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 ...

If you are in any leadership position, you will likely have to write a letter of recommendation for an employee, coworker, student or intern. Being asked to write a letter of recommendation means the ...

It’s 5:30 a.m. I am up before the day starts to write yet another recommendation letter. I have to get up earlier than usual to make sure that the letters due today or tomorrow do not get lost in the ...

Do you feel like you spend too much time working on your letters of recommendation? Do you want to know how to write letters that are really going to make a difference in your students' applications?

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: ...

You're likely hearing about the importance of building a meaningful and focused LinkedIn profile. Today, global professionals, business leaders, recruiters, hiring managers and entrepreneurs regularly ...

It’s the time of year when students arrive at my office and ask if I will write them a college recommendation. I say, “Yes, I’ll be happy to write one for you.” Sometimes, I’ll thank them for asking ...

I am a junior high school student and planning on starting my college applications over the summer. But one question I am concerned about has me stumped. Who do I choose as recommenders? What advice ...

Ready for college? Want stellar recommendations from your teachers to give you the edge you need for getting into your dream school? RIT’s application checklist is a great guide! RIT shares that a ...

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 ...