that concern themunless they sign a &aiver o$ theirright to (o so% rgani6ations seeing to avoi( the rivacy issue may o.eralicants the otion o$ signing a &aiver against rea(ing letters o$re$erence &ritten about them% When you are re+ueste( to serve as are$erence or ase( to suly a letter o$ re$erence, you shoul( thus in+uire

about the con/(entiality status o$ your letter&hether the alicant's /le&ill be oen or close(%>rusa&, ?lre(, K liu Handbook of Technical Writing, ,/I>1993, St.Martin's ress, !."#"$#

%rrange &or references before &o lanch &or (ob search.%l)a&s ask !er*ission before &o !t so*eone's na*e do)n as areference.+ontact !rofessors, e*!lo&ers, and others )ho kno) &or )ork and canattest to &or co*!etence. escribe the kinds of (obs &o intend a!!l&ingfor so that the& )ill kno) )hat skills and training are i*!ortant.-ne )a& to hel! !eo!le re*e*ber &o is to send those )ho agree to gie&o references a brief thank &o note. In the note, &o can re*ind the* ofsch things as ho) long &o hae kno)n one another, )hat for* &orrelationshi! took, and of sccesses and frstrations &o shared.Here are so*e ea*!les of reference letters and a thank &o note.

Arthur James & Associates235 Menlough Highway EastNorth Anglia, Indiana 4!"Mr. S&lester S*ith, H*an 0esorce irector

%ant arde Indstries, Inc.322 State StreetMadison, Wisconsin "3#99ear Mr. S*ith%s her e*!lo&er and her friend, I a* ha!!& to hae this o!!ortnit& toreco**end 4inda on5ale5 for a !osition )ith &or co*!an&. I haekno)n Ms. on5ale5 since 19#9, 6rst as a clerk, later as a *anager, andno) as a !ersonal friend.Ms. on5ale5 ca*e to %rthr 7a*es 8 %ssociates fro* the State niersit&of Wisconsin at Heartland, )here she receied her degree in :siness. ;ort)o s**ers, she )as a clerk/t&!ist, and after gradation )e hired her to

rn the shi!!ing de!art*ent. %t 6rst, 4inda )as the entire de!art*ent,bt oer the &ears, as or organi5ation gre), she beca*e res!onsible fors!erising < other e*!lo&ees.4inda is one of the *ost reliable e*!lo&ees )e hae had. She )as as!erb s!erisor, giing her sta= *an& hors of her ti*e, training the*carefll&, and encoraging the* to !rodce *ore for %rthr 7a*es 8%ssociates.In 19


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I strongl& reco**end 4inda on5ale5 for her abilit& to *otiatee*!lo&ees, for her strong leadershi! skills, and for her sense of lo&alt&.lease let *e kno) if I can be of an& other hel!.Sincerel&,%rthr 7a*es

%rthr 7a*[email protected]. and resident

West$Tech %*erica12AAA ;orestall rie%nsel*o, Teas #


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;or the record, then, I )as in &or engineering classes in 1991, 92, and93M@ F1" ;all, 1991 %:M@ FFA ;all, 1992 %M@ 999 S!ring, 1993 %

I also )orked on the solar fra*s design !ro(ect and assisted &o )ith&or !resentation at the Dational Indction +onference in +leeland inDoe*ber, 1993.Thank &o so *ch for &or hel!. lease let *e kno) if there is eeran&thing I can do to re!a& the faor.Sincerel& &ors,7i* Wilson4. 7a*es Wilson:.S. $$ Heartland,'91


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rosective #mloyer:

I have no&n Tracy Lra(uate through her &or e)erience &ith our /rm(uring the summer o$ 1G, &hen she serve( as an ?u(itor Intern in our9e& !or oce%

