Before you start writing a letter of recommendation for a friend, clarify the purpose of the letter itself. Is it for a job, graduate school, a volunteer position, or something else? Understanding the ...

Confirm you’re comfortable writing it. Politely declining is perfectly OK if you don’t feel you can write a strong or meaningful recommendation. It’s better to be honest than to provide a lukewarm ...

Knowing how to write a letter of recommendation is a vital skill to have for just about anyone. You never know when you may be called upon to write one, especially if you are an employer or professor.

Shortly after becoming a full professor, I asked a colleague who had held that rank for years to name the greatest challenge she had faced in this ultimate chapter of faculty life. Her instant reply: ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. As the CEO of Command Education, I write about emotionally intelligent leadership and education. Summer internships provide ...

A compelling reference letter can be a decisive factor in the hiring process. The value of a strong recommendation cannot be overstated in today’s competitive job market. I’ve seen how a well-crafted ...

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR ...

One of the most important elements of a college application is a letter of recommendation from an educator. Because college admissions offices take this part of the application seriously, it’s ...

It is around this time of year, when letter-writing season is in full swing, that many professors receive numerous requests for recommendations from students and colleagues applying for graduate ...

Associate professor Stephen Wheeler of the Environmental Design department and Ph.D. candidate Jake Dialesandro talk in his office on January 7, 2020. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis) As you embark on your ...

Letters of recommendation from your colleagues describe your professional traits and qualifications for a position. A glowing recommendation from the right person can cement a job offer. A poor one ...

For some jobs, especially in academia and high-profile positions, employers sometimes request that top candidates submit letters of recommendation as part of the decision-making process. In some ...