A Tactful Way to Decline to Write a Letter of Recommendation[1]

© © Copyright Envision Corporation. 2002. All rights reserved. Protected by the copyright laws of the United States & Canada and by International treaties. IT IS ILLEGAL AND STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO DISTRIBUTE, PUBLISH, OFFER FOR SALE, LICENSE OR SUBLICENSE, GIVE OR DISCLOSE TO ANY OTHER PARTY, THIS PRODUCT IN HARD COPY OR DIGITAL FORM. ALL OFFENDERS WILL BE SUED IN A COURT OF LAW. July 17, 2008 Contact Name Address Address2 City, State/Province Zip/Postal Code C o p y r i g h t OBJECT: ABOUT YOUR REQUEST FOR A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION Dear [CONTACT NAME], I was flattered to receive your call last week requesting a letter of recommendation. Your skills as a [FUNCTION] are, I’m sure, very strong. Our association, of course, has been as [FUNCTION] for [ORGANIZATION/ASSOCIATION]. In this capacity I could certainly vouch for your skills in the art of persuasion. Yet we haven’t always agreed on all issues; most recently, our views on [SPECIFY] could not be more different. In light of especially this recent issue, I worry that I could provide a letter that displays no evidence of our conflict. The bottom line, [CONTACT NAME], is that I believe you’d be better served to request such a letter from someone with whom you are not currently experiencing such a difference of opinion. Good luck to you in your job search. Sincerely, E n v i s i o n C o r p o r a t i o n . Your name Your title (800) 123-4567 youremail@yourcompany.com 2 0 0 2 . A l l r i g h t s Company Name Street, City, State/Province, Zip/Postal code Tel: (000) 000-0000 / Fax: (000) 000-0000 www.yourwebsite.com r e s e r