Expert advice for helping an applicant’s chances of acceptance by choosing the right words and phrases As a teacher, professor, or an employer, you are often called upon for letters of recommendation--and probably as often find yourself stumped about what to say. It can be a daunting task when someone’s future is in the balance. This book, written by a writing expert, will help you find the right words--and avoid the pitfalls--of creating a letter of recommendation. Author Paul Bodine explains what makes a recommendation letter good and also what can make it ineffective. The book contains paragraph-length examples of effective recommendation letter writing for all types of situations.
Offers advice and suggestions to educators on how to write powerfulletters of recommendation for students with post-secondary plans, and featuresfifty-two sample letters that highlight the special skills or qualities ofdifferent types of students.
Letters of recommendation are a part of every standard school or job application. As an employer, professor, colleague, peer, or friend, chances are that at one point or another, you will be asked to put a person on paper and every word counts. How to Write Successful Letters of Recommendation is your one-stop source for painting the perfect picture in just one short letter. You will learn everything you need to know about writing the perfect letter of recommendation that will get your friend, colleague, or student accepted or hired. The most effective letters of recommendation are accurate, succinct, descriptive, and powerful, and include realistic evaluations of performance and capability. With ideas about how to start your letter and topics to include, this complete guide will teach you how to do just that, as you construct the perfect letter from start to finish. Outlined in ten easy steps, this complete guide gives you the tools you need to write reference letters that your employees, colleagues, students, and friends will appreciate. This book is filled with tips and tricks for personalizing the letter and making your friend, student, employee, or coworker shine. With a word bank of powerful phrases and descriptive words, you ll have everything you need to make your letter stand out at your fingertips. Sample letters of recommendation are also included, along with explanations of why each one is effective and tips for replicating these letters in just minutes. You will learn about the different types of recommendation letters, from employment to academic to volunteer, and how to direct your letter to the appropriate audience. You ll even learn what to do if someone you haven t worked with closely asks you to be a reference, or how to deal with being asked for hundreds of recommendations at once. This exhaustively researched book will even teach you how to politely avoid writing letters for those people you aren t quite comfortable recommending. The Companion CD-ROM is filled with templates, examples, word banks, and worksheets, so that you can easily learn to verify experience, confirm competence, build credibility, and bolster confidence with just a simple letter. A recommendation is more than just a letter; it s often make-or-break in a candidate s application for school, volunteering, or employment. With the step-by-step instructions and writing guidelines in this book, you will learn how to write introductions; opening statements; the body, including a well-written, vivid assessment of character and work ethic; and a strong conclusion. This new book will also teach you how to appropriately sign your letter, and will provide you with tips of re-reading and editing it to make sure you gave an effective recommendation. We spent hundreds of hours interviewing high school teachers, college professors, employers, and more who have nailed the art of composing effective communications. With How to Write Successful Letters of Recommendation, your employees, colleagues, students, and friends will see you as their go-to source to helping them succeed in their next big venture.
