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Maximizing Letters of Recommendation
Although letters of recommendation will not secure you a job, they are a very
important part of the process. They are valuable to employers when many candidates
have very similar qualifications. It is in these situations that the letters of
recommendation add valuable information to your profile that your resume is not
capable of illustrating.
So, what makes one letter of recommendation stronger than another? The person
writing the letter is very important. The reference's position and title are key as
well as the context of your relationship with them. If you reported to them, then
that is a much stronger recommendation than one from a peer. By far the most
valuable letters of recommendation come from the people to whom you reported.
You should also consider whether the letters are serving their purpose any longer.
For example, once you have been employed, recommendations from teachers or
professors no longer carry value. Likewise, letters written from several years ago
do not accurately reflect your current abilities.
Once you have identified the best authors, now you must evaluate the value of their
content. The more specific the statements made the better. A strong letter of
recommendation does not just state what a nice person you are. A strong letter of
recommendation will state specifically how uniquely talented you are for the
position you are pursuing. Ideally the information provided will include: your
personal characteristics, subject knowledge, skill set, specific accomplishments
and areas of special strength.
Truth be told, the use of letters of recommendation is fast becoming passé. The fact
is that the concept of writing letters of recommendation started back in the time
when communication was extremely difficult and employers viewed employees as kin.
Terry Devlin, Vice President, Counseling for Career Management International states,
"They should only be provided upon the request of the employer. Most employers
accept letters of recommendation politely, and ignore them. After all, the candidate
is the provider of the letters, and as such, can ensure only the most glowing are
presented. Going to an interview armed with letters of recommendation may well
brand a person as naive, and serve to eliminate the candidate from consideration."
This makes the use references in your job search increasingly important. Providing
letters of recommendation is simply not enough. A potential employer is going to
call your references and the people to whom reported in order to get a better
understanding of your abilities and qualifications. Likewise, the authors of your
letters of recommendation are still likely to be called. This is done as a means of
uncovering fraud. Is the letter authentic or did the employee write it themselves?
Therefore, the verbal statement provided by these authors is critical, or the letter
loses all value and is actually harmful as it appears fraudulent.
About the author: Terra L. Dourlain is a Career Transition Specialist and Executive
Career Coach with an extensive background in employee training and development. As
President of Faith, Winter & Grace, Inc. she has assisted hundreds of senior level
candidates through successful transitions. Currently, Terra is the Managing Director
of MyReferences.com (an Allison & Taylor Company), the nation's oldest professional
employment verification and reference checking firm. Please call (716) 661-3478 to
learn more about this valuable service. Or, visit their site at...
Allison & Taylor Reference Checking
Written By: Terra Dourlain, Managing Director