Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)

Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples) Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples) Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples) By Ali Hale At some point in life, you’re almost certainly going to have to write a reference letter for someone. It might be a former employee or student, or even a family friend. Here’s what you need to know about the purpose of reference letters and how to write the most effective letter possible. Note: I will be using â€Å"candidate† to refer to the person who the reference letter is about, â€Å"you† to refer to the person writing the reference letter, and â€Å"recipient† to refer to the person receiving the letter. I’ll emphasise here, though, that reference letters are not only for job or academic â€Å"candidates†, it’s just a handy term to use to keep this article straightforward! What is a reference letter and when are they used? A reference letter is usually written to testify to a person or (occasionally) a company’s skills, character and/or achievements. Sometimes a reference letter is known as a â€Å"recommendation letter†. It is a formal document, and should be typed and written in a serious and business-like style. Reference letters are used in a wide variety of situations; there is no definitive list that covers all possible scenarios. The most common examples are: When a candidate applies for a job, they may need a reference to support their application. If an interviewee is given a job offer, they may need to supply a reference letter before the contract can be signed. A student applying for an academic course often requires a reference letter to support their application. A student applying for funding will often need to supply reference letters. Companies may use reference letters as testimonies to their trustworthiness and ability to carry out a job well. Prospective tenants may need to provide their landlord with a reference letter, testifying to their good financial status. (This could be from a prior landlord or from a current employer.) Who should write a reference letter? If you are approached and asked to write a reference letter for a job candidate, a student or a company, consider whether you can legitimately do so. A reference letter is a formal document, and it is crucial that you do not lie or fudge the truth in it, or there could be legal repercussions. If someone wants a reference letter from you: The candidate should be someone you know reasonably well. For example, you cannot provide any authoritative comment on the academic ability of a student who’s only been attending your lectures for a week. You should know the candidate in a capacity which gives you the ability to write a meaningful reference. For example, if you have worked with the person, it would be appropriate for you to write a reference letter to a prospective employer for them. You should be able to provide an honest and positive reference. If you truly feel that the candidate has no good qualities for you to emphasis, or if you have had a personality clash with them in the past, you should tell them to seek a reference letter from someone else. What goes into a reference letter? The exact structure of a reference letter will differ slightly depending on the type of reference it is, but this is a good basic outline: Start using the business letter format: put the recipient’s name and address, if known, and address them as â€Å"Dear [name]†. If the recipient is currently unknown (this would be likely on an academic application, for instance), then use â€Å"Dear Sir/Madam† or â€Å"To whom it may concern†. It is often helpful to introduce yourself in the first couple of lines of your letter. The recipient will not need your life history: just give a brief sentence or two explaining your position and your relationship to the candidate. Your next paragraph should confirm any facts which you know the candidate will be supplying along with your letter. For example, if you are writing a reference for a job applicant, some or all of these details may be appropriate: The person’s job title, and role within the company. The person’s leaving salary when they were last employed by you (or your organisation). The dates which the person was employed from and until. If you are writing a reference letter for an academic course, you will need to confirm the person’s academic grades. In your third paragraph, you should provide your judgement upon the candidate’s skills and qualities. It is often appropriate to state that you would gladly re-employ them, or that their contributions to your college class were highly valued. Single out any exceptional qualities that the candidate has – perhaps their drive and enthusiasm, their attention to detail, or their ability to lead. Where possible, use your fourth paragraph to give a couple of concrete examples of times when the candidate excelled. (You may want to ask the candidate to tell you about any extra-curricular projects they’ve been involved in, or invite them to highlight anything they’d particularly like you to include in the reference letter.) Close your letter on a positive note, and if you are willing to receive further correspondence about the candidate’s application, make this clear. Include your contact details too. As with any business letter, you should end appropriately; â€Å"Yours sincerely† when you are writing to a named recipient, and â€Å"Yours faithfully† when you do not know who will be receiving the letter. Things to avoid Make sure that you avoid: Mentioning any weaknesses the candidate has. Saying anything that could be construed as libel. Writing in an informal manner: keep the letter business-like. Jokes, slang and casual language are not appropriate and may harm the candidates chances. Including personal information not relevant to the application. Mentioning the candidate’s race, political stance, religion, nationality, marital status, age or health is usually inappropriate. Spelling mistakes, sloppy writing or typos: this letter is hugely important to the candidate, and you should take care to make it look professional. Reference Letter Examples There are a number of good templates for reference letters available on Business Balls. I’ve included one below, which would be appropriate for a general-purpose reference – if you were writing a reference in your capacity as the candidate’s former employer, you would need to include more specific details: Date To whom it may concern I confirm that I have known (name) for (number) years. (State relationship social, business, working together in some other capacity, club, activity, project, etc.) At all times I have found (name/him/her) to be (state characteristics eg, dependable, reliable, hard-working, conscientious, honest, peace-loving, courteous, etc to be as helpful as possible think