Tracy became imme(iately involve( in the annual au(it o$ "ehyrMegalithic, con(ucting much o$ the historical accounting research re+uire($or the au(it% In a((ition to gathering the /nancial in$ormation, Tracy &asinstrumental in the (eveloment o$ the /nal certi/cation reort% Tracy alsoarticiate( in several other smaller au(its, inclu(ing her instrumental rolein the +uarterly au(it o$ ?lha >an, &here she (eveloe( several #)celmacros to au(it the inuts at the C level% She later $urther (eveloe(these macros $or use in $uture au(its, &hich &e have integrate( into our?u(itors Toolit%

Tracy has sho&n the in( o$ initiative &hich is necessary to be success$ulover the longterm in the ublic accounting /el(% She has e)cellent$orensic sills, yet remains $ocuse( on the overall nee(s o$ the client% Ibelieve she &ill be a strong ?u(itor an( has an e)cellent $uture in theublic accounting /el(% She is a conscientious &orer an( has an e)cellent&or ethic% We &oul( gla(ly have hire( Tracy uon gra(uation i$ she &ereoen to the 9e& !or City area%

I recommen( Tracy to you &ithout reservation% I$ you have any $urther+uestions &ith regar( to her bacgroun( or +uali/cations, lease (o not

hesitate to call me%

Sincerely,

Terry ThomsonartnerinCharge

Instea( o$ *ust sulying a stan(ar( re$erence sheet, a(( a oneliner$rom each re$erence, a +uotation that the erson has given you thatsummari6es a articular +uali/cation or sill% It shoul( be a oneline +uotethat gives ersonal insight into an element o$ your bacgroun( that

normally &oul( not sur$ace in the imersonal $orm o$ the stan(ar(rRsumRcover letterre$erencestye materials% !ou might be able to ullthe +uotation $rom a letter o$ re$erence or $rom a conversation &ith theerson% I$ you are +uoting verbal conversation, mae sure you +uoteaccurately an( con/rm the +uote &ith the ersonno arahrasingallo&e(%#)amle: Tom is the brightest stu(ent I have ever no&n%#)amle: I am con/(ent 3ulie &ill be an outstan(ing ?ccountant%#)amle: I coul( al&ays count on ?nne $or our toughest ro*ects%The Li!e Reference Techni'(e? uni+ue yet e.ective sin on the stan(ar( re$erence is to actually recor(


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together, but &hen use( in roer alication


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It &ill be the best insurance money you ever sent% ne o$ the &orstthings that can haen to you is to get all the &ay to the comany beingrea(y to mae the o.er, &ith the /nal ste o$ checing re$erences, only tohave a negative re$erence blo& you out o$ the &ater%4on't assume% Mae sure% Contact Mye$erences%com to(ay$or your

ersonal re$erence bulletroo/ng%
http://www.myreferences.com/go.cgi?l=3&d=collegegrad&p=mainhttp://www.myreferences.com/go.cgi?l=3&d=collegegrad&p=main


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Tips for -riting a Letter of Referenceby alh >righam, Montana State @niversity

?ttache( is a coy o$ the tis memo that &e inclu(e &ith eachrecommen(ation $orm &hen they leave our oce% Feel $ree to a(at these

as you see /t $or your o&n camus%T: Writer o$ a letter o$ recommen(ation#: -el$ul hints $or &riting a recommen(ationIn to(ay's cometitive *ob maret, *ob alicants are being $orce( to useevery available tool to be success$ul% Writing a letter o$ recommen(ation isnot a simle tas an( must be taen seriously, because it coul( mean the(i.erence bet&een being hire( or being re*ecte(% The *ob hunter has littlecontrol over letters o$ recommen(ation, so I o.er the $ollo&ing only assuggestions on ho& to be an e.ective evaluator% lease return therecommen(ation romtly, because a *ob may (een( on the unctualityo$ the recommen(ation%Inclu(e your aliationrelationshi &ith the erson% Were you asuervisorN resi(ent o$ the comanyN ?(visorN ro$essorN It is imortantto in(icate this because a ro$essor may see the aca(emic sills &hile asuervisor may be able to i(enti$y &or habits%Live honest an( $actual in$ormation% When aroache( to &rite arecommen(ation, as yoursel$ i$ you honestly no& the erson's +ualities%I$ you have not ha( much contact &ith the erson you cannot give anaccurate (escrition% It &oul( be better to (ecline to &rite arecommen(ation than to &rite a vague or irrelevant one%-ave the erson give you a list o$ accomlishments, organi6ations that

heshe belongs to, or any other relevant in$ormation% It might surrise youto see ho& much that erson has (one outsi(e o$ your contact &ith them%This can also hel you get a more accurate icture o$ the in(ivi(ual%-aving the erson give you a coy o$ hisher resume is an easy &ay tohave this in$ormation at han(%Concentrate on several (i.erent asects o$ the erson% Seci/cally i(enti$yhisher sills, attitu(es, ersonal attributes an( gro&th, as &ell as hishercontributions to an( er$ormance &ithin your organi6ation% It is e)tremelyimortant to inclu(e e)amles &here ossible% It is one thing to state thatsomeone ha( some goo( i(eas an( another to say, 3ohn integrate(rea(ing an( &riting into a language e)erience rogram &ith an emhasis

on comrehension% ?lso, i$ you (o mae negative comments, bac themu &ith $acts%

The aearance o$ a letter is a reection on both you an( the can(i(atean( it can also (etermine &hether it &ill be rea( or not% H#?S# T!#

!@ #CMM#94?TI9 9#?TH!OI$ you are using a recommen(ation $orm, lease (o not restrict yourre$erence to the grah% Written comments shoul( comlement an(elaborate on this chart an( not conict &ith it% Written comments on the$orm or on an a((itional age shoul( not leave any +uestions in the min(o$ the rea(er%? recent national ublication


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your comany an( its activities% -ere, you can also give a onesentencesummary or overvie& o$ your oinion o$ the recommen(e( in(ivi(ual%+econd aragraph In the ne)t aragrah rovi(e a more (etaile(evaluation o$ the erson as an emloyee% 4escribe his or her er$ormanceon seci/c assignments an( list any imortant accomlishments% What are

the in(ivi(ual's strengths or shortcomings in the &orlaceN What &as itlie to interact &ith him or herNThird aragraph To sum things u you can mae a more broa(characterisation o$ the in(ivi(ual an( his or her (emeanor% verall, &asthe erson resonsible, olite, &arm, (isagreeable, la6y, site$ulN Finally,in(icate the (egree to &hich you recommen( the in(ivi(ual $or theosition she or he is seeing: &ithout reservation, strongly, &ith somereservation, or not at all%>e$ore &riting the letter, you may &ant to as the erson $or a list o$ his orher ro*ects, since you robably &ill not be a&are o$ all the &or they've(one% Finally, i$ you have not ha( much contact &ith the erson, you maybe better o. (eclining to &rite the letter o$ recommen(ation, rather thanutting together something vague an( (isassionate%Hetters o$ ecommen(ation>y Lui(e 3% Steven 9i6niAalue o$ Hetters o$ ecommen(ation?lso calle( letters o$ re$erence an( commen(ation, letters o$recommen(ation are a valuable *obsearching tool% For e)amle, it's nosecret that emloyers o$ten use the cover o$ legit layo.s to get ri( o$un(esirable emloyees% I$ you get lai( o., it might raise the eyebro&s o$an intervie&er or t&o% Was it because you &ere among the rans o$ the

un(esirable or simly because your *ob &as eliminate(N ? letter o$recommen(ation that raises your er$ormance an( e)lains&hytermination &asn't your $ault might come in han(y%#mloyers might accet letters o$ recommen(ation in lace o$ grilling yourre$erences% That has several a(vantages% For one, it lets your re$erenceso. the hot seat% The more o$ten they have to sit in the hot seat, the less&illing they may be% For another, it might see( u your hiring rocess% Ittaes $ar more time to grill your re$erences by hone or mail than it (oesto rea( letters o$ recommen(ation% It also eliminates the ris that yourre$erences &ill be unreachable, or might (o a oor *ob because they'rebusy or having a rotten (ay% ?ll it taes is one unreachable or oor

