Letter of Recommendation

 

Letter of recommendation is a formal document that validates someone’s work, skills or academic performance. You may be asked to prepare a recommendation letter for someone who is applying for a job, internship, college or university, leadership position or volunteer opportunity. The purpose of a recommendation letter is to corroborate what you have learned about the applicant and provide additional positive details about their performance or habits.

What to Include in the Letter

An honest recommendation provides the recipient with a personalized account of your experiences with the applicant. You should have at least some knowledge of how the candidate acts and performs in a work environment. Consider the following before you accept a request for a recommendation:

• Have you worked with or directly observed the applicant?
• Do you know relevant strengths and skills you can personally elaborate on?
• Do you have specific examples of the individual’s work?
• Can you provide positive feedback about this individual?

It’s important to consider whether or not you can provide a quality recommendation letter before accepting a request. If you do not have enough experience with or positive stories to tell about the applicant, let them know quickly and respectfully that you are unable to meet the request. This way they have plenty of time to find an alternative solution.

How to ask for a recommendation letter

At some point, you may need to ask someone to write a recommendation letter for you. Consider asking former managers, colleagues, teachers, mentors, clients or vendors for a letter of recommendation. They should also be someone you’ve had a positive working relationship with who can thoughtfully discuss your skills and abilities.

Whoever you decide to ask, speak with them first about your request, then send a formal email with more details. Include your resume, the job description, submission details and a requested deadline. You might also send them the template that’s included below. This can help lessen their workload and could even make them more likely to agree to your request. Try to ask at least two weeks before the letter is due to give ample time to complete your recommendation letter, as they may be working on multiple letters concurrently. This is especially the case for professors.

Recommendation letter format

Your letter of recommendation should include five items:

• A brief introduction that states who you are, your relationship to the applicant and your personal experience or expertise.
• An overview of the applicant’s strengths as you’ve experienced them and as they relate to the recipient.
• A personal story that elaborates on one to two traits the applicant possesses.
• A closing statement that summarizes why the individual you are recommending would be a good fit for the opportunity.
• A signature that includes your name and contact information.

If the candidate hasn’t provided you with an up-to-date resume and the job description, ask them to send those so that you are fully prepared to write the recommendation. You can use their resume to get a full understanding of their experiences and achievements.

You should review the job description to understand what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Use the description to decide what you should include from their resume and your personal experiences working with them.

Tips for writing a recommendation letter

• Keep it positive. Your letter should confirm that you believe the person is a strong candidate for the job with no reservations. Avoid any comments that might suggest otherwise.
• Use a standard business letter format and tone. You can use the template below or a standard business letter format to write your letter. Your tone should also remain formal and polite.
• Focus on the most important qualifications. For the highest impact, discuss two or three of the candidate’s achievements that are most relevant to the job description and provide specific examples to illustrate their fitness for the role.
• Follow the request instructions. Ask the candidate how you should submit your letter. Strictly follow the instructions and deadline request to avoid negatively affecting their application status.