about what the reader will most prefer to see, in terms of satisfying concerns, or seeing evidence of relevant required skills or characteristics). Im happy to provide further information if required. (optional) Yours faithfully, etc. You can find examples of full reference letters on About.com’s â€Å"job searching† section. They list letters appropriate for a variety of different situations: here’s one from a previous employer in support of a job candidate: To Whom it May Concern: I highly recommend Jane Doe as a candidate for employment. Jane was employed by Company Name as an Administrative Assistant from 2002 2005. Jane was responsible for office support including word processing, scheduling appointments and creating brochures, newsletters, and other office literature. Jane has excellent communication skills. In addition, she is extremely organized, reliable and computer literate. Jane can work independently and is able to follow through to ensure that the job gets done. She is flexible and willing to work on any project that is assigned to her. Jane was quick to volunteer to assist in other areas of company operations, as well. Jane would be a tremendous asset for your company and has my highest recommendation. If you have any further questions with regard to her background or qualifications, please do not hesitate to call me. Sincerely, John Smith Title Company Address Phone Email If you are still unsure what best to include in the reference letter, imagine yourself in the position of the candidate’s prospective employer, or of the panel reading his/her academic application. What information would they need to know? What qualities would they like their candidates to have? Obviously, you should never lie or mislead in a reference letter, but you should try to focus on areas which will give the recipient the most useful information possible about the candidate. Video Recap How to Ask for a Reference Letter If you’re in the position of requiring a reference from a past employer or from someone who taught you at school or university, then you need to approach them in an appropriate way. â€Å"Appropriate† might be quite formal or quite informal, depending on your relationship with them. For instance, if you’re approaching a lecturer who taught you along with dozens of other students and who does not know you well, it’s appropriate to be quite formal; if you’re approaching your former line manager, who you shared nights out and weekends away with for years, then being formal would seem strangely standoffish. In a fairly formal context, you might write something like this: Dear (name) I hope all is going well (at their company / in their department). I’m applying for (give brief details of the role or position you’re applying for). Would you be able to provide a reference letter for me? I’d be very grateful. You can send it to   (add the name and contact details here) With thanks in advance, (Your name) If you’re approaching someone who you’re on very friendly terms with, it’s really up to you to decide what to say. Whatever the situation, it often makes sense to mention particular points that it would be helpful for the reference to cover (e.g. â€Å"The company is especially keen to know about my experience with summarising complex information quickly, as that will be a major part of the role.†) It can also be helpful to include details that the person writing the letter may not be aware of. For instance, if you took part in significant extra-curricular activities at university alongside your studies, you may want to mention this. Writing a Reference Letter: Quick Summary When you’re writing a reference letter, you should: Ascertain why the referee needs the letter. A reference letter for an academic position will read very different from a reference letter for a prospective landlord. Consider whether you can reasonably provide the type of reference required. If you do not know the candidate well, or if you are unable to give them a positive reference, you should encourage them to seek someone else. Format your letter as a standard business letter, and briefly introduce yourself at the start. Confirm key facts about the applicant (e.g. how long they worked for you, and in what role). Provide your judgement upon the candidate’s skills and qualities. Be honest, but do focus on the things that you feel will reflect the candidate in a positive light. If you’re asking someone to provide a reference letter, you should approach them in an appropriate way, and give them the information they need in order to write you a good reference. Reference Letter Quiz For each question, select the correct answer. 1. Your reference letter should be formatted as: A business letter An informal letter 2. When writing a reference letter, you should focus on the candidates weaknesses strengths 3. If you dont know someone well enough to write a good, honest reference, you should: sk them to write the whole reference so you can just sign your name to it Suggest they find someone else to write it 4. When you write a reference letter, the spelling and grammar are important dont really matter Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! 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Global challenges Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global challenges - Research Paper Example The paper describes the impact of globalization on RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland). Following globalization, there was a merger between RBS and NatWest. Secondly, the merger with ABN AMRO turned out to be unsuccessful as it made RBS more vulnerable to market deterioration which resulted in the fall of its capital ratio (The Failure of the Royal Bank of Scotland, 2011, pp. 6,). According to RBS chief Stephan Hester, globalization has led to deterioration in the efficiency of the sector (THE FIRST CRISIS OF GLOBALISATION, 2010). Globalization has led RBS to go global and thus have access to global currencies which in turn can help to smoothen the liquidity crunch. The Royal Bank of Scotland has set business objectives like increasing the capital ratio, lowering the leverage ratio, increasing liquidity and reducing its short term borrowings from money market. Hence from the point of view of the CVF model, RBS can explore the rational economic view model as this model will help RBS to incre ase its output and attain individual and organizational goals. The analysis of RBS has shown that management concepts can be utilized for the betterment of an organization. It can help to foresee the opportunities for the firm as well as its potential threats and weaknesses. Management theories and the models developed by it have helped the present society to understand the importance of scientific and a systematic way of approaching a problem. It helps to save time and resources as well as to gain many insights too.