re$erence to turn the ti(e against you, &hile only one stellar letter mightbe enough to satis$y your otential emloyer% The biggest a(vantage isthat you alrea(y no& e)actly &hat your re$erences sai( about you%Hetters might even imress emloyers an( mae them $eel morecom$ortable% Some emloyers *usti/ably $ear involvement in la&suitsresulting $rom oor re$erences, an( they tyically (ocument &hat yourre$erences say% I$ you have letters, you've alrea(y (ocumente( $or them&hile re(ucing their liability%
http://jobsearchtech.about.com/aboutindia/jobsearchtech/library/weekly/aa080398.htmhttp://jobsearchtech.about.com/aboutindia/jobsearchtech/library/weekly/aa021400-ex1.htmhttp://jobsearchtech.about.com/aboutindia/jobsearchtech/library/weekly/aa080398.htmhttp://jobsearchtech.about.com/aboutindia/jobsearchtech/library/weekly/aa021400-ex1.htm


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-riting Reference Letters?lmost everyone is ase( to &rite a re$erence letter at some time (uringtheir career% Whether it's $or an emloyee, a $rien(, or someone you've&ore( &ith, it is imortant to be reare( to &rite an e.ective letter o$recommen(ation% It's e+ually imortant to be rea(y to say no i$ you're

not com$ortable recommen(ing someone $or emloyment%It's actually in the erson's best interest $or you to olitely (ecline &ritinga re$erence letter i$ you can't rovi(e more than a &ishy&ashyen(orsement% ? less than ositive re$erence can cause as much harm asa negative re$erence% #mloyers are usually goo( at rea(ing bet&een thelines an( &ill ic u on &hat you're not saying% I$ you (ecline, the ersoncan move on to another re$erence &ho may be able to rovi(e a glo&ingrecommen(ation% ? simle &ay out is to say that you are not $amiliarenough &ith their &or or bacgroun( to rovi(e a re$erence% That &ayyou can minimi6e any otential hurt $eelings%I$ you're thrille( to be ase(, but, not sure &hat to say, as the erson $ora coy o$ their resume an( a list o$ accomlishments% This &ill give yougui(elines to use &hen comosing a letter% Start by (escribing ho& longyou've no&n the erson an( in &hat caacity% Inclu(e (ates o$emloyment an( (etails on ho& you've &ore( &ith


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/-riter0s 1ame or Company Letterhead2XStreet 8 City 8 State 8 "i Co(eYXhone Z 8 Fa) hone Z 8 Messages hone Z 8 #mailY

X4ate to(ayY

Xeciient's a((ress bloc otionalYX?((ressYX?((ressY

4ear Xeciient's nameY or To Whom it May Concern:

XFirst an( $oremost, i$ you (on't $eel com$ortable &riting a letter o$recommen(ation, (on't% ? vague or $abricate( recommen(ation lettermight (o more harm than goo(% Start by i(enti$ying your relationshi &iththe erson $or &hom you're &riting the letter% ?re you the erson'smanager, co&orer or ro$essorN -o& long have you no&n or &ore(&ith the ersonNY

Xicture the erson in his or her *ob role% oint out a variety o$ ositivetraits &hile $ocusing on &or ethics, accomlishments, sills, an(

signi/cant contributions


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Important3 This letter is only for personal (se. Reprod(cing anypart of this letter in any media 4commercial or not5 is a !iolationof copyright laws. Howe!er, yo( may lin* to it from yo(r -e6 site7http7889o6searchtech.a6o(t.com8li6rary8wee*ly8aa:;#&::. +te!en 1i?ni*. "ll Rights Reser!ed.

