Recommendation Letters: Dealing with Insufficient References

When writing recommendation letters, it is of course favorable to be able to recall specific situations in which the mentee or applicant has excelled. However, when unable to cite these particular incidents, it is best to mention broad skill sets that are applicable to the position, or decline the request. 

In "Fourteen Ways to Write a Letter of Recommendation," Lynn Brown give readers tips on how to "jog teachers' memories" and urge that "teachers look back to an initial impression of the student and then reflect how that first sight might have changed over the years" (1). Using "one-word descriptors such as academic stamina, emotional stability, cooperation, and maturity" can also help the writer begin to remember certain qualities or specific situations (1). Writers can also ask the applicant to provide "evidence of community involvement indicated altruism on the part of the student" or "take a look at past recommendation letters and reuse parts that are relevant" (Brown 1). Because recommendation letters also often involve a description of your relationship to the applicant, making this your starting point could jump-start your memory as well.  

Recommendation letters are meant to differentiate the applicant from others and to showcase uniqueness, but when the writer cannot provide a strong letter, it is best to be honest with the applicant and professionally decline. In "Writing Letters of Recommendations: Where Should You Start?" Kristi Kelley, Anne Marie Liles, and Jessica Starr suggest the same, stating that "If you feel that your knowledge of the applicant is insufficient for the recommendation requested, it is in the applicant’s best interest to decline the request" (563). 

Works Cited

Brown, Lynn L. "Fourteen Ways To Write a Better Letter of Recommendation." Professional School Counseling 3.2 (1999): 14.1. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 1 June 2015.

Kelley, Kristi, W., Anne, Marie Liles, and Jessica, A. Starr. "Writing Letters of Recommendation: Where Should You Start?." American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 69.7 (2012): 563-565. CINAHL Complete. Web. 1 June 2015.