[mioelnir]

If you look beyond the grading via weird reference letter language, these letters contain usually one important thing: what you actually did. Not what your job description said, but your actual daily doings and responsibilities.

That is the part I like about them, especially if you answer a job ad that requests prior experience with FOO.

And while it is true that you can sometimes get your grade bumped up as part of some deal (and everybody knows it); I have never heard of a company that signs off on this list containing stuff you did in fact not do.