"ll "6o(t Recommendation Letters

9early every gra(uate rogram re+uires alicants tosubmit letters o$ recommen(ation% 4on'tun(erestimate the imortance o$ these letters% Whileyour transcrit, stan(ar(i6e( test scores, an(ersonal statementa(missions essay are vitalcomonents to your alication, an e)cellent letter o$recommen(ation can mae u $or &eanesses in anyo$ these areas%? &ell &ritten letter o$ recommen(ation rovi(esa(missions committees &ith in$ormation that isn't$oun( else&here in the alication% ? letter o$recommen(ation is a (etaile( (iscussion, $rom a

$aculty member, o$ the ersonal +ualities,accomlishments, an( e)eriences that mae youuni+ue an( er$ect $or the rograms to &hich you've alie(%-ho To "s*@Most gra(uate rograms re+uire t&o or more letters o$ recommen(ation%Choosing your letter&riters o$ten is (icult% Consi(er $aculty members,a(ministrators, internshicooerative e(ucation suervisors, an(emloyers% The ersons you as to &rite your letters shoul(no& you &ellno& you long enough to &rite &ith authorityno& your &or

(escribe your &or ositivelyhave a high oinion o$ youno& &here you are alyingno& your e(ucational an( career goalsbe able to $avorably comare you &ith your eersbe &ell no&nbe able to &rite a goo( letter[ee in min( that no one erson &ill satis$y all o$ these criteria% ?im $or aset o$ letters that cover the range o$ your sills% I(eally, letters shoul(cover your aca(emic an( scholastic sills, research abilities an(e)eriences, an( alie( e)eriences


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When you aroach otential recommen(ers, as i$ they no& you &ellenough to &rite a meaning$ul letter% ay attention to their (emeanor% I$ yousense reluctance, than them an( as someone else% emember that it isbest to as early in the semester% ?s the en( o$ the semester aroaches,$aculty may hesitate because o$ time restraints%

ro!ide InformationThe best thing that you can (o to ensure that your letters cover all thebases is to rovi(e your recommen(ers &ith all the necessary in$ormation%4on't assume that they &ill remember anything about you% ac] \Full Llossary]BeAnition7? re+uirement $or a master's (egree% ? ma*or iece o$research that (emonstrate( (etaile( no&le(ge o$ one's /el( an( theability to (o research an( integrate no&le(ge o$ the /el(%Related Reso(rces7dissertation

\>ac] \Full Llossary]
http://gradschool.about.com/education/gradschool/library/glossary/http://gradschool.about.com/library/glossary/blglossary.htmhttp://gradschool.about.com/education/gradschool/library/glossary/http://gradschool.about.com/library/glossary/blglossary.htmhttp://gradschool.about.com/education/gradschool/library/glossary/http://gradschool.about.com/library/glossary/blglossary.htmhttp://gradschool.about.com/education/gradschool/library/glossary/http://gradschool.about.com/library/glossary/blglossary.htm


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BeAnition79ormally re+uire( as art o$ the aca(emic re+uirements $or a(octorate, a (issertation is a ma*or research ro*ect% ? (issertation ise)ecte( to mae a ne& an( creative contribution to a /el( o$ stu(y an(to (emonstrate the stu(ent's e)ertise%

esumes an( Colore( aerClic* Here or )ore Information on Res(mesWhen you have more coies ma(e o$ your resume use a +uality aer oring &hite aer, oor rea(ing $ormat, to muchin$ormation or not enough% emember, a mil( astel colore( aer &illmae your resume more interesting, an( is easy on the eye to rea(%-o& to Sen( !our esume Through the Mail-hen sending yo(r res(me thro(gh the mail, (se a $ X #; inchwhite or matching res(me paper color en!elope. y sendingyo(r res(me in a $ X #; inch en!elope the res(me is not foldedwhen presented to a potential employer. It 9(st ma*es a 6etterArst impression. "dditionally, a Dat piece of paper is easier toread, as well as handle compared to a res(me that has 6een

folded. e s(re to type yo(r address and ret(rn address onmailing la6els 6efore sec(ring them to yo(r en!elope. If yo( donot ha!e mailing la6els simply (se a pen with 6lac* in* to addressyo(r en!elopes.Clic -ere For More In$ormation on esume an( Career ?ssessments

