In Germany, if you ask your employer for a job reference, he has to write it in the most positive words... The US, in my experience, is no different, whether i

In Germany, if you ask your employer for a job reference, he has to write it in the most positive words... The US, in my experience, is no different, whether it be job references or letters of rec. Good writers will be able to use nuance to make their meaning clear, and good readers must be able to interpret the nuances appropriately.