Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Mark C. Perna is a generational expert who covers education & careers.

Even if you’ve led a law-abiding life, you might have a friend or family member who gets into serious trouble and faces time in prison. That’s when you could be asked to write a letter on this loved ...

Here is a common scene: A supervisor agrees to write your letter of recommendation with one condition—you draft it. Shocker. We, too, were surprised the first time this happened to us. We assumed ...