Writing Your Own Reference Letters

From finkorswim.com

A couple of years ago I wrote about how to get a good reference letter from your employer. What I've noticed is that more and more DOSes and head teachers aren't willing to write reference letters.

While I understand that non-native speakers might shy away from writing reference letters in English (however, there's nothing stopping you from proof-reading their reference letter before they sign it), I don't understand why native and near-native English speakers don't want to write them. First of all, it's part of their job. I understand that they're busy, but as part of the management or admin team, they should fulfill their responsibilities. I also understand that they might not know you that well, especially if you're in a big school, however, they could still write a simple recommendation letter with your help.

What I've found is that people are being asked to write their own reference letters. This can be good and bad.

Pros

• You can write wonderful things about yourself (Some employers won't even read them before they sign).
• It'll have perfect English.
• It'll have all the info that you want it to have.
• You can write a bunch and personalise them for different employers and all your boss has to do is sign.

Cons

• Reference letters aren't worth much.
• If you have to write a lot of your own reference letters, they can look very similar.
• It's more work for you.
• You won't know what your boss really thinks about you.

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