Business Discourse (Letter of Recommendation)

What is the main purpose of a letter of recommendation?

• To ask for a favor

• To criticize someone's abilities

• To endorse someone’s skills, character, and accomplishments

• To provide detailed instructions for a job role

When writing a letter of recommendation, which of the following should you avoid?

• Providing specific examples of the candidate's skills

• Mentioning your relationship with the candidate

• Exaggerating the candidate's achievements to make them seem more impressive

• Using a formal tone and clear language

What is the best way to structure the body of a recommendation letter?

• Start with your relationship to the candidate, followed by their qualifications and specific examples, then conclude with your endorsement

• List out the candidate’s job experience in chronological order

• Begin with a personal story about the candidate, then describe your relationship with them, and conclude without examples

• Make a detailed list of every position the candidate has held

Which detail is least necessary to include in a recommendation letter?

• The candidate's contact information

• The writer’s contact information

• A specific example of a project the candidate led

• A list of all positions the candidate has ever held

What information does not belong on a letter of recommendation?

• Candidates qualifications

• Recommender's name, title and contact information

• The date of writing

• Candidate's nickname