Maintaining your file of letters of recommendation
is your responsibility.
Following are a few guidelines for your consideration. Feel free to call us to make any deletions and/or
additions.
1. The number of letters is important. More is not always better. Fewer and more current letters carry more weight than letters that are several years old. There is a temptation of reviewers to not read all of the letters if there are too many. We recommend between four and six letters total. Beyond this,
2. You should consider whether the letters are serving their purpose any longer. For example, if you have been employed and have current letters of recommendation in your file, do you need to have letters written years earlier that may not really represent your new status?
3. Letters from master teachers regarding student teaching may not be necessary any longer after successful employment in a school district. We do not hold evaluations of coursework or student teaching.
4. Appearance of the letters is also important. Many letters that pre-date computers are often difficult to replicate and read. Some are on forms where there is very little space and the letter is so brief it does not really offer anything the prospective employer needs.
5. The person writing the recommendation and his or her title is very important. If you have many letters, prioritize them by importance.
There may be other considerations; be open to making your file representative of your skills and talents. Refresh the letters when needed.
Please note: All letters held by ACADEM are considered confidential and therefore cannot be issued to the person for whom they are written. To do so, would breach the confidentiality. Therefore, all files can only be issued to institutions or potential employers. This also means that we cannot issue letters files to be carried in by hand or submitted with other materials.