One of the basic requirements for media fellowships, jobs, scholarships and other opportunities is recommendations from people who know the applicants.
Applicants are usually requested to get recommendations from people who not only know them but can write about their work, capacity, experience and other indicators to confirm that they are suitable for what they are applying for.
Unfortunately, not everybody applicants would want to write a recommendation for them has the time, patience and interest to write the required letters or fill the sometimes cumbersome online forms.
As Bukola Adebayo, Senior Producer, CNN Africa once advised, it is necessary to find the right and willing person to write the recommendation letter. Someone who really knows the applicants and have enough information about what they have done and are capable of doing.
” It’s crucial to find those who know you professionally and have worked with you before and not be carried away trying to get recommendations from editors who don’t know you well enough to say something significant about your skills,” She stated.
Someone who can use the right words to describe their suitability in line with the purpose of what they are applying for.
This is why having a good relationship and reputation with contemporaries, senior other top persons in your industry matters. More important than the good relationship is the necessary track records which can be verified by the organisation or institutions requesting recommendations.
I have written a number of recommendations for journalists some of which have earned them the opportunities they applied for.
Below extract from some which highlight recommendable qualities. Names and designations that could reveal the identities of the applicants were removed for privacy purpose.
“She has several awards for her outstanding work in ………. reporting and serves as a resource person at workshops and seminars on educational development in the country.
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To enhance her skills, she has acquired relevant training and constantly seeks opportunities for self-development globally.
Her sense of duty and commitment to work is very commendable and she is a role model for particularly female journalists on how to overcome the gender limitations in the media
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“In ….., you can be sure of not just having a student who is ready to learn more to enrich her knowledge, but one who also has a lot of experience to share with her colleagues. She has excellent communication skills along with being a team player.
Her participation in this programme will definitely help her in accomplishing her future dreams which include being a communication expert.
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“She is a very passionate journalist who has brought to bear on her reporting, her high sense of duty and commitment to using journalism to improve the standard of living of all and ensuring good governance.
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“Apart from her active participation during the training session, her execution of the required project has been exemplary with feedbacks of the impact her initiative had on participants.
…. not only has local and international requisite academic and professional qualifications, but she also possesses years of accomplished job experience which eminently recommends her for this fellowship.
Over the years, she has immersed herself in the profession with a high sense of devotion to her various assignments and quest for knowledge to enhance her performance.
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“……….. is passionate about humanity and sustainable development goals which explains why his stories focus on telling human interest stories by giving voice to the voiceless. He travels to remote villages in Nigeria to tell the stories of how the vulnerable are living and why they need help. He is an advocate of good governance and a corrupt-free continent.
As a journalist, ………. loves opportunities to explore and learn new things which have enhanced his skills and enriched the content of his diverse publications.
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“ My assessment of his attributes throughout his work period under my tutelage at The Nation newspaper and Media Career Services is that he is very brilliant, hardworking and outstanding professional journalist and scholar.
Considering his intellectual capability and very positive attitude, I have no hesitation whatsoever vouching for his suitability to contribute to the success of the International office.
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“ She is one of the brightest and very passionate young tech-savvy journalists I have worked within my career as a media manager and career development specialist in Nigeria.
She is indeed an inspiration to many young journalists and even senior colleagues who see her as a role model of the new generation of media professionals in the country who will help shape the future of Nigerian journalism.
Her quest for higher education is to acquire additional skills which will further enable her contributes to media development in Nigeria in general and particularly help train more women to master new media technologies.
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“ ……. commitment to providing training, mentoring and coaching support for journalists in Nigeria is very commendable considering the personal resources she has devoted to the task which has not been given enough attention in the country generally.
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Her support for the young journalists and colleagues have contributed immensely to helping them to achieve their career goals and aspirations.
Like a mother hen, she has consistently paid close attention to training and coaching interns attached to her and others in the newsrooms and ensured they have relevant skills required for their internship.
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Among her peers, exhibited a high sense of diligence, exceptional reportorial and investigative skills which earned her a national award for student journalists in Nigeria.
Based on my assessment of her skills and accomplishments, I have no hesitation in endorsing her Intellectual, Personal and interpersonal capacity which over the years, has helped her become accomplished in her career.
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The quality of her work and commendations they have received testifies to the applicant being a stickler for journalism ethics and best practices.
She is usually concerned about ensuring that her reports are as fair as possible and truthful. The training she has participated in have further strengthened her capacity to produce reports that cannot be easily faulted for either being one-sided or violating basic rules of writing and practice.
Her greatest professional strength is her interest in updating her skills which have earned her opportunities to write great stories for local and international organizations.
She has taken on major and sometimes daring assignments that have held the government accountable to the people at the risk of backlashes which she sees as part of the sacrifices she has to pay for as a thorough professional.
For her passionate pursuit of telling stories that need to be told in an engaging way, I recommend …….. for your prestigious award.
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