Not the last thing is his calmness.

[vectra]

Hello,

I am not sure about two points in the memo turned in by one of my students:

'I will briefly describe the candidate's strengths and explain the reasons for our
decision. First of all, he is very practical and reliable, as we know from the current
staff's references. Not the last thing is his calmness, because in our business it is
crucial to be not impulsive or agressive, but keep calm [STRIKE]and be relaxed[/STRIKE].'

The first one is 'as we know from the current staff's references.' I would say 'as we know from his track record'.
The second point 'Not the last thing' is just a word-for-word translation from Russian. I wonder if this phrase can be used in English too.

Thank you for the time and help.

 

[White Hat]

not the least important is...

 

[SlickVic9000]

(Not a Teacher)

I wouldn't use that phrase there. It simply doesn't flow from the previous sentence. If I were to use that phrase, it would be in this manner:

"First of all, he has many qualities, not the least of which being his calmness. In our business, it is crucial not to be impulsive or aggressive, but to stay calm and focused."

As for "current staff's references", it's understandable but much too vague. The sentence would sound much better if something specific was cited. For instance:

"First of all, he is very practical and reliable, as we know from his time as the mayor of Omsk."