Recommendation Letters - Fixing Grammar

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the ethical dilemma of correcting grammar mistakes in a letter of recommendation before submission. The original poster received a poorly written letter from a former co-worker with significant grammatical errors, contrasting with another well-written letter. The poster contemplates whether to fix the errors themselves and seek the author's approval or to request a new letter entirely. The consensus suggests that while fixing the letter may be tempting, it is more respectful to communicate with the author about the issues and request a revised version.

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  • Understanding of professional communication etiquette
  • Familiarity with grammar and writing standards
  • Knowledge of the importance of recommendation letters in job applications
  • Awareness of ethical considerations in peer feedback
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  • Research best practices for requesting revisions on professional documents
  • Learn about effective communication strategies for sensitive feedback
  • Explore templates for writing polite requests for new recommendation letters
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Job seekers, career coaches, human resources professionals, and anyone involved in the process of obtaining or writing recommendation letters.

minger
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OK, this might be a little weird question:

I am interviewing in two days. I am finally getting some letters of recommendation from some of my former co-workers. The first was very nice. The format is pleasing to the eye, and it was well written.

The one I 'just' got, was from someone with a nice title at my former company. Unfortunately, it is riddled with grammar mistakes. I would honestly be embarrassed to show it to someone. I'm not talking like, "That should be a semi-colon instead of a comma", rather it's more like, "I'm...um...I really have no idea what this 1/2 page long sentence is trying to say".

My question is what is ethically the proper thing to do, along with what is typically done. I'm leaning towards fixing (or trying) the grammar and just sending it. However, deep down, I feel as though I should fix it, send the draft to the author and ask for his permission to send it. Although, with that, it seems would come with a slap to the man's pride.

Anyways, if anyone has any thoughts, I'd appreciate it. Thanks,
 
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Can you get a new one, and don't send it? I've done that in the past. I say thank you, and get a new recommendation letter from someone else. They are likely to not know how many of these letters you need.
 

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