Being Thorough In Your Letter of Recommendation

If you have ever been asked to write a letter of recommendation for someone who is applying for a new job, you may be experiencing the feeling of dread as you are not exactly sure what this person has accomplished or what their goals might be. In order to be thorough in your recommendation letter, it is best if you sit down with the applicant who wishes the letter to be written and interview them to get all the information to help you to write a thorough letter of recommendation.

The first thing you will want to ask is what they have for short term and long term goals. This may be going to a certain school or finding the career that best suits them. You will also want to question what they have achieved so far and what they feel is their biggest accomplishment so far. You may also want to ask them for any copies of employee reviews they may have from previous employers, as well. All of this information will be helpful for you to write the recommendation letter.

Another thing you will want to get is a list of adjectives of how the applicant describes themselves. For example, what adjective would describe your work style best? What adjective would describe your personality? Find out what they consider their strengths to be, as well as their weaknesses. You may also ask how they feel previous co-workers or peers would describe them. All of this information that you gather from the interview may not be used, but it will help you to write a thorough letter of recommendation.

Once you have finished interviewing the applicant, you will also want to find out how many copies of the letter he or she needs, as well as when they need the letter done. The applicant should provide you with a list of where the letters should be sent to, although it is preferred to get addressed, stamped envelopes. Do not be afraid to ask this of the applicant as they are the ones requesting you to do them a favor.

Writing a letter of recommendation does not have to be difficult. If you are worried that you may not have enough information on the applicant to write a thorough recommendation letter, it is very important to sit down with the applicant and gather enough information for you to do so.