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 ...

Writing a letter of recommendation for a friend can feel like an honor and a responsibility. It’s an opportunity to support someone you care about while helping them advance in their career, education ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Mark C. Perna is a generational expert who covers education & careers.

It is an honor to be asked to be someone’s character reference. But even if you are enthused about helping a friend or colleague out, you might feel a little intimidated by the prospect of putting the ...

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 ...

Reference letters come in many different shapes and forms, so don’t think that one size fits all. I’ve written in the past about how to request reference letters in different situations, be it from ...

Q: My friend got her bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in social work. She then got a degree as a counselor/social worker. People can get degrees in almost anything if they are ...

Here is a common scene: A supervisor agrees to write your letter of recommendation with one condition—you draft it. Shocker. We, too, were surprised the first time this happened to us. We assumed ...

Researchers are often asked to write references or recommendation letters. Nature asked three senior scientists what they do when they can’t endorse someone. I’m a neuroscientist in the United States.

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 ...