Letters of recommendation are powerful things – and in an economy with unemployment as high as it is in 2012, they’re worth a lot more than the paper they’re printed on.

Generally, if you write a letter of recommendation, you’ll want it to strike a particular note or tone that helps someone’s chances at getting hired, or winning some other sort of opportunity. While it might be tempting to go through the motions and quickly type out three paragraphs of the “usual,” let’s assume that you want to leave a lasting impression. How do you do that?

You keep on reading, of course, and see how even a letter of recommendation can be one of the most influential documents you ever sign, even at a site like FindLegalForms.com.

Specifics: The Key to Memorability

Writing about someone’s work ethic, skills, and general positive behavior is fine but that doesn’t quite tell a powerful story. For example, if you’re recommending a student for a scholarship, how many letters in that same tone do you think the scholarship committees read? What you think is original might sound cliché if you don’t pay special attention to the quality of your letter of recommendation.

So how do you change that, even if you’re not an especially talented writer? Simple: specificity. Tell a story or anecdote about the student that made them stand out to you. Explain something about your former employee that shows just how valuable they can be to future companies. Don’t speak in clichés, speak in specifics – that’s a language that gets remembered and shows that you were willing to put real thought into this letter.

Social Proof: The Hidden Concept behind Effective Persuasion

Ask yourself a quick question. Why do people need to read letters of recommendation? Why do employers seek out references? Why does it seem that it’s not “what you know, but who you know”?

Okay, that’s three questions, but bear with us: there’s a powerful principle behind the answer to these questions. That principle is social proof: the idea that what someone else uses or recommends is a powerful persuader.

In the case of letters of recommendation, your status directly affects the power of your recommendation. A letter of recommendation from Bill Gates, for example, is going to perform better than a letter from Joe Schmoe down the street.

But there’s more to it than that. In the previous section, we talked about using both specificity and passion in the letter. Think about this for a second: what does the extra effort you take into writing a good letter of recommendation say about the person you’re recommending?

It’s saying that you feel strongly about the candidate – and that’s a powerful message in social proof.

Think about it this way: as kids, you might not have cared about specific toys until you saw that your little brother wanted to use a toy badly. Suddenly, you desired that toy too.

So it is with letters of recommendation: show why you care so much about the candidate’s quality and other people will start to care, too.

If you need further assistance, check out the templates here at FindLegalForms.com.

In high unemployment, one of the most difficult assets to require is an employment recommendation. After all, if you struggle enough just finding a job, how can you ever be expected to have the history of employment required to get a recommendation in the first place? The truth is, you’ll want to grab your opportunities when you can. And since so many people are asking when the appropriate time to ask for an employment recommendation is, we thought we’d put together a brief guide on doing just that.

Situation: You’re working, but you want to work somewhere else. How do you get a recommendation from an employer if they don’t know you’re job hunting?

This can be one of the most difficult employment situations to deal with. Sure, it’s a high-quality problem – you’re juggling two jobs, essentially – but it also means that you could be in an awkward position if you don’t play your cards right. How do you get a recommendation to your prospective employer if you don’t want to upset your current employer?

The key, in this position, is to let the prospective employer know about your predicament. You don’t want to upset your current employer, so any recommendations you might have from other people in your life might just have to suffice. Some prospective employers might not like this, but you shouldn’t be asked to jeopardize your current job just to have a chance to land another job. If any prospective employer asks you to do this, tell them in no uncertain terms that it’s a risk you simply can’t take. Promises of future work are not enough; you need to know when you’re hired.

Situation: You’ve been let go, but you still think there may be a chance at an employment recommendation.

Getting let go can happen for a number of reasons. Unless you’ve been explicitly fired for bad job performance or other similar problems, then you probably can’t expect a letter of recommendation from that employer. If, however, you are being let go because of economic reasons – say, you’re department has been cut – you can still expect a solid chance at a recommendation from the people you’ve worked with.

Admittedly, this can often present an awkward situation. But if you want an employment recommendation, be willing to submit a formal request for one right after you’ve been notified that you’re being let go. This written request will seem more ironclad to those who are being requested and you stand a better chance at landing the recommendation. Additionally, if you’ve really been a good employee, you can expect a lot of leeway in this regard.

Situation: Contacting an old employer.

Let’s say a lot of time has passed but you still need a recommendation for hitting the job market in earnest. Simply get the contact information of your old employer and submit a formal request for a recommendation – even if you’re not sure that your chance of landing one is very favorable. You never know if you’ll get a recommendation if you don’t ask.