Error in a reference letter? Feedback please!?

Question

If someone had made an error on an reference letter and you could not contact them what would you do? Would you try and correct it or leave it and write a note to the receiving end?

The letter was written for me. The error was that my refernece put the wrong name for the award inside the letter.

Answer 1

[You don't specify what the reference letter is for or whether you were the sender or recipient -- so I hope this response still applies to you.r situation]

When someone is applying for something (a job, college, an award), I believe that it is up to them to check all their application information before submitting it and to coordinate with anyone from whom they're getting references (gathering good references is still the applicant's responsibility). Particularly in a competitive market or at a competitive school, applicants need to give themselves an edge -- which means putting your best foot forward. If someone makes an error on an *application* (before s/he even has a foot in the door), what reason do I have to believe that this sloppiness or forgetfulness wouldn't continue?

So, if I am faced with an applicant/reference who does not provide sufficient contact information, I would probably not chase down the information and would ultimately stop considering that applicant. In order for the applicant to have any hope of being considered, s/he needs to correct the erroneous information or have the reference him/herself make the corrections (but the applicant should follow up with the reference to make sure that the corrections were made).

Answer 2

*Error in a reference letter? Feedback please!? *

Errors in reference letters for employment ,where the contact
is not reachable or false are usually discarded.
If possible correct it, if not forget it and move on.

Have a pleasant day.