[jttpwalsh]

offered to write a recommendation for me

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Not sure how you handled it, but I always ask the person to write it “To Whom It May Concern”, and the writer’s contact information, at the bottom. Then I take the letter, and decide if I want to use it. Fortunately, I’ve never had a slam, but I did have a letter that was so poorly constructed, I wouldn’t have dreamed of passing it to a perspective employer.

I learned this trick from an old timer, and never regretted it ;)

[rey]

For most academic positions, you never get to see the letter. The writer sends it directly to the selection committee. Some girl who worked in the office who was interested in me looked in my file. She asked why I used that guy. She also asked why I checked I was a Black female on my app. I hadn’t checked anything for race and sex.