Writing Letters of Recommendations

1
Writing Letters of Recommendations

• Career Services
• Room 54, Cartwright Center
• UW La Crosse
• www.uwlax.edu/careerservices
• Presented by Brenda Leahy

2
Prior to Writing

• Be honest about your ability to write a letter
  for this individual
• Ask the candidate for a resume and/or personal
  statement
• Find out if general reference or specific
  position
• Find out due date

3
Guidelines To Writing

• Indicate the capacity by which you know the
  individual (classroom, employee, student intern,
  graduate assistant, or community activity) as
  well as the length of time
• Frame your comments within the purpose of the
  letter (admission to school, jobs, scholarships,
  or awards)
• Give honest and factual information
• Give specific examples

4
Guidelines to Writing

• Offer a big picture of the candidates overall
  promise and potential
• Try to highlight the candidates specific and
  individual strengths
• Dont be too brief provide relevant information
  and examples of candidates successes
• If possible, use quantifiable qualifiers Sara
  is in the top 10 of all interns I have worked
  with

5
Guidelines to Writing

• Be very careful with or avoid templates
• Encourage the employer to contact you if they
  have questions about the candidates performance
• Consider a strong statement, such as I
  recommend this candidate without reservation, or
  If I had an opportunity to hire I would
• Be aware of the letters appearance, be neat,
  check spelling and grammar
• Try to keep letter to one page

6
Guidelines to Writing

• Dont use characteristics that can be the basis
  of discrimination
• Race
• Religion or political preference
• Age
• Any disability
• Marital or parental status

7
Guidelines to Writing

• Beware the power of words
• Watch words with positive or negative
  connotations
• Avoid bland words
• Nice
• Good
• Fairly
• Satisfactory
• Very

8
Beware of Double Meanings

• For the chronically absent"A man like him is
  hard to find.""It seemed her career was just
  taking off.
• For an employee with no ambition"He could not
  care less about the number of hours he had to put
  in.""You would indeed be fortunate to get this
  person to work for you."

9

• For an employee who is so unproductive that the
  job is better left unfilled"I can assure you
  that no person would be better for the job.

10
Guidelines to Writing

• Use appropriate powerful words
• Articulate
• Dependable
• Effective
• Mature
• Cooperative
• Creative
• Imaginative

11
After Writing the Letter

• Consider providing candidate a copy
• Keep a copy of the recommendation for your
  records
• Ask the student to update you on the process

12
Common Problems Found

• Specific references not understood by general
  public
• Incorrect spelling of students name
• Multiple names in body of the letter
• A nickname without first introducing students
  legal name
• Not on letterhead
• Missing writers signature and/or contact
  information

13
Common Problems Found

• Contain unsupported, over-enthusiastic or generic
  endorsements, instead of offering useful,
  balanced insights
• Concentrates on the writer with brief reference
  to the student
• Unauthorized disclosure of personal circumstances
• Lack of clarity regarding the nature of
  relationship

14
Common Problems Found

• Illegible letters

15
Suggestions on Content

• Description of Graduate Assistantship
• Performance
• Interpersonal Skills
• Professional Qualities

16
SAMPLE
17

• To Whom It May Concern
•  
• I am pleased to write this letter of
  recommendation for Michael Scott. I have known
  Michael for one and a half years in his capacity
  as a student employee for the UW-La Crosse
  Residence Life Information Services (RILS) staff.
  In addition to other duties, RLIS provides
  hardware and software support to the staff of
  Career Services. I serve as the liaison between
  Career Services and RLIS, so I have had
  substantial contact with Matthew.

18

• While Michael has significant technical skills
  and a solid academic record (in a challenging
  program), what really impresses me are his
  interpersonal skills, his work ethic and his
  determination. He has the ability to quickly
  establish rapport with those he meets and to
  communicate effectively about technical problems
  with end users. I regard him as one of the go
  to members of the RLIS staff. If there is a
  problem with a computer in Career Services, I
  want Matthew to work on it because I know that he
  wont be satisfied until it is resolved and that
  he will keep me informed of the status until it
  is resolved. I highly value his technical acumen
  and the professionalism he displays in this
  position.

19

• I recommend Michael without reservation.
  However, should you have any questions, please
  feel free to contact me at 608.785.8624.
• Sincerely,
• Tim Tritch
• Senior Student Services Coordinator

20
Ethical Issues/Legal Issues

• Make sure you mean what you write
• Can impact professional relationships
• Can impact future references
• Legal Issues
• FERPA
• Wisconsin Act 441

21
1995 Wisconsin Act 441
An employer who, on the request of an employee or
a prospective employer of the employee, provides
a reference to that prospective employer is
presumed to be acting in good faith and, unless
lack of good faith is shown by clear and
convincing evidence, is immune from all civil
liability that may result from providing that
reference.  The presumption of good faith under
this subsection may be rebutted only upon a
showing by clear and convincing evidence that the
employer knowingly provided false information in
the reference, that the employer made the
reference maliciously or that the employer made
the reference in violation of s. 111.322.
22
Other Reference Situations

23
Reference Calls

• It is okay to say you dont know them in that
  capacity
• Share examples
• Be careful not to share too much information