To Whom it May Concern Hetters XHetters o$ ecommen(ationYIf yo( ha!e not 6een re'(esting letters of recommendation fromyo(r past employer0s yo( really sho(ld start. +ometimes a letterof recommendation can add that little eEtra appeal when applyingfor a new 9o6. Fspecially if the letter of recommendation pro!ides

a good re!iew on the '(aliAcations that the new employer isloo*ing for. f co(rse, a letter of recommendation tal*ing (p yo(rgood character is an asset, too. There are two ways to present aletter of recommendation to a prospecti!e employer7 one way isto state at the 6ottom of yo(r res(me that yo(r letters ofrecommendation and references are a!aila6le (pon re'(est. Inthis scenario, yo( wo(ld ta*e yo(r letter of recommendation andreference sheet 4contained in a professional portfolio, folder or6rief case5 to the inter!iew, and then present it d(ring theinter!iew 4only if it is re'(ested5. The second way to present aletter of recommendation, and most commonly (sed, is to encloseit along with yo(r res(me d(ring initial mailing. lease, send nomore than two letters of recommendation. It is 6etter not to
http://www.careercc.com/links/search.cgi?query=career+assessment+OR+resume&mh=25&type=keyword&bool=orhttp://www.careercc.com/links/search.cgi?query=career+assessment+OR+resume&mh=25&type=keyword&bool=orhttp://www.careercc.com/links/search.cgi?query=career+assessment+OR+resume&mh=25&type=keyword&bool=orhttp://www.careercc.com/links/search.cgi?query=career+assessment+OR+resume&mh=25&type=keyword&bool=or


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o!erwhelm a potential employer with a lot of information to read4and of co(rse, always send a copy of yo(r letters, not theoriginals5. " good word from yo(r past employer can gi!e yo( theadded ad!antage yo( need, especially when yo(r s*ills and thecompanies needs are the same.

e$erence SheetsReferences sho(ld only 6e gi!en at the re'(est of an employer,and sho(ld not 6e listed on yo(r res(me. 1or sho(ld yo( send areference sheet in yo(r initial res(me mailing. It is 6etter whenan employer can meet with yo( personally 6efore recei!ingsecond hand information a6o(t yo( from yo(r references. Theinter!iew is the most important Arst step in the door, and who is6etter to sell yo(r good character and '(aliAcations, than yo(,yo(rself. Ta*e yo(r reference sheet with yo( to yo(r inter!iew 4ina professional attach, folder or portfolio5, and present it d(ringthe inter!iew, 4only if it is re'(ested5. y ma*ing yo(r referencesheet a!aila6le d(ring the inter!iew, yo( will not waste personalmar*eting gear on initial mailings or employers who do not And areference chec* necessary.When mailing your resume acage &hat shoul( it containNThe res(me pac*age sho(ld contain a co!er letter, a res(me, anda letter of recommendation. "n eEec(ti!e styled res(me foldercan 6e (sed if yo( feel one is appropriate for the position yo( aretrying to o6tain. If yo(r res(me is more than one page in lengthyo( can staple the two pages in the (pper left hand corner.Howe!er, do not staple yo(r co!er letter to yo(r res(me. )ail yo(r

res(me pac*age in a $ X #; inch en!elope. " step 6y stepproced(re wo(ld 6e li*e this. +ay for eEample yo( decided to (sean eEec(ti!e styled res(me folder7 yo( wo(ld open (p the folder e grammatically correctB use sell chec


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2. ou'"e written a dynamite personal statement and filled out the applications. ou'recoping with school, work, research, "olunteer commitments, and applications when all of asudden you get an une%pected cur"e ball. 2ne of your recommenders says. ?& really want tohelp you get into grad school. 6hy don't you write the letter of rec, and &'ll sign it. That way it

will emphasiDe e%actly what you think is most important.?

ou of course graciously acknowledge the recommender's good intentions and thank him orher for the outstanding idea. &nwardly you panic, curse, and think, ?& can't write one moreword. 6hen am & going to find the time to do itI #nd what on earth am & supposed to sayI?

