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How To Write A Letter Of Recommendation
By Alan Leach
There are perhaps two reasons why you would want to know how to write a letter of recommendation. Either you have been asked by an employee or colleague to write a one for them, or you need someone to write one for you and they are unsure of the necessary steps to take. With all letters, writing a letter of recommendation follows certain standard steps. For whatever reason, knowing how to write a letter of recommendation is something that most people will need to be aware of.
The first paragraph of the letter of the recommendation should specify the relationship between you and the person being recommended. Also mention how long you have known them, and in which capacities. If for example the person you are writing a letter of recommendation about is one of your employees, you should state the basic role and responsibilities the employee has. You could mention briefly about the nature of the organization itself, though being brief is best. It’s also a good idea to give a short overview of the person in question, which the following paragraphs then attempt to build on.
The second paragraph of the letter of recommendation is basically the ‘meat’ of the letter. Here you should specific the accomplishments and achievements of the person. Be specific about his or role on several recent projects and relate this to important criteria needed in the new job. For example, the new job may require a high level of technical ability or good team work skills. If so, mention how the person performed at related activities in his or her present employment. Sticking to the facts is important when learning how to write a letter of recommendation. Though opinion is acceptable, especially when giving information on such issue on how you felt working with this person, base all opinion on factual information. The letter will be more believable.
While it is sometimes tempting to oversell the person, remember an overly positive tone may not carry much weight with the new employers unless based in fact. Consider your professional reputation. You have a responsibility to both the person you are writing the letter of recommendation for and the potential new employers to give a well-rounded opinion. Make sure to mention any real or potential weaknesses, as the new employers will not thank you for failing to mention a potentially hazardous fault that the person often displays but which, out of a faulty sense of kindness, you decided not to refer to.
The nest step in learning how to write a letter of recommendation is the third paragraph. Here you can give a more general view of the person you are writing about. Mention such things as his or her overall personality. Did he or she come across as friendly, determined, laid-back or something else? How well did they interact with a broad cross-section of people? Just because they may have had a good relationship with you doesn’t mean this was true of others.
Finally, to what extent do you recommend the person you are writing the letter of recommendation about? Naturally, your answer here should follow logically from the information you have already provided and could range from recommending without reservation to not at all. However, in such cases it may be fairer to tell the person first, to allow them to find someone with a more favourable opinion!
While learning how to write a letter of recommendation is not as complicated as other letters, keep in mind the responsibility that goes with it. It could have the potential to make or break a job application so it pays to do it right!
See Also:
More on Letters of Recommendation
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