What to Say in a Letter of Recommendation
Table of Contents
- Student, higher, and teacher letter of recommendation samples
- Letter of the alphabet of recommendation examples for employment
- What is a letter of recommendation?
- Letter of recommendation format
- Important steps before you begin writing
- How to write a recommendation letter of the alphabet
- How to enquire for a letter of recommendation
Student, college, and teacher letter of recommendation samples
Need to write a letter of recommendation for a educatee or teacher? The following samples evidence you how to write a great letter of recommendation for a educatee applying for a scholarship, or for an undergrad or graduate program. Additionally, we include an instance of a letter of recommendation for a teacher applying to a new job.
Click Here to View All Pupil and Teacher Templates
Letter of recommendation examples for employment
If y'all're looking for a letter of recommendation for an employee, we've got y'all covered with our template below. If you're providing a reference for a colleague, we also have templates for a alphabetic character of recommendation for a coworker or for a friend, equally well equally a LinkedIn alphabetic character of recommendation for your professional acquaintances.
Click Here to View All Employment Related Templates
What is a letter of recommendation?
A letter of recommendation (or reference alphabetic character) is a document in which you attest to the qualifications, experience, and dedication of a colleague, student, or friend to help them get the position they want.
There are various types of recommendation letters, just the iii nigh common ones are written for task applications, university applications, and graphic symbol references.
When do y'all need a letter of recommendation?
Here are the situations in which you might require a letter of recommendation, also equally who to enquire:
1. You lot're applying for academy, graduate schoolhouse, or scholarships
Almost all universities and scholarship programs crave at to the lowest degree two recommendation messages as role of the application process. These reference letters should ideally be written by previous teachers or professors who are familiar with your academic achievements and abilities.
Admissions officers and scholarship organizations desire to get a better understanding of who students are every bit a person earlier making the determination to admit them or award scholarships.
Recommendation letters offering an authoritative outside perspective and assistance to shed light on qualities that are difficult to fully convey in a resume and personal essay.
2. You're applying for jobs that require strong references
For most chore applications, a well-written resume and cover letter or alphabetic character of interest are more than sufficient. However, certain industries or companies may require a letter of recommendation in addition to these bones essentials.
Teachers and physician administration are two such examples of jobs that often need a written reference as role of the awarding.
Generally speaking, the almost convincing reference letters volition exist those written by a supervisor. In cases where this is incommunicable (or undesirable), a recommendation from a coworker who is familiar with your work is also acceptable.
iii. You want to enhance your job awarding
If you experience every bit though your resume and cover letter of the alphabet aren't particularly strong, a letter of the alphabet of recommendation can requite your application the extra heave you lot need to land a job.
Adding a recommendation letter to your awarding can exist particularly helpful if yous have trivial or no work experience. In situations like these, a grapheme reference from a friend or teacher can make a big deviation when it comes to job hunting.
On the other hand, if you lot're applying for a particularly competitive job, a strong reference from a previous employer will be the most advantageous.
However, you should wait until an employer requests a reference from you earlier providing a letter of recommendation. Generally, y'all should never include references on your resume considering employers aren't interested in seeing them until later in the hiring process.
Alphabetic character of recommendation format
Now that nosotros know what a recommendation letter is and who needs one, let'due south become through exactly how to format a letter of recommendation, as well as the all-time page structure and fonts to create a professional await.
Recommendation alphabetic character format guide
No matter who it's for, including these eight bones sections in your letter of the alphabet will ensure it hits every signal needed to make a compelling recommendation.
ane. Contact Information
Your name, address, and contact information should go in a header at the top of the folio. Alternatively, y'all tin identify this information above the date on the top-left side of the page.
Left-aligned nether the header should be the electric current engagement, followed past the leaseholder's proper noun, title, visitor/school name, and address.
2. Salutation
As with whatever letter, the first line should accost the person or torso of people you're writing to by name and title. Avoid vague salutations such as "To Whom It May Concern," unless there are no other options bachelor to you.
Check out the get-go step of our letter of recommendation writing guide for a more detailed explanation of how to craft the perfect salutation.
iii. Opening paragraph
Get-go past expressing your sincere recommendation of the applicant, then explain who you are, your relationship with the person you're recommending, and how long you lot've known them.
4. Applicant'south achievements
The second paragraph should outline the relevant academic or professional strengths of the applicant. Include one to two specific and detailed examples that demonstrate these strengths.
5. Applicant'due south personal traits and characteristics
The third paragraph is all near personality. Include details of the applicant'southward positive personality traits, using examples that conspicuously showcase them.
half dozen. Caption of applicant'southward departure (optional)
This optional section is only used when writing letters of recommendation for employment. It should too just be included in cases when the applicant'southward reason for leaving their previous or current company is either neutral or positive, such as relocating for family reasons or outgrowing opportunities at their previous company.
