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TITLE AND SUBJECT OF ARTICLE
How to Write a
Letter of Reference
Have you been asked to write a Letter of
Reference and need some help getting started? These tips
will help you.
letter of reference, letter of
recommendation, letter writing
Have you ever been
asked to write a letter of reference for a co-worker,
employee or former employee? Generally, a letter of
reference is used to help obtain employment, apply for
higher education, or as a character reference for those
seeking a government position. This is an important
request, as a well-written letter can be the reason the
candidate receives the offer he or she is hoping for.
In all likelihood, you won’t be asked to write a
letter of reference for someone you don’t know or get
along with very well. But, if you have any doubts about
writing a recommendation for this person, you should
decline the offer and suggest they ask another person.
Only write a letter for someone whom you would truly
recommend.
A letter of reference doesn’t need to
be long and wordy. In the first few sentences, explain
how you know this person (co-worker, neighbor, business
acquaintance) and for how long. Mention any shared any
experiences such as coaching the same basketball team,
singing in the church choir or working on a project
together at the office.
Think of two or three
major character traits to describe this person that
would be pertinent to the reason you are writing the
reference. Are they honest and dependable? Do they
always finish what they start? While Mike may be the
best guitar player you know and can recite lyrics from
songs written twenty years ago, chances are these are
not reasons he’ll get that job offer. Think of what you
would say if you were asked to make a toast to this
person during a special occasion.
A short
anecdote describing how this person handled a difficult
situation will make your letter stand out from the rest.
Think of an incident that made you see this person in a
new light. Finally, add a short statement that draws the
letter to a close.
Here’s a sample letter of
reference.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am
pleased to write this Letter of Reference for Mike
Smith. I have lived next door to Mike for ten years, and
we both have served on the XYZ Neighborhood Watch
Committee for the past three years.
Mike is a
pleasure to work with on this committee. His drive and
determination to make our neighborhood a safer place was
the catalyst in getting our local government to install
a traffic light at a busy intersection in our community.
Once, during a power outage in rush hour, and risking
life and limb, Mike took the initiative to direct
traffic himself rather than risk an accident at this
intersection.
Mike’s perseverance and genuine
concern for his fellow citizen are perfect examples of
why it is my privilege to recommend him for a position
with your company. I feel confident he will be an asset
to your organization and will add to your continued
success.
How to Write a Good
Resume?
A
good resume indicates how you might perform in that
desired future job position. The content of your resume
is not just about you and about your past jobs and how
you performed.
How to write a good resume, good,
resume, job, work, employer,
A good resume
indicates how you might perform in that desired future
job position. The content of your resume is not just
about you and about your past jobs and how you
performed.
It is advisable to emphasis more on
your accomplishments gained in your past jobs that are
most relevant to the job you are applying for. The best
way is to remove responsibilities included and replace
it with job accomplishments.
Steps To Write A
Good Resume
The first step is to include the job
objective. If you fail to show your sense of direction,
the employer won’t be interested in you. But having a
well stated and good objective doesn’t confine that
you’re the best, this is only the first step.
The
second step is to clearly identify the type of job
position and skill sets expected by the employer and
make your own assessments, like how you fit best the
role and how your accomplishments satisfy the
expectations of the employer of that particular
position. And modify your resume according to that
particular job position that you are applying for.
Applying with the same resume for all job positions
makes will hinder your chances of success.
The
third step is to decide whether your resume format will
be in a chronological or functional format. Opt for a
chronological format when you are in the same field with
clear cut qualifications and go for a functional one
when you are changing fields.</li>
The fourth step is
to fill your resume with problem-action-results that
occurred in your work place and how you handled them.
The fifth and final step is to present your resume in a
clearly visible, organized and readable format with no
grammatical and spelling mistakes.
How to write a
cover letter – information for beginners
This is one of the most important questions
that you need to answer if you are looking for a job.
