NATSO Foundation’s Bill Moon Scholarship: Advice to Recommenders

What quick bits of advice would you give to managers or other employment supervisors about writing strong recommendations for applicants, whether to the NATSO Foundation’s Bill Moon Scholarship or to other organizations?
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Each year the NATSO Foundation’s Bill Moon Scholarship program distributes thousands of dollars to students to pursue their educational goals. In 2016, the foundation will award five, $5,000 scholarships to truckstop and travel plaza employees and/or their legal dependents.

The NATSO Foundation is accepting applications for the 2016 Bill Moon Scholarship until May 15, 2016.

Following last week’s advice to candidates, this week the Bill Moon Scholarship’s independent reviewer answered:

Q: What quick bits of advice would you give to managers or other employment supervisors about writing strong recommendations for applicants, whether to the NATSO Foundation’s Bill Moon Scholarship or to other organizations?

A:

  • Make sure that you clearly identify yourself and your relationship to the applicant and how long you worked together, and don’t forget to provide your full contact information unless you are using letterhead where it already appears.  If the application reader wants to know more about the applicant, they may want to get in touch with you to discuss the applicant further.

  • Remember to use specific examples or actual situations to support your points.  For example, if you say that an employee is very dedicated and hard-working, feel free to include a brief story that illustrates that dedication.  Examples of how an applicant works – either alone or with others – can really help a reader understand more about that applicant’s personality.

  • Finally, the more clearly you can convey that you have established a personal connection with the candidate, the more meaningful the letter becomes.  Helping a reader see how the applicant contributes to a community or a workplace environment is a huge help in making decisions based upon an applicant’s character.

Encourage your employees to apply today!

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