7. Closing paragraph
Reiterate your wholehearted recommendation of the bidder and encourage the reader to contact you with any questions they may have.
eight. Sign-off
Stop your recommendation letter on a professional note, writing "Sincerely," and then your name underneath. If sending a difficult copy, leave some infinite to sign your signature in ink for an added personal touch.
Letter of recommendation formatting rules
While the nigh important part of your letter of the alphabet is the content, the appearance of the page still requires some consideration. The alignment, margins, font size, and style can all bear upon the reader'south impression.
The following elementary guidelines will ensure your recommendation letter of the alphabet looks professional:
- Don't exceed one folio in length unless the actress paragraphs and details you're including legitimately strengthen your recommendation. That being said, anything over 2 pages is definitely likewise much.
- Utilize a 12-point font to maximize readability and economical use of infinite. Using an 11-betoken font in society to maintain a one-folio length is acceptable only should be avoided when possible. Anything lower than 11 points is too minor.
- Stick to basic font styles such as Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, and Garamond. Avert any overly stylistic fonts that could touch readability.
- 1"–ane½" is the sweet spot for margins. You lot could arguably go slightly over or under these limits to fit everything onto one page, but information technology's best to avoid anything besides excessive.
- Maintain a left alignment throughout the entire page to ensure an organized appearance.
Important steps before you begin writing a letter of the alphabet of recommendation
Before y'all starting time writing your letter, there are a couple things you lot must practice to ensure your reference letter of the alphabet is as compelling as possible.
Ask the applicant for information
Ask the applicant for a copy of their resume, cover letter, personal essay, or any other documents they're submitting every bit office of their awarding. Read through them thoroughly and avert repeating whatever of the data mentioned unless information technology'due south specially of import.
It's a good thought to inquire the applicant to make full you in on the role they're applying for equally well equally if there are any particular points or examples of their piece of work they'd similar you to mention, so you tin brand your letter of the alphabet as relevant and specific as possible.
Acquit your ain enquiry
Do some research on the company, university, or scholarship the bidder is targeting, and customize your letter based on their requirements. If you're writing a recommendation letter for a job awarding, reading through the job clarification is a not bad fashion to go an idea of the specifics you should emphasize.
Think about the type of letter you're writing
Depending on the type of recommendation letter of the alphabet you lot're writing, the tone and contents volition differ. If y'all're a manager writing for an employee, the tone will be much more formal and the letter will comprise a lot of detail regarding an applicant's professional achievements.
On the other terminate of the spectrum, a graphic symbol reference from a friend volition be written in a more than casual tone and focus more on an individual's personal strengths and characteristics.
Before writing your letter, remember virtually the tone you should use and the details yous desire to highlight. This gives your letter of recommendation the best chance of leaving a positive kickoff impression.
How to write a recommendation alphabetic character
At present that we've gotten all the details out of the way, it'southward time to write your letter. Following these steps will help you create a compelling letter that's sure to be an important part of your recommendee's application.
i. Include a heading for a letter of recommendation
The heading that appears at the top of your recommendation alphabetic character should include your proper noun and contact details. Non just does information technology look more than professional person, but it conveniently provides the employer or institution with a way to reach out to you, should they need more information.
A heading for a alphabetic character of recommendation should await something like this:
2. Apply a polite and personable salutation
The way y'all greet someone when meeting them for the start time has a huge affect on their impression of y'all. The way you address someone in a letter is no different. And so, it's of import to use a polite and personable salutation to kickoff your letter off stiff.
A proper salutation should exist structured equally follows:
Honey + Title + Name of Recipient
The title will vary depending on the individual you're writing to. For example, if you're addressing a hiring manager, y'all would use a general title such every bit Mr., Ms., or Mx.
Example 1:
Dearest [Mr./Ms./Mx.] [Hiring Manager'southward Terminal Name],
On the other hand, if yous were writing to a Professor or someone with a PhD, y'all should employ their professional title, such as Dr. or Professor.
Example ii:
Dear Professor [Professor's Concluding Name],
Ideally, the bidder requesting the letter of the alphabet should provide you lot with the proper name of the person the letter should be addressed to. If not, a bit of quick enquiry on LinkedIn, or the company/academy website should yield some results.
What should I do if I don't know the proper name of the recipient?
Even if you don't know the proper name of the recipient, you should nonetheless make your salutation as personable as possible. This means avoiding weak openings that make no try to directly address the reader.
For example, y'all should avoid using "To Whom it May Concern" when addressing the recipient.