Impact of Boosters on Collegiate Athletics Essay

Impact of Boosters on Collegiate Athletics - Essay Example The researcher states that today, it could be seen often that recruited star collegiate athletes come to big colleges confident that in their respective sports, they will get a national championship. All of a sudden, the collegiate athlete’s way of life changes and he starts driving around college in a brand new automobile. These successes ensue, because the collegiate athlete directly receives money from some wealthy booster who is making efforts to live out the rest of his life through promising, young and susceptible athletes. The researcher focuses on the discussion of such issues and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of such programs and boosters. Every successful coach has several boosters. The most powerful boosters can lobby college presidents and politicians and boosters who are rich and influential can ensure that the coach obtains a lot of money for his shows such that he feels respected. In most cases, boosters’ violations of NCAA rules involve givin g cash or other gifts to individual coaches, providing enrolled collegiate players with additional benefits and the recruitment of potential collegiate players. Boosters are not allowed to provide them with any special arrangements including reduced-price housing, free meals at restaurants, expense money or movie passes. The researcher then concluds that athletic boosters should stick to the virtue of giving their support to athletic programs allowing the directors of athletics and coaches to assign the money in such a way that the whole team benefits.

Overview of Health Behaviour Theories

Overview of Health Behaviour Theories APPENDIX HEALTH BEHAVIOUR THEORIES The biomedical perspective The biomedical perspective incorporates the biomedical theory in which patients are assumed to be passive recipients of doctors instructions. Behavioural (learning) perspective This perspective incorporates behavioural learning theory (BLT) which is focused on the environment and the teaching of skills to manage adherence. Communication perspective Communication is said to be the cornerstone of every patient-practitioner relationship [p. 56]. This perspective suggests that improved provider-client communication will enhance adherence and implies that this can be achieved through patient education and good health care worker communication skills an approach based on the notion that communication needs to be clear and comprehensible to be effective. It also places emphasis on the timing of treatment, instruction and comprehension. Cognitive perspective The cognitive perspective includes theories such as the health belief model (HBM), social-cognitive theory (SCT), the theories of reasoned action (TRA) and planned behaviour (TPB) and the protection motivation theory (PMT). These theories focus on cognitive variables as part of behaviour change, and share the assumption that attitudes and beliefs, as well as expectations of future events and outcomes, are major determinants of health related behaviour. In the face of various alternatives, these theories propose, individuals will choose the action that will lead most likely to positive outcomes. Health Belief Model The HBM views health behaviour change as based on a rational appraisal of the balance between the barriers to and benefits of action. According to this model, the perceived seriousness of, and susceptibility to, a disease influence individuals perceived threat of disease. Similarly, perceived benefits and perceived barriers influence perceptions of the effectiveness of health behaviour. In turn, demographic and socio-psychological variables influence both perceived susceptibility and perceived seriousness, and the perceived benefits and perceived barriers to action. Perceived threat is influenced by cues to action, which can be internal (e.g. symptom perception) or external (e.g. health communication). The protection-motivation theory According to this theory, behaviour change may be achieved by appealing to an individuals fears. Three components of fear arousal are postulated: the magnitude of harm of a depicted event; the probability of that events occurrence; and the efficacy of the protective response. These, it is contended, combine multiplicatively to determine the intensity of protection motivation, resulting in activity occurring as a result of a desire to protect oneself from danger. This is the only theory within the broader cognitive perspective that explicitly uses the costs and benefits of existing and recommended behaviour to predict the likelihood of change. Social-cognitive theory This theory evolved from social learning theory and may be the most comprehensive theory of behaviour change developed thus far. It posits a multifaceted causal structure in the regulation of human motivation, action and well-being and offers both predictors of adherence and guidelines for its promotion. The basic organising principle of behaviour change proposed by this theory is reciprocal determinism in which there is a continuous, dynamic interaction between the individual, the environment and behaviour. Theory of planned behaviour and the theory of reasoned action (TRA) The first work in this area was on the TRA. The TRA assumes that most socially relevant behaviours are under volitional control, and that a persons intention to perform a particular behaviour is both the immediate determinant and the single best predictor of that behaviour]. An intention to perform a behaviour is influenced by attitudes towards the action, including the individuals positive or negative beliefs and evaluations of the outcome of the behaviour. It is also influenced by subjective norms, including the perceived expectations of important others (e.g. family or work colleagues) with regard to a persons behaviour; and the motivation for a person to comply with others wishes. Behavioural intention, it is contended, then results in action. Information-motivation-behavioural skills (IMB) theory This theory was developed to promote contraceptive use and prevent HIV transmission. IMB was constructed to be conceptually based, generalisable and simple. It has since been tailored specifically to designing interventions to promote adherence to ART. Self-regulation perspectives Self-regulatory theory is the main theory in this domain. Developed to conceptualise the adherence process in a way that re-focuses on the patient, the theory proposes that it is necessary to examine individuals subjective experience of health threats to understand the way in which they adapt to these threats. According to this theory, individuals form cognitive representations of health threats (and related emotional responses) that combine new information with past experiences. Stage perspectives The transtheoretical model (TTM) This theory is most prominent among the stage perspectives. It hypothesizes a number of qualitatively different, discrete stages and processes of change, and reasons that people move through these stages, typically relapsing and revisiting earlier stages before success. This theory is said to offer an integrative perspective on the structure of intentional change [p. 1102] the perceived advantages and disadvantages of behaviour are crucial to behaviour change. Lakhan, 2006

