Letters of Recommendation

After doing my research and speaking to many of my peers who have moved on in their careers, I have learned that Letters of Recommendations are not a lost art and have not been done away within the professional world. In fact, it is most preferred if you are moving into a new company and a new career. It paves the way for a new employer to see how valuable you were to the company that you had left; but more importantly, to the boss you previously worked for.


A letter introduces you to the hiring manager as an asset of sorts. It lists your most valuable skills and qualities that stood out, and it preens with positive attributes of what a team player you were and how equally missed you will be. Good Ethics and Work Profiles should always be a part of the letter and should clear a path for the upcoming interview.


What happens when a manger will not give a letter of recommendation? In my opinion, it stops the process of any chance of job advancement into another company. An employee knows when they have done a great job with a company they were with. If the manager still refuses after many attempts from the employee – then it stands to reason that the employee was never valued, respected or highly thought of in the first place. Everyone needs to feel like they are valued, and the hard work put into a company should be rewarded. It should be that the company wants to see that employee succeed and to go for success in the next phase of their life, regardless if the employee left due to personal circumstances or a reduction in force.


What should be in a letter of recommendation? In the HR field as an HR Assistant, I have seen them with the following:

•          An employee’s hiring and end date
•          Their position title
•          A verification of strengths, abilities and how well they fostered a relationship with their peers and supervisors
•          Skills such as organization, customer service and other focused areas of the company they excelled in
•          Their opinion for the new hiring manager
•          A chance to contact the employee’s manager that is giving the recommendation letter with a good telephone number and e-mail address

In my opinion, a letter of recommendation tells the next prospective manager of the candidate’s qualities and virtues and skills. It should exude or highlight their qualifications so that they can be successful. It’s a basic, overall good impression that should open the door to an excellent interview and great communication with the hiring manager. The chance of being hired is extremely high in this case and creates a good atmosphere in the interview process.

A great letter reveals things about you that the prospective manager needs to know. It provides personal opinion of your character and shows who is willing to speak on your behalf. It is an ‘art guild’ of your skills, who you are and represents you in the most positive way ever.

What happens if you cannot get a letter of recommendation? I personally have listed other co-workers and managers for my character references when asked for after an interview. I did have one manager who refused to give me a letter of recommendation and I feel like he did not value me as his employee or the hard work that I brought to the table each day. When you know you have given 100% and it’s not reciprocated, all you can do is move on and rethink your strategies. There will be others that will speak up on your behalf, go the extra mile and be a voice for you. When in doubt, do not list that company that will not give you that letter and go with ones that will. Always think on the positive side of things and go with what works for you.

Best of luck for the future!
DJZ


Written for LinkedIn
6/2014