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Writing
Your Own Recommendation
By
ResumeEdge
When requesting a
letter of recommendation, don't
be surprised if your instructor
or supervisor hands the forms back
to you and says, "Sure, why
don't you go ahead and write the
first draft yourself, and I'll
revise it and sign at the bottom."
Chances are, that person will already be handling (or dodging) a large number
of such requests, and in addition busy schedules sometimes call for letter-writing
delegation. This is particularly true within professional settings, where employees
are expected to carry out self-evaluations.
You might at first find the assignment rather awkward, but this is a great opportunity
to make sure the letter matches your goals and effectively highlights your most
relevant achievements. When preparing to write a draft for your own letter of
recommendation, keep a few things in mind:
Balance praise with candidness. Many people feel uncomfortable praising themselves.
If you are the shy type, cast aside your timidity and try to be objective about
your accomplishments. Letters of recommendation are, by definition, laudatory:
so grab a sheet of paper and make a list of your good qualities. On the other
hand, don't completely discard modesty and err on the side of pure, distilled
self-praise: your supervisor might not agree that you are indeed "superhumanly
brilliant", and anyway admissions readers are much keener on candid, well-balanced
letters than ones rife with superlatives.
Pick wisely and discard the fluff. Writing your own letter of recommendation
is not unlike putting together your resume: you must choose your accomplishments
carefully. A letter that highlights two or three specific qualities, accomplishments,
and achievements is far stronger than one that covers all your positive traits.
If you are having trouble paring down the content, ask a friend or colleague
to look over the text and pick out the most impressive points.
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Maintain credibility. Concentrate
on making the letter believable. This
doesn't mean just sticking with the facts;
it means finding a voice that accurately
portrays you from the recommendation
writer's perspective. Remember that the
letter must be stylistically different
from your other submitted written work.
Vary your vocabulary, adapt expressions,
and generally avoid phrasing things exactly
as you did, say, in your personal statement
or cover letter.
Avoid redundancy. Don't repeat accomplishments that have been described in detail
elsewhere in your application. The letter should support your main accomplishments
rather than merely rehash your resume. Write about these accomplishments in a
new light, expanding on areas where you did not have the opportunity to elaborate
on elsewhere in the application or cover letter.
See the writing
a letter section. |
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