Writing Experience?

I just finished an "exercise" that was quite new for me. I need a letter of recommendation for a new group I may be leading on a tour next spring and my supervisor at one of the companies I work with offered to provide one. She asked me to write something up and send it to her, which she would then sign and send to the requester.

I've never had to write a letter of recommendation about myself and wasn't quite sure how to approach it. How do you make yourself sound good without going overboard in the other direction and coming off as egotistical and vain? How do you point out your qualities without sounding like you're perfect and god-like? Do you mention your faults or do you just avoid them?

It took me a good part of the day to come up with something, even though it ended up being just three short paragraphs. I sent it to my supervisor and she said it was great. Hmmm...is that because she wants me to get the job with the other group or because she's hoping I won't, so I'll be available to work for her instead. LOL!

I've always been a good writer...or so I've been told by friends, family, coworkers and supervisors over the years. Once I get going on writing something, it just seems to come flowing out. It's the getting started that's difficult! I asked my friend, AirmanMom how she manages to write so much in her blog and still keep it so interesting. I just can't seem to come up with things to write about. That's why my blog has big chunks of time when nothing has been posted. AM said she collects things to post as she sees them, gets them ready and saves them as a draft, then goes back to them when she needs something to fill in a day. I think I'm going to try that. I do get lots of interesting tidbits of information from fellow guides. Perhaps my followers would like to read them, too.

I'm not giving up...but I'm also not going to bore the world with this blog. At least, I hope not!! Stay tuned. This is definitely a work in progress!

PS -- I just heard back from my supervisor who said she'd send the reference. It turns out that she thought I was being considered for a job in the Fall, not one in the Spring, the busiest time of the tour season. She wrote back immediately and said that her company (my favorite to work for) would schedule me for those dates right now if I would give up the other request. No problem! I guess I wasn't too far off the mark with my comments a couple of paragraphs above! Gee, it feels good to have people fighting over you. :-)