A critical analysis of “Charles V & Philip his Son” by Marino Cavalli, 1554

This is a critical analysis of a written piece by Marino Cavalli as he writes his thoughts about the comparisons between the current King; Charles V, and his son and heir Philip. Cavalli has documented the concerns he has about Philip's inability to adequately rule over ‘various peoples' when he comes to power. Cavalli was the Venetian Ambassador in France at the time, and had a vested interest in who succeeded Charles V to the throne. Cavalli begins by making basic observations about the physical similarities between father and son; their appearance, their habits and their demeanour. â€Å"His Highness is now in his twenty-fourth year, of very delicate complexion and medium stature. In both face and mind he resembles his father..† This is the first, and last positive evaluation he makes about Philip. It becomes clear very quickly that he harbours numerous doubts about Philip's ability to come to power and manage different countries, when he favours being advised by a solely Spanish council, who would clearly have preference for their own agenda. â€Å"He takes excessive pleasure in being revered, and he maintains with everyone, no matter who he may be, a greater haughtiness than his father,†. Cavalli obviously worries that Philip does not attempt to earn the respect of his subjects or nobility. He manages to infer a negative edge to the term ‘revere' cleverly using insinuation to make the reader consider this to be an unattractive quality, and demonstrates a preference for Charles V over Philip as he goes on to say; â€Å"They have good reason, being used to his father, who knows extremely well how to adjust himself by various ways to all kinds of people.† If Cavalli's dilemma was merely a loyalty preference for Charles V it could be argued that he was politicking. Especially considering his Venetian roots and French ties, and the fact that the European countries were constantly warring for power, land and control. But when taking into account his other reservations about Philip's eventual rise to power, (which were similar to a great many other opinions of the time), the historian; with the grace of hindsight, can see that his concerns were well founded. It was well known that Charles V (despite the many wars he fought) was hungrier for peace than to acquire land, and he made the best efforts to maintain civility with the neighbouring states, whether or not they had previously fought each other for the rite to rule. Charles V was also recognised as having a very tolerant nature regarding the religious preferences of the people he governed. He was aware of the protestant uprising, and did not make it a priority to come down on his subjects with the severity he could have. As his son Philip would do in later years. It would seem Philip was destined to live in his fathers shadow; â€Å"But owing to the greatness of his father, and the fact that he was born great and has not yet proved himself in any work, he will never appear in the last analysis as the equal of the emperor.† Cavalli felt that Philip had cut himself off from all but the Spanish. â€Å"One may judge that when this prince succeeds to the government of his states he will be served wholly by Spanish ministers, for he is inclined towards that people more than is fitting in a prince who wishes to rule over various peoples†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And he was quite right, Philip did move to Spain never returning to live in Holland, he refused to speak the language and did keep virtually a wholly Spanish council. His preference for Spain was widely known at the time, and widely documented in the historical years to follow. This