Letter of advice
| Letter of advice |
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| See also |
Letter of advice(also called letter of recommendation) is a document which includes the period of work, duties and achievements of a former employee. The employer may issue the letter to an employee in order to support his application for a new position in another company. It is also an indispensable tool for gathering information about the candidate[1].
A letter of recommendation, depending on the industry and company may be a decisive factor influencing the decision on a recommended person. Many employers request recommendation letters to help them decide who to hire. Beyond the interview and cover letter/cv, companies look at recommendation letters to confirm the candidate's qualifications and to gain insight from an outside party.
The letter of recommendation is not a work certificate, although they are often confused. The recommendation letter can also include information on problematic situations that the employee had to deal with and the resolution offered. It shows what experience the candidate will bring to the new role, how he/she will contribute to the company or organisation and how he/she will behave in everyday situations[2]. This is the reason why a recommendation letter is typically written by an employer, professional business connection, client, teacher, coach or by someone else who can recommend the work of an individual.
Types of recommendation letter
There are five primary recommendation letter types[3].:
- Recommendation letters- job related
- Letters of recommendation- college/ university admission related
- Reference letters- job and community related
- Commendation letters- employment and community related
- Performance evaluation letters- employment related
Recommendation letter should
What makes a recommendation letter stand out?:
- come from a reputable source
The best letters are written by people who can speak about the candidate's skills and accomplishments.
- explain why the candidate will be successful in the new industry
- provide specific examples about the candidate (use of two to three specific anecdotes in the letter in order to increase his/her chance of employment)
It can also be a form of recommendation of a candidate for a post, not by a former employer, but friends working in a given company to which the candidate applies. Nowadays, although internet portals still play an important role in searching employees and work, friends’ recommendation are becoming more frequent. This custom is especially practiced in large corporations and medium-sized companies.
Footnotes
References
- Cole Gerald A. (2002), Personnel and Human Resource Management, Uniwersytet Cornell
- Fawcett Shaun R. (2005), How to Write Winning Letters of Recommendation, National Library of Canada
- Melendez S. (2009), How to Start a Recruiting & Staffing Business, Book Four of The Kitchen Table Office Series, Melendez Publishing
- Sarmiento K. (2014), How to Write Successful Letters of recommendation, Atlantic Publishing Group, Florida
Author: Edyta Chrustek-Krawczyk
