Most people would agree that writing is not easy. Some people would argue that it is a knack or flair in the sense of a natural ability which cannot be learnt. You are either born with the ease of expressing yourself in writing or you are not. Although it might be true that writing comes to some people more easily than to others, it is a skill and skills can be learnt and perfected. The world of business values writing that is succinct, well-structured and to the point. Long, unclear sentences filled with unnecessary words that want to impress the reader achieve the opposite effect. To help you achieve the desired effect with greater ease we will write a series of articles on the most common types of writing in business. First, we will focus on the documents that every employee should have in store and update them from time to time. These pieces include a CV/resume, a letter of application/a cover letter and a letter of recommendation. We will first deal with the one that is relatively new in Croatia but is becoming an increasingly common piece of writing your prospective employer might want to see: a letter of recommendation.
As we have stressed at the beginning, an effective recommendation letter should be brief and it should focus on verifiable information. It should be a testament to a person’s character, motivation, skills, accomplishments and potentials. To get a good letter of recommendation, you first have to choose a credible recommender. This should be the person who is acquainted with both your work and personality. He or she should also know your strengths in the areas necessary to satisfy the requirements of a particular employer or admissions board and be ready to write absolutely positively about you. If possible, find people who can emphasize different aspects of your strengths. One letter could describe your technical skills while the other might emphasize your organizational abilities. Sometimes the recommender will tell you to write the first draft of the letter, which they will then modify and sign. In that case, do not be shy and too modest. List the talents, accomplishments and abilities that match the current situation. Be specific: generic letters usually leave a worse impression than no letter at all. Generic letters show that the recommender did not even want to bother to write about you.