The Right Phrase for Every Situation . . . Every Time You know that how you begin a business conversation or meeting sets the stage for success. But coming up with just the right words can be another matter. Perfect Phrases for Icebreakers has hundreds of ready-to-use phrases to get your interactions off on the right foot. From jump-starting meetings to motivating teams to turning any situation into a positive networking event, this streamlined guide provides you with the right words to: Highlight important topics in meetings or conversations Motivate people to share resources and support Add levity to personal or group interactions Inspire collaboration and creativity Pique curiosity about your message
THE RIGHT PHRASE FOR EVERY SITUATION . . . EVERY TIME Precise language in a fundraising campaign is an absolute must. The words you choose can make the difference between having your appeal read . . . or tossed. Perfect Phrases for Fundraising provides everything you need to craft a message that recipients will read and respond to. This quick-access guide is packed with time-saving tips, message-crafting strategies, and ready-to-use phrases sure to get results in any campaign. Master the right language for: Telephone soliciting YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter One-on-one meetings Board of director appeals Organization website campaigns
Put these words to work for you! Learn the gift of gab and get closer to your dream job This latest addition to the bestselling Perfect Phrases series is a must-read for anyone who dreads networking or who has ever fumbled or frozen during important and possibly career-changing conversations. Perfect Phrases for Professional Networking arms readers with foolproof and versatile phrases that help them take advantage of virtually any professional networking opportunity. KNOW WHAT TO SAY IN ANY SITUATION From cocktail parties to industry conferences, association meetings, and even unexpected run-ins on the street, this book has all the tools you need to feel comfortable striking up a conversation, steering it in the right direction, and following up effectively. Whether you're looking for a promotion, considering a career change, or just hoping to update that rolodex for a rainy day, this handy resource has you covered--including new-media tactics such as e-mail etiquette, rules for social networking, and the proper way to leave a blog comment. Author Susan Benjamin shows you how to: Break the ice Use personal connections to create a conversation Steer the conversation toward leads Ask for an invitation to an exclusive gathering Get through to someone who's putting you off Get new leads from an old contact Perfect your elevator pitch Send a cold e-mail that gets a response Make the most of online networking functions No matter how tough networking is for you, the Perfect Phrases format makes it simple for you to start building connections today.
“Like Richard Russo’s Straight Man this book has a lot to say about the humanities in American colleges and universities…. Very funny and also moving.” —Tom Perrotta, New York Post A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR and Boston Globe Finally a novel that puts the "pissed" back into "epistolary." Jason Fitger is a beleaguered professor of creative writing and literature at Payne University, a small and not very distinguished liberal arts college in the midwest. His department is facing draconian cuts and squalid quarters, while one floor above them the Economics Department is getting lavishly remodeled offices. His once-promising writing career is in the doldrums, as is his romantic life, in part as the result of his unwise use of his private affairs for his novels. His star (he thinks) student can't catch a break with his brilliant (he thinks) work Accountant in a Bordello, based on Melville's Bartleby. In short, his life is a tale of woe, and the vehicle this droll and inventive novel uses to tell that tale is a series of hilarious letters of recommendation that Fitger is endlessly called upon by his students and colleagues to produce, each one of which is a small masterpiece of high dudgeon, low spirits, and passive-aggressive strategies. We recommend Dear Committee Members to you in the strongest possible terms. Don’t miss Julie Schumacher's new novel, The English Experience, coming soon.
THE RIGHT PHRASE FOR EVERY SITUATION . . . EVERY TIME In today’s fast-moving economy and competitive climate, developing a creative, innovative workforce is absolutely essential for success. Perfect Phrases for Creativity and Innovation provides hundreds of ready-to-use phrases for building the kind of exciting, solution-driven work environment that turns average companies into industry leaders. From creating powerful teams to prioritizing ideas to rewarding success, this hands-on guide offers the language and proven tools to help you: Jump-start your own creativity Trigger whole-brain, divergent thinking in your employees Inspire teams to collaborate in new, effective ways Transform every team into an innovation machine
What does it feel like to create a life on your terms? Where your health, relationships, finances and mindset are all supercharged with positive momentum and intent? The 4 Pillars offers a template on how to shape your life towards fulfilment in these areas; where you learn to master your health, take control of your relationships, grow your finances and develop a clear and positive mindset. The 4 Pillars is your roadmap to a better life.
Perfect Phrases to stand out on the TOEFL-for the more than 800,000 people who take the test To be accepted into most North American undergraduate and graduate programs, international students must take and pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Perfect Phrases for the TOEFL Speaking and Writing Sections gives you all the phrases and most commonly used words you need to excel on both the writing and speaking sections of the test. Presented in the easy-to-understand Perfect Phrases format, these phrases allow you to effectively communicate and express yourself in standard American English, and to score your very best on the test.
