Ten simple rules for writing compelling recommendation letters - Jennifer H. Kong, Latishya J. Steele, Crystal M. Botham, PLOS Comp Bio

This resource first appeared in issue #64 on 05 Mar 2021 and has tags Becoming A Manager: Offboarding, Becoming A Manager: Managing Individuals

Ten simple rules for writing compelling recommendation letters - Jennifer H. Kong, Latishya J. Steele, Crystal M. Botham, PLOS Comp Bio

Writing recommendation letters is part of life in research. If your team member trusts you enough, when it’s time for them to move on here are roles where you may be asked to provide a reference. And trainees you or your team members work with may ask you or them for a reference.

Kong et al. offer their ten rules - some that strike me as particularly under-used are:

• Respond with enthusiasm or decline. Just don’t write the letter if you can’t give them a really strong reference; you’re not helping anyone.
• Provide context for why you are a suitable letter writer
• Address the requirements needed to be successful in the new position
• Be memorable by adding illustrative anecdotes - concrete stories are enormously more compelling than just asserting a fact.