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 ...

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: ...

One of the important "service" responsibilities of academics is to write letters of recommendation. For some people, this activity — precisely because of the responsibility it entails — is daunting.

This time of year, faculty are often busy writing letters of recommendation for students applying to graduate school and responding to reference requests from potential employers. Considering the ...

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When a colleague or peer asks you to write them a reference letter, it can feel like both an honor and a challenge. You want ...

Question: In my department, we are finding that the largest problem in evaluating candidates for new appointments, promotion, or tenure is in their letters of reference, which often fail to address ...

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 ...

A new email arrives in your inbox and you see it's from one of your former employees. You quickly glance over the subject line and your eyes catch on one word: recommendation. Immediately, your ...

Between applications for scholarships, graduate programs and employment, spring can be peak application time for students. As a faculty or staff member, it’s likely you’ve been asked to write letters ...