Here's what yous should do instead:
Honey [Title of Recipient],
For case, if yous're addressing a university'due south dean of admissions whose name yous don't know, write "Dear Dean of Admissions". Whereas if you're writing to the hiring managing director of a company, write "Dear Hiring Managing director".
How should I address a letter to a body of people or an organization?
When addressing a trunk of people such as an admissions committee or board of directors you should follow the aforementioned principles as those outlined above. The only difference is that the championship of the recipient should be replaced by the proper name of the group or organization.
Here is the exact formula:
Beloved [Proper name of Group or System],
Here are some specific examples to give you a better idea of how to address your letter:
- Dear Admissions Committee
- Beloved Board of Directors
- Dear Rhodes Trust
iii. Start your introduction with a dial
The showtime sentence of your recommendation is arguably the most of import because it sets the tone for the unabridged letter. The best openers are those that immediately express the heartfelt and enthusiastic recommendation of the applicant.
Here are some useful phrases you lot tin can utilize to write a strong showtime judgement:
- It'southward my pleasure to recommend…
- It's my pleasure and honor to…
- I couldn't be more pleased to…
- I take absolutely no reservations about recommending…
- I wholeheartedly recommend…
In comparison, a generic sentence that lacks enthusiasm such as "I am writing with regards to the recommendation for…" is both flat and unconvincing.
four. Plant your relationship
The remainder of your introductory opening paragraph should exist devoted to describing who you lot are and your human relationship to the bidder. This is an essential footstep because information technology establishes the relevance of your letter.
If you lot've known the bidder for a proficient length of fourth dimension, and are in a good position to evaluate their strengths, so your letter volition take a stronger impact. When establishing your human relationship, you should include the following information:
- Your position and company/school
- The capacity in which you lot know the bidder
- How long you've known the applicant
By including these details in the very beginning of your letter, the reader understands the context and strength of your recommendation.
5. Give words of praise
Finish your introduction with a judgement or 2 highlighting some of the bidder'due south primal strengths or personality traits.
The following examples will give you an idea of how you can write yours:
- During that fourth dimension, I watched Amelia abound into an infrequent private who excels in both her academic and personal pursuits.
- Gregory was always an outstanding member of our team, and I accept always been impressed by his professionalism and beauteous personal qualities.
Don't worry about going into also much detail. The purpose of these sentences is to round out the opening paragraph, while simultaneously serving every bit a sneak peek of what's to come in the body of your letter.
six. Showcase the applicant's professional/academic strengths
Your outset body paragraph should showtime past mentioning 2–3 of the applicant'southward specific skills, talents, or experiences that are relevant to their target chore position or college program.
It's essential that these points are and so followed upwardly with detailed and descriptive examples of the bidder'due south accomplishments that testify these abilities.
Accept a await at the difference between the following two examples from a reference letter written for a project director:
No details:
- Andrea is corking at managing projects.
Specific and detailed:
- Andrea'due south in-depth cognition of Scrum Methodologies helped increment the number of projects completed on time and within budget by 23%
Not only is the 2nd example far more compelling, just it too showcases a professional accomplishment that demonstrates the skills the candidate can bring to a new part.
Whenever possible, include interesting anecdotes about the bidder that demonstrate the strengths and abilities you described. This will create a more personable tone that makes the reader experience as though they're getting to know the applicant — one of the key aspects of a strong recommendation letter.
7. Highlight the applicant's personal qualities
The side by side body paragraph should focus on 2 or 3 of the bidder's positive personality traits and characteristics — specifically those that are beneficial or desirable for the position they want.
One of the primary reasons universities and certain companies request letters of recommendation is because they want to become a more holistic understanding of the applicant. Mentioning just the applicant'due south academic or professional achievements isn't enough to create a persuasive letter of the alphabet.
Instead, include relevant and specific examples or anecdotes about the person that highlight their all-time qualities. Permit'due south take a await at some examples:
Hither's an example without supporting information:
- Joyce is a selfless and compassionate person.
Now, hither's an case with specific and detailed supporting examples:
- Every bit a member of Habitat for Humanity, Joyce demonstrated her pity and selfless nature by providing invaluable mentorship to 20+ underprivileged children.
In case you're having problem thinking of compelling means to depict an applicant's personality, here's a table containing some of the best personal qualities to include in a letter of recommendation:
| Adaptability | Energy | Honesty | Resourceful |
| Pity | Enthusiasm | Integrity | Responsible |
| Charisma | Friendliness | Intelligence | Trustworthy |
| Decision | Generosity | Leadership | Vibrant |
Just be sure that you testify that the applicant possesses the personal qualities you mention with specific and detailed examples.
