Letter of recommendation

“ ‘to be plain with you, friend, you don’t carry in your countenance a letter of recommendation.’
‘It’s not my wish,’ said the traveller. ”

“ A good face, they say, is a letter of recommendation. O Nature, Nature, why art thou so dishonest as ever to send men with these false recommendations into the world?" ”

“ And for such service as this who is competent?
002:017 We are; for, unlike most teachers, we are not fraudulent hucksters of God's Message; but with transparent motives, as commissioned by God, in God's presence and in communion with Christ, so we speak.
003:001 Do you say that this is self-recommendation once more? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
003:002 Our letter of recommendation is yourselves—a letter written on our hearts and everywhere known and read. ”

“ SCHURZ. Now, it will be admitted that the statement of the Senator from New York virtually confirms everything I have stated. But I desire to observe that when a citizen of the United States goes abroad and wants to introduce himself there in society, by producing a certificate as to his character, so as to be received with confidence and cordiality, it would be considered somewhat singular for him to go to the chief of ordnance for a letter of recommendation. ”

“ Showing that if a good face is a letter of recommendation, a good heart is a letter of credit. ”

“ One man writes and sends me copies of two or three letters of recommendation. Another gives me a glowing account of the revival that has followed his labors in other fields. Then there's a letter from a daughter that really moved me a good deal. ”

“ Letters of Advice are generally very unpalatable for the reader, and had better not be written unless solicited, and not then unless your counsel will really benefit your correspondent. When written, let them be courteous, but, at the same time, perfectly frank. If you can avert an evil by writing a letter of advice, even when unsolicited, it is a friendly office to write, but it is usually a thankless one. ”

“ I pointed out cunningly that however much one might need advice in these matters, there was always a feeling of embarrassment in consulting anyone who knew you. The only person in whom one could confide was the entire stranger. I pointed out, moreover, that real names and addresses need never be given to ms. I only required to know the facts, and I would send a letter of advice specially written for each case for the sum of half a crown. Their letters were to be directed to “Irma,” and I gave the address of a little newsagent who took in letters. ”

“ We naturally expect, that in official correspondence, the public boards, through their proper officers, would be very precise in assigning to every person his proper title, in the address of a letter. ”

“ Letters of Recommendation should be written only when they are positively necessary, and great caution should be used in giving them. They make you, in a measure, responsible for the conduct of another, and if you give them frequently, on slight grounds, you will certainly have cause to repent your carelessness. ”

“ His only resource in that case is to write down a memorandum of the conversation on your departure, in which he will probably make serious omissions or mistakes. Your letter is a memorandum of a far more direct and authentic kind.
Appointments are sometimes made in order to settle a matter of business by talking, and after the parties have met and talked for a long time one says to the other, “I will write to you in a day or two;” and the other instantly agrees with the proposal, from a feeling that the matter can be settled more clearly by letter than by oral communication. ”

“ Every letter received is first examined by an experienced and responsible officer, to make sure that it has been actually presented according to its address, and that the reasons assigned on the cover of the letter are sufficient to account for its non-delivery. ”

“ You inform me that it was without your knowledge, and without previously obtaining your consent, that your name was placed on the Committee; yet, so far from having taken care to let this be known, a letter of yours to the Rev. R. S. Brooke, (which at your desire was shown to me, and which bears the same date as your letter to the Rev. C. A. Fowler,) assures him that your signature was attached to the document to which he alluded, by your authority,—that document (the only document in which your name appeared before the public) being the list of the Committee. ”

“ When some one with real sympathy in his heart has taken the trouble to select and send flowers, or has gone to the house and offered what service he might, or has in a spirit of genuine regard, written a personal letter, the receipt of words composed by a stationer and dispatched by a professional secretary is exactly as though his outstretched hand had been pushed aside. ”

“ Never let an inquirer feel that the one he addresses is too busy to attend to his wants or is not interested enough to reply. When the busiest president of a business concern turns over to some one else a letter intended for the president's personal reading, the correspondent should say, "President Parkins, after reading your letter, requests me to say for him," and so on. ”

“ Letters of introduction should always be unsealed, and, as a rule, should relate only to the affairs of the bearer, not even passingly to those of the writer or his correspondent. When it is desirable to write what cannot, for any reason, be properly introduced into the open letter, a separate and sealed communication may be written and sent, with a polite apology, or brief explanation, with the other. ”

“ If one has a degree, he should not sign his name with it, but state in his letter that he is a graduate, naming the institution from which he was graduated. All boasting should be avoided. One should not ask a reply by return mail, but he might enclose a postal card or a stamp with a request to be informed when the board meets to consider applications. One ought not to name as references persons who know nothing about his work ”

“ I conclude with heartily thanking you for the declaration you made respecting me, and reported to me by Peter Moore, at the close of the last meeting of the Committee. I am convinced of your sincerity; but as I have before described the character of the gratitude I feel towards you in a letter written likewise in this house, I have only to say, that every sentiment in that letter remains unabated and unalterable. ”

“ What you have done seems good, and as was to be expected from your learning and prudence. And inasmuch as I have ordered a full reply to be made in regard to the matters upon which you have consulted me, as you will see by the memorandum accompanying this letter, signed by my grand chancellor, I therefore command and charge you to examine it, and in accordance with it direct affairs, so that, so far as we are concerned, it will be evident that nothing remains to be done for the fulfilment of what we agreed upon. ”