Rela%. &'ll tell you what a recommender should say. &n fact, you can pass these tips on to yourrecommenders in case they don't know what to say and don't ask you to say it.

;> Tips for Recommenders

;.Re"iew a copy of the applicant's personal statement or application essays so that your letterof recommendation can do"etail with--not conflict with or duplicate--the rest of theapplication.

+.#sk the applicant to supply you with additional information like a resume.

.!escribe your qualifications for comparing the applicant to other applicants.

& ha"e been teaching for twenty years and ha"e ad"ised appro%imately 4B> students onindependent research pro5ects o"er the last fi"e years.

& ha"e personally super"ised ten interns e"ery summer for the last fi"e years plus workedwith o"er two hundred college graduates in my capacity as trainer for /ig /ank 8orp.

4.!iscuss how well you know the applicant.

& was able to get to know Mr. !oe because he made it a point to attend two of my sectionse"ery week when only one was required.

Ms. 0mith reported directly to me for two years prior to her well-deser"ed promotion to theposition of #ssistant 8ampaign Manager

B.8hoose two to three qualities that you obser"ed in the applicant.

Aane has a rare blend of top writing and interpersonal skills.

The combination of tenacity, analytical abilities, and good communications skills found inMr. !oe is truly unique.

=.&n discussing those qualities, support your statements with specific instances in which he orshe demonstrated those attributes. /e as concrete and detailed as possible


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Ce is the only student & e"er had who came to all my office hours as part of a relentless, andultimately successful, dri"e to master political theory. Ce was one of 5ust ten percent in theclass to recei"e an #.

/ecause of Aane's writing skills, & didn't hesitate to ask her to write a report which was used

by our #8 as the basis for a ma5or policy statement. 8ongressman Q e"entually used thestatement, based on Aane's sophisticated +>-page analysis of Middle $ast politics, in lobbyingfor increased funding.

L.Try to quantify the student's strengths or rank him or her "is a "is other applicants that youha"e obser"ed.

Ce was in the top ;> of his class.

0he has the best analytical skills of any person her age that & ha"e e"er super"ised.

N.#"oid generalities and platitudes.


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Congbin is a creati"e and original thinker. Ce has nati"e intelligence, great curiosity aboutpeople and ideas, and plenty of common sense that he has applied to sol"ing many problemsat 0RR. &n addition, he has demonstrated e%cellent powers of obser"ation, and an ability tocommunicate and suggest change in effecti"e but non-threatening ways. To illustrateV

$arly on, Congbin was assigned to an important research pro5ect as a fill-in ro5ect Manager.&n this role he was responsible for the technical aspects of creating a computer-based sur"eyquestionnaire *from one gi"en to him by our client ser"ices department, monitoring thetelephone data collection process, and completing the data processing and analysis of thesur"ey results.

