I found this quote over at A Singer's Life from Darren K. Woods, General Director of the Forth Worth Opera in a letter to his colleauges:I have just completed over 60 letters of recommendation for singers that want to audition for your companies and it is not even the first of September. You are all my friends, but I am begging you to stop this archaic practice. It is a colossal waste if money in stationery and postage, a huge waste of paper, and in times when I have to raise 4 million dollars per year, a great waste of time. I love these young artists, and I want to help them, but after this season, I will not write any letters of recommendation for anyone--I simply don't have the time. I would encourage you, if you see my name on a resume and have a question about an artist, that you simply e-mail me and ask for my comments and impressions. It is easier and saves hundreds of trees.I agree--the practice is outdated in this digital age. And expensive!
But will it ever end?
2 comments:
As long as there are folks who do not fully utilize the Internet, there will be folks who prefer paper. :)
While I agree the system is flawed, there is a problem if one expects a selection committee to call every reference on a c.v. or resume. Recommendation Letters are often an important first element in the initial "sort" (important if you have over a hundred applicants for a position).
Some people can utilize their university's dossier system. Having sat on a selection committee, I know that this is a useful service. For those "special" jobs, a more personalized letter might be in order.
Another issue might be calling the reference at a bad time. At least a letter is organized and has been given some thought. Not everyone does well with the cold call.
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