Well - I have a little story about this topic... as a grad student, I was
asked by an undergrad. once who was not a good student (never came in and
broke lots of equipment) for a recommendation for a part-time tech. job
during his senior year doing molecular. He had worked for me (or did not
worked for me) for three months as a junior (pre-Honors work) and was
overburdened with school to the point that he didn't even come in for the
minimal hours he signed up for credit. He ended up leaving of his own
accord but came back to me later for this job thing. This was my first
such request and I was REALLY nervous. I actually asked some mentors who
knew the guy and told them my problem. They corroborated the idea that a
"recommendation" letter was not a place to "not recommend" although it
was not really discussed as a legal issue. I was counseled to be very
clear with this guy and sit him down and just say - I am uncomfortable
writing this because I cannot recommend you for a tech. job based on my
knowledge of your work under my tutelege. This was a REALLY hard thing
for me to have to say to the guy. Ethically, though, I felt it was the
only fair way to deal with the problem. I encouraged him to go to another
lab voluntarily for perhaps a different perspective and to use this as a
way to gain a reference and he has ended up doing well - is now an MD/PhD
student.
Whether ethical or legal or both, the purpose of a reommendation
letter is to recommend. I know there are some difficult gray areas but I
do agree that a person should not be using rec. letters for non-rec.
purposes. I realize there are poison people out there (although this kid
was not one of them - he needed a less stressful situation and
encouragement to perform better so as to obtain a recommendation, which he
hadn't earned from me or my boss; it simply was not fair for me to write
a letter where I would have nothing to say). My partner likes to joke
about his favorite line for people who ask for a rec. letter and clearly
haven't done anything: "You would be very lucky to have this person in
your lab." I don't think he has ever used it but it is certainly a play
on words that applied to this case.
Certainly phone recommendations are more difficult because people
are asking information and trying to get at the meaty negatives of
potential candidates or employees. Having never been in that position, I
bawk at what I would have said, say, if this guy had put me down and not
warned me.
In general, I am curious how much "recommendation" goes on by way
of phone/talking vs. letters. I have had only one case where they called
my boss; everything else has been letter-driven. I think it is very
important - and everyone knows this - to openly discuss a rec. with the
recommender. Jenn's case, I know from having been in the lab with her
when all that happened, was very difficult. There really was little
indication that the boss was going to perhaps bad-mouth her progress
because she was leaving with her masters quietly and she was an excellent
bench scientist, even in the boss' apparent opinion.
I do agree with Jenn that rec. letters make or break careers. I
also am saddened at how many students or post-docs fear (often with good
reason) a bad recommendation letter. Often, I feel that as students we
are told (often clearly) that the point of all this is to establish a bad
relationship with the boss, that if you don't hate each other at the end,
you haven't had a proper training experience. I will never forget
something my boss said: one of my classmates did her dissertation last
year and was all weepy. I was walking back with my boss and laughed about
how I sure hoped I didn't do that. She was quick to say: if you don't
hate me by the end of this, I won't let you out. She was certainly joking
in part but that was the second time I had an advisor in grad. school make
blunt reference to the negative nature of the whole advising game. I
certainly hope not to get weepy on everyone but the fact is that I really
don't hate my boss. We have openly expressed extreme frustration and
perhaps even hate with each other but that openness usually makes me
happier about the relatively honest relationship we have. I also like to
think I know where she stands on giving me recommendations or not.
Whether or not she was honest with Jenn is something I will never be able
to answer having not been the fly on the wall but I like to think that
Jenn, as her first student, broke her in to a large extent. She is a
certainly a different person as each of us have passed the gauntlet.
Sarah
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah Boomer email: sarai at u.washington.edu
Dept. of Microbiology work phone: 543-3376
Box 357242 work FAX: 543-3376
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195
personal homepage:
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~sarai/GOBOOMSINK/GOBOOMSINK.html
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
