Importance of Letters of Recommendation

The Importance of Letters of Recommendation

The Importance of Letters of Recommendation are important.  They are a valuable supplement to your resume and enhance your potential for career advancement and employment continuity.  Hiring Managers evaluate your resume and your performance through the interview process.  They also perform due diligence in comparison to other leading candidates  to help them determine whether to move forward with you or another candidate.  Having letters of recommendation from previous managers and superiors in your quiver plays a significant role in providing hiring managers a level of comfort that their decision to hire you is the right one.  Written documentation from previous managers or leaders demonstrates proof of your performance at your previous company and in previous roles.

Letters of recommendation from colleagues or leaders from other organizations that you may have supported are good.  Recommendations from your manager or their manager, leaders in the company etc. are the best references that you can get.  These letters of recommendation should be requested at least when you decide to leave your current employer.  Additionally, I recommend keeping these letters in a secure place and saving them electronically, as they will benefit your career progression throughout your career.

The best profiles for letters of recommendation are to have one or more from each of your previous companies.  This will significantly ease the burden of risk in a hiring manager’s decision to move forward with you.  Keep this in mind in performance of your responsibilities and throughout your career.  These support documents will help you to attain the positions you want with the best potential for increased compensation in any given role.