A reference letter is used to advocate for someone and provides a general overview of the individual’s skills, abilities, character, and knowledge. From a broad perspective, reference letters are endorsement letters which are usually required during academic or job applications.
Requesting a reference letter or writing one can be a daunting task. When and if you need a reference letter, you need to know whom you can ask and how to request a reference letter. On the other hand, if you are writing a reference letter, you must know the format and the information that you need to include.
Unlike the cover letter or resume, a reference letter provides relevant information about the candidate’s achievements and abilities from someone else’s point of view, similar to a recommendation letter. Therefore, a well-written reference letter should endorse an individual’s qualifications and competencies for a job, internship opportunity, college or graduate school, among other educational or employment experiences. Also, the fact that this letter is not directly provided by the applicant, it may carry a lot of weight. Read the reference letter templates below to familiarize yourself with the format and information to provide in a standard reference letter.
1. The format and components of a reference letter
2. Reference letter templates
3. General tips for writing a reference letter
The structure chosen should conform to a format that allows the writer to provide information about their connection with the candidate, the person they are recommending, and why they feel this candidate is qualified.
1. Contact information
Depending on whether the letter is a hard copy or soft copy ensure that you include your contact information correctly. For hard copy letters to be sent as an attachment or mailed, add the recipient’s contact information together with yours at the top of the letter. If the letter is a soft copy-sending an email reference letter, include your contact information in your signature section.
Email contact information in the signature
Your name,
Occupation,
Street,
City, State Zipcode,
Email address,
Phone number.
2. Subject
When sending an email reference letter, ensure you state the name of the person you are writing the reference letter for in the subject line. For instance:
Subject: Reference for Samantha Jones.
3. Salutation
When writing a personal letter of reference ensure that you include a salutation such as Dear Mr. Last Name or Dear Dr. Last Name. When writing a general reference letter, write “To whom it may concern” or skip the salutation altogether.
4. Paragraph 1
On the first paragraph of the letter illustrate your connection to the candidate, how you know the candidate, the duration of time you’ve known the candidate, and why you are qualified to write a reference letter to recommend them for employment or academics.
5. Paragraph 2, 3, 4
These paragraphs of the letter should contain specific details about the person you are endorsing or recommending, including why they are qualified, the contribution they will bring and why you are writing a reference letter. Use specific examples to highlight the candidate’s qualifications, skills, and abilities, where necessary use more than one paragraph to expound on the candidate’s competencies.
6. Summary
This part of the reference letter briefly highlights the reasons why you are recommending the candidate. Also, state that you highly recommend the candidate without any reservations or something of the sort.
7. Conclusion
The conclusion section of the letter should contain an offer to collaborate by providing more information about the candidate if need be. Include your contact information-phone number and email address in the address section of a letter or the signature section for email reference letters.
You can use these reference letter templates as a guideline to help you structure and include the relevant information of a personal or general reference or recommendation letter. However, ensure that you edit the contents to fit your desired needs. Modify the sample letters to include the individual’s personal experiences, skills, and abilities that you’ve seen the candidate demonstrate, as well as other accomplishments.
Sample 1
Samantha Jones
200 Madison Park
Zero street, CA, 30210
555-555-5555
Samantha.jones@email.com
January 2, 20xx
Carla Jacobs
Recruiting manager,
ABC company,
10 north road,
Staten, VA 11301
Dear Ms. Jacobs,
It’s my pleasure to recommend [name of individual being recommended] for the position of social media marketing intern position at ABC company. Ms./Mr. [surname of individual being recommended] have been in contact for the past four years, since s/he joined the college mentorship program as my mentee.
During the four years, Ms./Mr. [surname of the person being recommended] was a diligent, creative and innovative thinker with impeccable writing and strategic planning skills. S/he was eager to learn and implement new useful ideas whenever possible. The candidate mentioned that this position at your company would lead to networking opportunities as well as establishing market dominance for your company. S/he’s remarkably suited for the role. [Candidate’s name] was able to create and implement remarkable e-learning marketing campaigns for the school’s charitable organization which was a tremendous success.
I highly recommend Ms./Mr. [candidate’s name] without any reservations whatsoever. S/he would be a stellar asset to your organization. Feel free to reach out in case of any question or further information. You can reach me at this email or at (555) 555-555.
Sincerely,
Signature (hard copy letter)
Samantha Jones.
Sample 2
Subject: Reference for Karen Hobbs
January 2, 20xx
Recruiting manager,
ABC company,
10 north road,
Staten, VA 11301
It’s an absolute pleasure to recommend [Name of candidate] for the [mention position] with [mention company]. [Name of candidate] worked with us at [name of company] in the [insert role] and reported directly to me as the [insert your role].
[insert candidate’s name] was a highly valued team member, who made a substantial contribution towards achieving the company’s goals while with us.
S/he was eager to learn and help colleagues achieve their goals. The candidate is absolutely a great asset to any team that s/he joins. S/he is trustworthy, dependable and incredibly ambitious. Beyond that s/he is an excellent [mention soft skill-problem-solver, verbal and written communicator, etc] who always manages to [results, e.g. amicably resolve conflicts to ensure maximum productivity among colleagues].
His/ her Knowledge of [mention specific discipline] and expertise in [mention field] was a significant advantage to the entire organization. S/he effectively utilized these skill-set to ensure the company attained [mention particular accomplishments such as an increase in revenue, market dominance etc.]
Together with his/her undeniably excellent skill set, [insert name of candidate] has always been a delight to work with, s/he is a real team player and always manages to inspire other colleagues to do their best.
Without a doubt, I highly recommend [name of candidate] to join your team as [mention the company name]. As a dedicated, ambitious and all-around individual, I am confident that s/he would be an excellent addition to your company.
Please feel free to contact me, should you feel the need to discuss [candidate’s name] qualifications, experiences, and skill set further. I would be happy to expand on my recommendation of the candidate.
Best wishes,
Your name,
Occupation,
Street,
City, State Zipcode,
Email address,
Phone number.
The reference letter templates above can as a general guideline to get you started with writing these kind of letters. Tweak it to match the job description or school program that is being applied for. Kindly refrain from writing a negative reference letter, decline the request to write a reference letter if you have nothing positive to say. Also, make sure that the letter is personalized and customized as much as possible to fit the specific candidate’s need.
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This is really very useful article. Thanks for kind sharing!
By Shobi Imran (Jun, 2019) |