)rom the beginning of this assignment, Congbin began to re-define our e%pectations of agood pro5ect manager. Ce started by participating in discussions with the client andsuggesting and implementing se"eral changes to the script that shortened its length andclarified the instructions to respondents. 6ithout prompting or precedence he spent se"eral

days working odd hours, obser"ing and monitoring inter"iewers and super"isors as theybegan to field this +>>> person study. 6ithin a few days he had shortened and clarified thescript e"en more - remo"ing redundant questions, collapsing multiple questions into one, andimpro"ing the flow from question to question and screen-to-screen - all to the great praise of

both inter"iewers and the director of our phone center. Ce had also obser"ed something abouta particular aspect of the inter"iewing process that was common to all sur"eys at 0RR. Cewrote a memo to se"eral managers outlining his proposed change in methodology that clearlydemonstrated the "alue of his idea3 an annual cost reduction of close to EB>,>>>. #t the end ofthe pro5ect, he wrote a se"eral page critique of our inter"iewing and super"isory staff. Cedescribed the characteristics and skills employed by the best inter"iewers he'd obser"ed andmade suggestions for how these skills could be taught to the entire staff. Cisrecommendations were well recei"ed and soon implemented by the "ery manager whose staffwas being critiquedF such was the "alue of his contribution and the skill and sensiti"ity withwhich he presented his ideas.

&n processing the sur"ey results, Congbin also quickly learned to use se"eral ad"ancedstatistical techniques including 8luster #nalysis and !iscriminant #nalysis with which he hadonly a passing knowledge prior to the pro5ect.

Congbin has also demonstrated his technical and analytical abilities in helping create a newmodel for bidding on new business, and in spearheading the de"elopment of tool that used a

Ma%imum 9ikelihood algorithm for ascribing missing respondent data. Recently, Congbinhelped me identify the most desirable qualifications and background of computerprogramming candidates, and he assisted me in the recruiting and mentoring of two 8hinesestudent interns to this position. They ha"e both made significant contributions in only a fewmonths of employment.

Congbin is not a nati"e $nglish speaker or writer, and thus, he has had to work "ery hard toclearly communicate his ideas. & ha"e seen him grow in this area tremendously o"er the lastone and half years. Cis attenti"e listening and great enthusiasm has helped him o"ercome anylanguage limitations. Ce is both self-confident and self-deprecating, and has a great sense ofhumor that has helped him form strong relationships with subordinates, peers, and members

of our management team. Managers in other departments frequently seek his ad"ice, and his


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name is always at the top of the list when choosing team members to spearhead importantcompany initiati"es.

&n all of these areas, Congbin 6u has gone beyond e%pectations, and has out-shined all othersin his peer-group at 0RR. Cis efforts were recently rewarded with a promotion to the position

of Manager of Research W !e"elopment.

Congbin is "ery likeable and ambitious person. & ha"e no doubt that he will be a serious andenthusiastic student, and someday a quite successful senior le"el manager or entrepreneur thatyou would be proud to call an alumni.

0incerely,

Mark etermanUice resident0RR

!ear #ddimissions 2fficer3

& am writing this letter to support the admission of 6enli 9ee to the Car"ard /usiness 0chool.& was Mr. 9ee's teacher and ad"isor for se"eral years between ;


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students from #sia. 9ee swam against the strong currents of racism and fear associated withminority neighborhoods. )urthermore, he did so in a manner that added "alue to thecommunity. 9ee has labored for the #/8 #uthority, a large public bureaucracy, and currentlyworks as a pri"ate marketing and research firm. This di"ersity of e%perience represents acrucial resource for 9ee. Ce does not simply take 5obs, but wea"es these e%periences together

into a framework for understanding #merican institutions from the inside out. )inally, 9eeplays with #mericans. Ce does not hide out in 8hinatown or the 8hinese cultural center. Cerock climbs and sails. Ce can tell hip from hoopla.

9ee is smart. /ut more important he has acquired wisdom in the culture of both 8hina and the(.0. Ce wants to e%pand his considerable fund of wisdom and use it to pro"ide culturalscaffolding for commercial ties between the (.0. and 8hina. 9ee's ambitions and abilities arein sync. Ce is poised and prepared to take this ne%t step in an e%citing 5ourney. @ot only willfaculty and students thank you for admitting such a fine candidate, but so too will thoseemployees, customers and citiDens who will benefit from his future employ.

0incerely,

!a"id 0mithsrofessor of #/8 (ni"ersity

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