“ One of these platforms is that it is best to sign the letter with some individual's name. Covering up the responsibility for the letter with such a general term as "sales department" or "advertising department" takes all personality out of the missive and to that extent weakens the power of the message. But even in this we should be chary of following inflexible rules. We can conceive of circumstances where it would be advisable to have the letter come from a department rather than from an individual. ”

“ It is sometimes difficult to write a letter of application, because one must speak of himself and of his ability to fill the position sought, and to do so without seeming egotistic. If the applicant has had experience in work similar to that for which he applies, a simple statement of the fact, the length of time engaged in such work, the reason for quitting his last position, and the name and address of his former employer, should form the substance of his letter. ”

“ Governors are desired to send their recommendations as soon as signed to the apothecary at the house of preparation, in Islington, which will be by him immediately entered on the books, and when the turn of such person, so recommended, comes for admittance, a letter will be sent for his or her attendance, which, if punctually observed, they will be admitted. ”

“ No one has power to do more than recommend for promotion. Each recommendation for promotion is examined by the surveyor, and is then sent to headquarters, where “a most vigilant check is always exercised, not from the suspicion that there has been favoritism, but in order to secure that favoritism shall not be practised.”286 Ultimately [Pg 277] the Postmaster General passes upon every recommendation. ”

“ In returning a call made with a letter of introduction, the caller must go in, if the person on whom he calls is at home.
If your letter of introduction is for a special purpose—which purpose should be mentioned in the letter—you will send it in with your card, and ask for an interview.
In giving letters of introduction, you take a great responsibility. You should, therefore, give them only to persons that have your entire confidence and for whom you are willing to be responsible. They should be left open, in order that their bearers may acquaint themselves with their contents. ”

“ In writing your letter of advice, give your judgement as an opinion, not a law, and say candidly that you will not feel hurt if contrary advice offered by any other, more competent to judge in the case, is taken. While your candor may force you to give the most unpalatable counsel, let your courtesy so express it, that it cannot give offence. ”

“ Any customs of any place or season that have not already appeared in the work, are earnestly solicited from those who have the means of furnishing the information. The only condition stipulated for, as absolutely indispensable to the insertion of a letter respecting facts of this nature, is, that the name and address of the writer be communicated to the editor, who will subjoin such signature as the writer may choose his letter should bear to the eye of the public. ”

“ We have given much thought to devising a thoroughly practical arrangement which will not be burdensome to either party and will afford full liberty of consultation throughout the progress of investigation. Let the difficulties be stated by letter. Correspondence is always preferable to personal consultation. It gives us time to make an investigation, if necessary, in the interest of the inquirer, while our reply is also in written form, which is more convenient for the worker. ”

“ Afterwards the applicant was informed by the president of the board that his short business-like letters, written in an almost illegible but natural hand, obtained for him the place over nearly one hundred applicants, many of whom were college graduates of long experience in teaching, and who had basketfuls of testimonials, but not one of whom had written even a fairly good letter of application.
Many cities and towns have stated public examinations, which applicants must attend before they can be employed. ”

“ A firm may send a dozen type-written letters on some important subject, with little or no result. But if the head of some department, or better still, the head of the firm himself, with his own hand, write a letter, then the matter is sure to receive prompt attention. ”

“ When these letters are from people who write often the secretary grows to recognize the handwriting from the outside of the envelope, and therefore does not need to open them. In other cases it is sometimes possible to distinguish a personal from a business letter. These should be handled according to the wishes of the man to whom they are directed. Many business men turn practically everything—even the settlement of their family affairs—over to their secretaries. It is a personal matter, and the secretary's part in it is to carry out the wishes of his employer. ”

“ Not less important has been the personal encouragement afforded, especially to beginners and persons remote from other advice, in the hundreds of thousands of letters which have been written by the two secretaries during the seventy years of their added terms of office. No communication is ever passed by unnoticed and the archive rooms of the Institution packed from floor to ceiling with letter files and letter copy books are well worthy of inspection. ”

“ The one receiving it either invites you to dine, or to meet others, or to a drive, or to visit some place of amusement. Too great caution cannot be exercised in giving a letter which makes such demands upon an acquaintance.
When the letter of introduction is left with a card, if there is a gentleman in the family, he may call upon the stranger the next day, unless some engagement prevents, when he should send his card with an invitation. If the letter introduces a gentleman to a lady, she may write a note of invitation in answer, appointing a time for him to call. ”

“ Modest persons sometimes shrink from delivering letters of introduction which appear to them to be undeservedly complimentary. Letters of introduction are left unsealed, to be sealed before delivery by the one introduced. They should receive immediate attention by the parties who receive them. When a gentleman delivers such a letter to a lady, he is at liberty to call upon her, sending her his card to ascertain whether she will receive him then, or appoint another hour that will be more convenient. ”

“ I have the greatest satisfaction in your appointment to the office of Principal Librarian, and offer you my warmest congratulations on the attainment of a post in which your abilities will be exercised so advantageously.
You cannot doubt that I concur most entirely in the sentiments of your letter—that I shall always consider it my first duty to devote myself to the interests of this Institution, and to satisfy the Trustees by punctuality, diligence, and general zeal in their service.
Without harmony of action and due subordination, all must be confusion in such an establishment as ours. ”