A letter of recommendation vouches for the skills, achievements, and ability of the person being recommended. They are written by a previous colleague, employer, teacher, client, or someone with knowledge of an individual’s academic or work performance. The recommendation letter is sent to hiring managers or school admission officers to introduce an applicant or facilitate an interview. You may have requested several recommendation letters, but have you ever written one? If a friend, former colleague, or employee sends you a request to write them a letter of recommendation, how will you go about it?

It’s an honor to have someone ask you for a recommendation letter, but the task can be daunting. However, you don’t need to panic anymore when someone requests for one. We will provide you with guidelines and a sample template to help you through the writing process.

Table of content

1. Why is a letter of recommendation important
2. How to write a recommendation letter
3. Letter of recommendation format
4. Sample letter of recommendation
5. Tips to use when writing a recommendation letter

Why is a letter of recommendation important?

Recommendation letters guide employers in determining the ideal candidate for a position or promotion. The applicant will present themselves as the best candidate for the role in their resume and cover letter, but can anyone quantify their qualifications? The letter of recommendation complements the applicant’s story and shows the hiring manager what the applicant will bring to the table. Generally, recruiters seek to find out:

• The experience the applicant has.
• How their skills will contribute to the organization’s goal.
• The strengths and capabilities of the applicant.
• Their characteristics
• How they will behave or conduct themselves in different situations
• How their past achievements will influence their results in the future
• What it’s like to work with the applicant? How do they manage their work and deal with others in a work setting?

How to write a recommendation letter

The fact that you are reading this means you want to do an excellent job in writing your letter of recommendation. When writing a recommendation there are some vital elements which need to be considered, which include:

1. A reputable source
The person writing the recommendation letter should be professional. Someone who worked with the applicant or supervised them. They should be able to speak about the skills of the applicant, their accomplishments, and give notable examples that illustrate these skills and experiences.

2. Illustrates how the applicant is the ideal fit for the role
The letter should be relevant to the requirements of the role. Make sure you know what position the candidate is applying to so that you include skills, qualities, and accomplishments that highlight the relevant information with regards to skills, qualifications, and the requirements indicated in the job description. Do not copy content from a previous recommendation letter since this can disqualify the candidate. Hiring managers can tell when a letter is generic.

This is why it’s crucial to have previously worked with the applicant or to know them well. You should also know whom the letter is being addressed to so that you can target your audience in the letter.

Also, make sure you use wording and commanding language to illustrate your confidence in the candidate and the information you’re relaying. If you don’t know anything about a particular skill or experience you need to vouch for, then it may be difficult to come up with convincing content. If you are not correctly positioned to demonstrate a specific skill, request the candidate to write the letter to capture those particular skills effectively, and then you can sign it. However, before you sign anything, read through the letter and make sure it depicts your opinion honestly.

3. Provide examples to support your recommendation
Show the employer why you think the applicant is the right fit for the position using examples. Go through the job description to get specific traits and experiences to emphasize on. Do this by using the candidate’s performance in roles if you’ve worked with them or other areas you’ve interacted with them.

4. Uses positive and supportive language.
Make the recommendation sincere, enthusiastic, and positive. Make it as convincing as you can. Use adjectives like ‘outstanding,’ ‘superb’ and so forth, when describing the applicant’s skills or strength.

Letter of recommendation format

Similar to other letters, a recommendation must follow a specific format to highlight all the relevant sections. Read on to find out what each part entails and how to capture the information in these sections.

1. Contact information
Have a letterhead with your name, contact information, and address at the top of the page. On the top-right side of the page, including the addressee’s name, their company, their title, address and the date.

In case you don’t have a letterhead, put the information on the top-left side, just above the date on the page.

2. Salutations
The first line of your letter should salute the person you are addressing the letter to by name and title. Do not use “to whom it may concern.” Be specific, polite, and personable. For example:
Dear + [Dr./Mr. Mrs./Professor/] + [Name of recipient].

Make sure you get the title and spelling right. Ask the applicant for the name or get them from their LinkedIn profile or website. This ensures a strong opening that is personable and directly addresses the recipient.

If addressing an organization or a professional body, replace the name of the recipient with the group or organization’s name. For example:

• Dear [name of organization]
• Dear Board of Directors

3. Introduction
The introduction should include a summary about you, the writer of the recommendation letter, and the person you are recommending. Additionally, information about your relationship to the person you are advocating for and the period you’ve known them.

4. The body
This is where you specify what impressed you about the candidate. Come up with three or four unique strengths and specific examples to demonstrate them. This can contain several paragraphs. In this section focus on highlighting the following:

• The applicant’s relevant academic qualifications
• Their strength and use examples to demonstrate their abilities and strong areas.
• Their personality and traits that showcase qualities that impressed you as a candidate.
• Why the applicant left the previous job (if the reason is definite).

5. Conclusion
Restate why the applicant is best suited for the position and encourage the employer to contact you in case they need more feedback. This tells the reader that you are approachable and that you are willing to provide additional or helpful information if required.

Sample letter of recommendation

[Your name]
[Address]
[City, State, Zip]
[Email Address]

[Date you are writing the letter]

[Name of the Addressee]
[Their title]
[Their company/ organization/ school name]
[Their Address]
[City, State, Zip]

Dear Mr./ Mrs. /Ms.,

It’s my pleasure to recommend [Full name of the person you are recommending] for [the position or part you are recommending them for]. I have worked with [name of the person you are recommending] for [number of years] at [name the company you worked together].

I was [his/her] [how you know the applicant. Were you their coach, employer or colleague?]. I am confident that [name of applicant] professional experience, skills, and qualities make them a perfect applicant for the [position advertised] at [company name].

As a [role you are vouching for the applicant. E.g., procurement officer, customer care executive,], [name of applicant] demonstrated extensive knowledge of [name some software, equipment, tools or techniques the applicant used]. What’s more [name of applicant] possesses extraordinary skills [name several skills like communication, organization, adaptability, and so forth.] that made them stand out from the team.

One example of this is when [give a case when the applicant used a particular skill or experience to achieve a specific result. Be specific and make it relate to the position advertised]. Using [His/her] superb [show how a particular skill helped them solve the problem mentioned above and how they fixed the problem].

(This section is optional and should only be included if it doesn’t negatively portray applicant) unfortunately, [name of applicant] left our company to [look after an ailing relative, for a better opportunity or to start their own company].

I highly recommend [name of applicant] for this position. [she/he] is dependable, motivated, dedicated and an all-around employee. [she/he] will be a reliable addition to your team.
Feel free to contact me [your contact information] in case you want to discuss [name of applicant] qualifications and experience further.

Sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]

Tips to use when writing a recommendation letter

Besides ensuring that the content is relevant to the position advertised and that it demonstrates the applicant as the best for the job, make sure the letter is professional and official.

• Align the text left
• Do not write more than one page
• 12 is the ideal font size. You can use 11 if you need the content to fit on one page, but this is not recommended. Size 12 maximizes readability.
• Use basic font styles like Times New Roman. Look for a manner that maximizes readability
• Make your introduction punchy. They should draw the recipient in by getting to the point and being enthusiastic about the applicant.

Ensure your recommendation letter has no spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes. Make it look professional by editing and proofreading it more than once. Get rid of any errors and ensure your letter pays attention to detail. The tone should also be right, with content that is clear and concise.

Depending on how well you know the applicant, you can choose to focus your letter of recommendation on their character or professional skills. A friend will give a character reference, a coworker will provide personal qualities, while a former employer will provide professional skills.

This guideline will help you write a positive, specific, and professional recommendation letter, that allows the applicant to get a job or get into a particular school.