piece of text is written in a personal, almost diary or journal entry style which allows Cavalli to articulate freely his concerns. It would seem that Cavalli's fears were realised once Philip came to power, although there would have been nothing Cavalli could have done to bring about change, as Philip was born into the time when Royalty were believed to be born with a divine rite to rule, and due to the sheer population numbers of the countries that he resided over, he was always able to gain favour somewhere, especially when his main goal was to crush the protestant reformation and gain land and title, no matter what the cost.

How Much of Your Body Is Water What Percentage

Have you ever wondered how much of your body is water? The percentage of water varies according to your age and gender. Heres a look at how much water is inside you. The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75%. The average adult human body is 50-65% water, averaging around 57-60%. The percentage of water in infants is much higher, typically around 75-78% water, dropping to 65% by one year of age. Body composition varies according to gender and fitness level because fatty tissue contains less water than lean tissue. The average adult male is about 60% water. The average adult woman is about 55% water because women naturally have more fatty tissue than men. Overweight men and women have less water, as a percent than their leaner counterparts. Who Has the Most Water? Babies and children have the highest percentage of water.Adult men contain the next highest level of water.Adult women contain a lower percentage of water than babies or men.Obese men and women have less water, as a percentage than lean adults. The percent of water depends on your hydration level. People feel thirsty when they have already lost around 2-3% of their bodys water. Mental performance and physical coordination start to become impaired before thirst kicks in, typically around 1% dehydration. Although liquid water is the most abundant molecule in the body, additional water is found in hydrated compounds. About 30-40% of the weight of the human body is the skeleton, but when the bound water is removed, either by chemical desiccation or heat, half the weight is lost. 1:32 Watch Now: Why is Water So Crucial to Body Function? Where Exactly Is Water in the Human Body? Most of the bodys water is in the intracellular fluid (2/3 of the bodys water). The other third is in the extracellular fluid (1/3 of the water). The amount of water varies, depending on the organ. Much of the water is in blood plasma (20% of the bodys total). According to a study performed by  H.H. Mitchell, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the amount of water in the human heart and brain is 73%, the lungs are 83%, muscles and kidneys are 79%, the skin is 64%, and the bones are around 31%. What Is the Function of Water in the Body? Water serves multiple purposes: Water is the primary building block of cells.It acts as an insulator, regulating internal body temperature. This is partly because water has a high specific heat, plus the body uses perspiration and respiration to regulate temperature.Water is needed to metabolize proteins and carbohydrates used as food. It is the primary component of saliva, used to digest carbohydrates and aid in swallowing food.The compound lubricates joints.Water insulates the brain, spinal cord, organs, and fetus. It acts as a shock absorber.Water is used to flush waste and toxins from the body via urine.Water is the principal solvent in the body. It dissolves minerals, soluble vitamins, and certain nutrients.Water carries oxygen and nutrients to cells.

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