Cole Lawson was a student in Dr. Jan Koal's Finance 345 class in fall 2015. Dr. Koal evaluated Cole as having both hard skills from his studies as well as strong soft skills needed for career success. Cole consistently performed at a high level on weekly quizzes, demonstrating motivation and discipline. He also received high ratings from peers on team assignments evaluating his professionalism, initiative, interpersonal skills, and problem solving abilities. Dr. Koal is confident Cole will be a successful employee and is pleased to provide a letter of recommendation on his behalf.

1. June 2, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
Cole Lawson requested that I provide him with an open letter of recommendation to be given to potential
employers. Cole was a student in my Finance 345 class during the fall semester of 2015 and I am pleased
to recommend him as a person who possesses both hard skills acquired through study as well as the soft
skills necessary for success in his future employment.
In every class, I am able to evaluate each student’s work ethic and ability to consistently produce high
quality results because I award a majority of the class credit based upon weekly quizzes. Therefore, to
excel in this class, students must perform at a consistently high level every week of the semester. Cole was
always well prepared for every class and every weekly quiz. The motivation and discipline he demonstrated
in my class will contribute to his success in any career path that he may choose
My class also includes 10 team assignments that are designed to challenge the students to solve ‘real world’
problems related to real estate. The team assignments are also designed to provide an opportunity for
students to develop their ‘soft skills’. Every week each student’s soft skills are evaluated by their fellow
team members. Cole’s professionalism, initiative, interpersonal relations, and problem solving skills were
all consistently highly rated by the other members of his team. These evaluations by his peers indicate that
Cole possesses the soft skills that are highly valued by employers.
I am confident that Cole has a bright future ahead of him and will be an employee that will contribute to the
success of any firm with which he is associated. Therefore, I am pleased to write this recommendation on
his behalf.
Sincerely,
Jan Koal, MBA, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty
Dept. of Finance & Management Science
Washington State University
P.O. Box 644746
Pullman, WA. 99164-4746