8. Encourage the reader to take the bidder
Brainstorm the last paragraph by reiterating your enthusiastic recommendation of the bidder.
Utilize potent, authoritative, and confident language when writing this sentence. Take a look at the following examples:
- I am confident that Jon volition make an outstanding member of your academy's community.
- In that location is no dubiety in my mind that Allison will chop-chop become an invaluable nugget for your squad.
- It'southward my stiff opinion that Matthew will be a tremendous addition to the Academy of Virginia's graduate programme in Theoretical Physics.
Finally, conclude by encouraging the reader to contact you if they have any questions about the applicant.
9. Politely sign-off
Your letter closing should be formal and polite. Apply any of the following sign-offs when ending your alphabetic character of recommendation:
- Sincerely,
- Regards,
- Best regards,
Sincerely is widely considered to exist the best sign-off because not merely is it undeniably polite, it also carries a warm, friendly tone. In cases where the endmost is more than one word, just the offset letter of the first word should be capitalized.
How to ask for a letter of recommendation
Asking for a recommendation letter tin can seem similar a daunting job, especially when you're non sure whether the person will accept. This guide will testify you lot how to properly ask for a reference letter, too as who and when to ask.
When should I ask for one?
You should only ask for letters of recommendation when an application specifically calls for one, or when y'all believe your awarding would be lacking without ane.
The post-obit are examples of when reference letters are required or useful:
- Applying for University
- Applying for Graduate School
- Applying for a Scholarship
- Applying for a job that requests one
- Applying for an entry-level task with little or no work experience
- Applying for a chore as a teacher
- Applying to work at a volunteer arrangement
Who should I ask?
Generally speaking, you lot should ask someone you take a skilful relationship with who can also accurately speak to your strengths from a position of authority.
That beingness said, the all-time person to ask for a recommendation will depend on what you're applying for.
six tips for how to ask for a recommendation letter
How you ask for a letter of recommendation can be the difference between a person saying aye or no. These six tips volition assistance you ask for a recommendation alphabetic character in a way that makes it hard to decline.
ane. Ask in person
Whenever possible, always ask for a recommendation in person. The person you ask will appreciate that you took the fourth dimension to brand a personal, face-to-face entreatment.
2. Explicate your situation
Don't leap direct into asking for a reference. Get-go by explaining exactly what y'all're applying for then they understand why you're asking in the first place.
three. Use polite language
Use indirect language to ensure your tone is as polite equally possible when asking someone for a recommendation, even if you lot know the person very well.
For example, don't say: "Hey, can you write me a recommendation letter of the alphabet?"
Instead, say: "I was wondering if information technology might be possible for you to write me a letter of recommendation."
This is past far the nigh of import tip, and so pay actress attention to information technology. In almost all cases, politeness is the most important factor in convincing someone to accept your asking.
iv. Requite them an excuse to say no
In case the person you're asking is unwilling or unable to write you a alphabetic character, always follow upward your request with a statement that allows them to easily decline. Don't put them in an bad-mannered position where they have to directly refuse.
Example: "If you're too decorated with other tasks to write it, I perfectly understand."
five. Emphasize why you lot're asking them
Explicate why y'all chose to enquire for a recommendation from them specifically. Many times this will help convince them to accept your asking even if they're busy.
Instance: "I understand that you might not have time, simply since you've taught me for 2 years and are familiar with my work, I believe that no one is more than qualified to write my recommendation letter than you."
6. Express your gratitude:
Tell them how appreciative y'all would be if they would take the fourth dimension to write your letter. All the same, don't give them the impression that you lot expect them to accept.
Instance: "I'd be so beholden if y'all could write a letter of recommendation for me, if you are unable to do so, withal, I completely understand."
How to inquire via email (with template)
If yous're in a situation where y'all can't ask for a recommendation in person, write a request via email. Simply follow the same guidelines outlined in the section above.
If you're however unsure, we've created a professional person template for writing a letter of recommendation email request below. Only copy and paste the template and so fill in your ain details.
What data should I provide to the person writing my letter of the alphabet?
Once your author has accepted your request, y'all need to provide them with as much useful data as possible. This volition not merely brand things more than convenient for your author, just also ensure that they write yous the best recommendation letter of the alphabet possible.
Here's some data you should provide:
- Your resume & cover letter
- Your personal statement (if you're a educatee applying for university)
- The proper name of your target university or company
- A link to the clarification of your target job or program
- Personal strengths or characteristics y'all'd like them to focus on
- Specific achievements you'd like them to mention
Source: https://resumegenius.com/letter-of-recommendation
0 Response to "What to Say in a Letter of Recommendation"
Post a Comment