Being young and having just graduated from school or
just being tired of the job you have at the moment, you
will start the job hunt which means that you absolutely
must know how to write a cover letter.
cover
letter,how to write a cover letter,resume
This is
one of the most important questions that you need to
answer if you are looking for a job. Being young and
having just graduated from school or just being tired of
the job you have at the moment, you will start the job
hunt which means that you absolutely must know how to
write a cover letter.
In case you have not heard
the phrase cover letter before, this is the time to find
out. There are two terms that are essential for the job
hunt. One is the resume or CV and the other is the cover
letter. The cover letter is a small composition that you
write in order to introduce yourself. Perhaps more
important than that, because the information about you
is also included in the resume, is to explain in the
cover letter why you are interested in the job. In
addition, the cover letter should state why you are the
person they are looking for. The cover letter is
basically the space where you advertise yourself so the
company where you want to work will hire you.
Now that you know what the cover letter is, you should
also know when it will be useful to you. Usually, you
will send your cover letter when you apply for the job.
The companies may ask for a certain type of cover
letter. You must also pay attention to that at this
stage in your job hunt. You will send in your cover
letter together with a resume. The companies will make a
first selection on the basis of the CV. In the second
round they will read the cover letter for those
candidates they have already selected.
While you
take the CV with you to the interview, you might not
have to take the cover letter. The interviewer will not
have time to read the cover letter at this point. They
hopefully have read it before and that is the reason why
you made it to this stage in the hiring process. The
interviewer may take a look at your CV to know what
questions they can ask. However, you may be better off
if you take all the papers you have with you to the
interview, including CV and cover letter.
While
using the cover letter might be easy, the difficult
question comes before that. How to write a cover letter
is the problem that bothers most future employees. Do
not be scared by the concept of cover letter, even if
there are many rules and norms to be taken into
consideration, but be careful what you write because it
may make a big difference in your future career. There
are many places where you can look for advice if you
have reached the point of writing it. There are numerous
websites on the topic of how to write a cover letter.
There are even classes taken in college about how to
write a cover letter. Also, if you are a student in a
college that has a writing center, you can go there for
advice on how to write a cover letter.
The thing
to know when you start writing is what kind of cover
letter the company you apply for wants to see. Maybe
they want you to focus on yourself, to describe your
characteristics and your merits. They may want you to
focus on the job that you are applying for to prove how
interesting you find it and how you will make the most
of it. Maybe they want you to be formal or they may want
you to be original. There are many possibilities.
You can get a sense on how to write a cover letter
by merely looking at the profile of the company. You may
talk to people who work there to see what kind of cover
letter has been successful for them, but this kind of
search may just be too complicated. The company will
probably have some information on their website about
how to write a cover letter for them and, if this
happens, it is probably indicated to take a look at it.
Once you have finished this preparatory stage in the
job search, you are ready to submit the materials you
have so hard work for. You can either send them by
regular mail or by email depending on what the company
wants. You may even be able to fax the papers, in which
case you may want to let the company know that you are
doing that. It is always good to also keep a direct
contact with the company, a verbal one, apart from the
paperwork. Your interest will surely be noticed.
If you pass the first stage, the company will get to
read the cover letter you have worked so much for. If
they like both this cover letter and the resume, the
company will call you for an interview. You may have a
phone interview at first. These can be interesting
because they may catch you off guard. People can give
phone interviews while out with friends or while on the
bus. If you cannot really talk because you are with
other people or traveling it is better to inform the
employer of your current situation rather than have a
bad interview and not get hired.
Now if you have
also had a successful phone interview, you are ready for
the grand finale which is the face to face interview.
This may be the stage that makes you most nervous. This
is the stage for which you have to prepare even the
smallest details, like your clothing and haircut and
even the way you pose your body. Once you have gone
through this, all you have to do is wait until they call
you.
So, you see, knowing how to write a cover
letter can be very important for the future steps in
your quest to find a job. Without a proper cover letter,
the situation can change and you might not even get to
the next steps and the next worries, but let’s not think
negative and deal with first things first.