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Letter of Recommendation

Old 08-17-2007, 08:05 AM
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Default Letter of Recommendation

Can anyone point me to a good link that contains what a typical "pilot" letter of recommendation might contain. Of course, I have some ideas (myself), but I thought it helpful to look at some examples or get some ideas from the members of this forum.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 08-17-2007, 08:42 AM
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Send me a PM with your email and I can send you a few examples when I get home.
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Old 08-17-2007, 09:07 AM
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Originally Posted by evh347 View Post
Can anyone point me to a good link that contains what a typical "pilot" letter of recommendation might contain. Of course, I have some ideas (myself), but I thought it helpful to look at some examples or get some ideas from the members of this forum.

Thanks in advance.
There are basically two types of LORs. Personal and professional. For professional you simply get your boss to write about your performance at your current location. A personal LOR should be from someone that has known you for a long time and can vouch for your morals and personality characteristics.

It's good to have a couple of both. When they are written have each one place them in an envelope and seal it shut then sign their name across the back. When you receive LORs you should not know what they say. I hadn't read a single one of mine until they showed me in the interview.
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Old 08-17-2007, 09:09 AM
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"Hire dis *itch, or I'll bust a cap in yo a$$"


... never mind, that's a letter of rec for our FAs!
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Old 08-17-2007, 09:29 AM
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It is a pleasure to recommend to you, my good friend, XXXXXXX XXXXX. Over the past two years, I have flown with XXXX on numerous occasions. We were both based in Chicago O’Hare and served on the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) with XXXXXXXX. From this experience, I can tell you that XXXX is a professional pilot who is proactive and preemptive when it comes to problem solving. He is fun, bilingual and detail oriented. Whether in-flight or on the ground, XXXX exhibits exemplary performance in a challenging and constantly evolving environment. In addition, XXXX constantly evaluates his actions to improve his performance. He consistently performs at the highest level and does so with great speed and accuracy without sacrificing his commitment to safety or standards.

In closing, XXXXX XXXXXX is truly a stand-out among his peers and I feel he will make a wonderful addition to your team at XXXXl Airlines. I give him my highest recommendation.


Sincerely,

XXXXX XXXXX
Flight Officer
A BIG COMPANY
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Old 08-17-2007, 01:39 PM
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Originally Posted by ToiletDuck View Post
When you receive LORs you should not know what they say. I hadn't read a single one of mine until they showed me in the interview.
Only if you want to get burned in the end. You should ALWAYS know what your letters of recommendation say.

Employers know that any letters of recommendation that are submitted by you (as well as references) are going to be positive in nature. That's why most won't put a whole lot of weight into them, unless they come from an internal reference.

When I'm interviewing, I'm going to read the letters and see how "glowing they are", but in the end, it's the blind calls to former employers (and people that I know that might be acquaintances with the applicant) that have more of an impact.

IMHO, having somebody send in a "blind" letter is asking for trouble. At the very least (and if you must insist on a "seal copy), you should be allowed to look over a draft to ensure that there are no grammatical or spelling errors and that all of the information being submitted is accurate. Remember- even if they are submitted on your behalf by another person, a poorly written recommendation (even if it's good intended) can reflect poorly on you as an applicant.
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Old 08-17-2007, 01:46 PM
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Originally Posted by FlyerJosh View Post
Only if you want to get burned in the end....

Employers know that any letters of recommendation that are submitted by you (as well as references) are going to be positive in nature.
Conflicting statements. I'm just telling you how businesses want them. They prefer that the person handing it in doesn't know what's being said. They want an honest assessment of the type of person you are.

They hold much less weight if you know what they say.

References are a different story. Those are more obvious than anything that they'll give a good response. However those are to test the people you listed more. A large company will do background checks on your references and family. That's why they make you list a few family members and friends. There's the concept of "you are the company in which you keep". If someone picks up the phone and talks in complete slang and Ebonics then the company is less likely to favor you. On the other hand if the person that answers is well spoken and mannered then you'll be favored. When listing contacts you'll do better if you pick people, ones that favor you, that are educated, well spoken, good mannered, and dignified before simply listing your best friend.. Unless your best friend is all of these things.

Some think it's crazy but in the real world people make sure not to try and sit higher than the person interviewing them, picking the perfect colors for the suit/shirt/tie, shanking the hand with correct firmness, keep from showing shoe bottoms, and avoid pointing toes or showing an open hand(palm) towards the individual with whom you're interviewing with.

Last edited by ToiletDuck; 08-17-2007 at 01:56 PM.
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Old 06-03-2014, 09:12 AM
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Now that it has been 6.8 years since the last post, I feel the time is right to add to this thread.

Writing an LOR is a pain in the butt.

IMHO, most people who are asked to write an LOR are agreeable to the idea of YOU writing your own letter in DRAFT form for them to review.
You should know best about the job that you are targeting and you should be able to "nail it".

The idea of a sealed envelope and not seeing it something I've seen in academics--not in aviation.
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Old 06-03-2014, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Perite View Post
The idea of a seal envelope and not seeing it something I've seen in academics--not in aviation.
I agree, bad idea. No one in aviation expects/requires sealed letters that I've seen, so no point in taking the chance of a typo or worse.
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Old 09-10-2016, 10:46 AM
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Originally Posted by FlyerJosh View Post
Send me a PM with your email and I can send you a few examples when I get home.
Hi, is there any chance you can send me, some samples of letters of recommendation, by mail. ([email protected])
In an advance, thank you for your help.
regards,
Paulo Costa
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