If you’re active in the workforce then you don’t operate in isolation: you’ll have undoubtedly gained advantages from colleagues, bosses and mentors in the past, and you can pay that forward for ...

Confirm you’re comfortable writing it. Politely declining is perfectly OK if you don’t feel you can write a strong or meaningful recommendation. It’s better to be honest than to provide a lukewarm ...

You never know when you might get a request to write a reference letter. In many instances, you will need a letter of reference when applying for a job. Either way, it’s vital to understand the ins ...

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all,” Thumper advises Bambi in the animated Disney film. Many people today seem oblivious to this advice.

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR ...