You’re not entitled to an excellent recommendation letter.

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One of the best things I’ve come to love about my place of work for National Service is the fact that I’m engaged in a lot of discussions that to a certain extent, broadens your point of view on topics you used to be really assumptive about. Eye-opening discussions.

An office discussion at work a few days ago opened my mind to a different perspective of thinking regarding official recommendations.

At first, I was of the conviction that simply doing any sort of internship under some big man entitles you to at least a good recommendation letter. Then I met Mr Godwin, a Biochemistry Lecturer at my workplace who seems to have a thing for philosophical words. Lol though he’s a Biochemist, he’s got a thing for saying wise words. And before you say it’s probably cos he’s old, he’s not. He’s far from old. He’s one of the youngest lecturers I’ve seen.

Anyways what is interesting is how he talked about recommendations. He approached it from a lecturer’s point of view. The big person’s point of view. Most of the things I’m going to be saying were born from the earlier office discussion, written in a narrative form by me. Lol

Whenever I thought of recommendations, I never considered what the recommendation letter meant to the person writing it. He made me realize how much the people who wrote recommendations for others were putting at stake to get you that scholarship, that job or whatever: their own reputation!

Think of it. A recommendation in the literal meaning of the word basically suggests that whoever is writing the recommendation approves you and believes you deserve whatever it is you’re applying for.

If an organization takes a lecturer for his word and hires you for their recommendation, you basically represent as a vessel of the lecturer at your work place. Your performance, attitude towards work and everything else affects the chances that the organization in question will hire more people recommended by the lecturer or professor.

what does recommending you mean for professors then?

Well, this depends. But basically recommending you means they have faith in your ability to serve, to deliver to expectations.

If you become a valuable asset to an organization you were recommended to by someone else, the organization definitely will not hesitate to hire anyone else the said person recommends.

But if you become a liability and anything short of able, your recommender’s word means absolutely nothing the next time they recommend someone. Your failure basically suggests that he’s working with more people like you, mediocre, and unable to rise to the task.

Whose recommendations work for what?

Rank and Specialty are the two things to note here.

Your chances of getting a job or scholarship based on recommendation is boosted if whoever is writing you the recommendation is someone who is highly achieved. A professor’s word is more likely to fly than a high school teacher’s.

But it’s not just about the rank, as there’s a bit to consider when you think of what field you want to venture into and who specializes in that field. If you need a recommendation for a medical school scholarship, an Economist’s recommendation is less likely to get you where a medical doctor’s word will, even if the economist is more highly ranked, because of a specialty factor. Unless you’re in Ghana, of course, where a member of Parliament’s word holds above anyone who is not the President. Lol

Sometimes, it’s not even that you don’t habe the skill…

… sometimes, it’s about the fact that even though you meet the skill criteria a certain job requires, you lack in other aspects.

People vetting applicants look for many features when selecting potential benefactors of their scholarship schemes. Aside having the skill, are you a fast learner who can adapt to changes fast enough and can you work independently without supervision?

Some institutions are very busy and need flexible employees who can fit into any sort of schedule at anytime and work with little supervision. A skilled person might still be one that needs coaching to some extent. Even though you have the skills, you might not get a great recommendation letter to work in a place like that if your boss knows you’re someone that needs a lot of supervision to be productive.

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The baseline basically is, recommendations are a true reflection of your capabilities and your work attitude. At least they’re supposed to be. Your boss or institution doesn’t owe you an excellent recommendation simply because you worked for him. You’re not entitled to it.