How to write a Recommendation Letter

How to Write a Recommendation Letter

Writing a recommendation letter may or may not be your forte but you can know the essential elements. Who knows by knowing them you may become a proficient writer of recommendations. Considering the usage of these letters, the content, the issuer and the recipient are the most subject to change. Other incumbents have a basic formula applicable to all types. Towards this effect format, template, tips and examples will help you in writing a recommendation letter.

Recommendation Letter Writing Tips

• Know the Recommendation Type – Considering your designation you may have to write a recommendation letter for varying individuals. A professional recommendation letter will be written by a head or a supervisor for an employee. An academic recommendation will be written by a professor, trainer or teacher.
  
  In this way an employment recommendation will contain the requester’s:

1. Work experience
2. Job responsibilities
3. Qualities
4. Suitability

An academic recommendation will contain the requester’s:

1. Academic performance
2. Awards and honours
3. extracurricular achievements
4. Discipline

To this effect a writer and the requester should meet and discuss everything related to the recommendation.

• Ensure your Authorization – It is obvious that a recommendation letter will be written by a person of authority but is it obvious that the authorization is valid. Find out if you are indeed authorised to write a letter of recommendation. Certain organisations have policies regarding this matter mostly because of liability reasons a subsequent employer could sue an earlier one for failing to disclose something about a candidate, or for misrepresenting him or her in some way.

• Analyse the Requester – It is crucial that you know the requester well enough to give/deny recommendation to the applicant. If you do not know the applicant, your writing may not appear sincere. It may have all the technicalities but it may not have the pull factor. Additionally, you can be held in contempt if the applicant does not turn out to be as per your recommendation. So, ensure that you know the requester well enough to hand out a recommendation. It is most appropriate to decline a recommendation to an applicant - Who is unworthy of your recommendation or unworthy of job/scholarship etc. or with whom you have a bad record. Similarly, if you are not good at recommendations or feel that your writing will not be able to do justice to the requester, then it’s better to decline. Half-hearted recommendation or a lukewarm one will only result in disappointment. If you happen to know someone who is good at this, do suggest to the requester.

• Pre-Plan – Pre-plan requires a lot of things. Arrange for all the documents required to write the letter. You will need these to refer and put forth examples.

The required essentials:

1. You need to have documents supporting the applicant’s achievements – certificates, honours, awards and so on
2. List all the qualities of the individual
3. Work experience
4. Specialisations
5. Research work
6. Position applied for
7. Get information about extracurricular activities
8. Information of the usage of recommendation
9. Information about its recipient or reader
10. Applicants requirements towards the document

• Explain your Relationship – As the writer of recommendation letter you have to clearly mention your relationship with the applicant. Is the applicant your employee or a student? You also have to inform about duration of your relationship.

• Give your True Opinion – Be sincere and honest while giving a recommendation. No one is perfect and a recommendation full on praise and low on faults will appear too real to be true. At the same time writing about shortcomings lowers down the value of the requester. To overcome this you need to uses some clever writing so that the shortcomings do not come across as grim as they appear to be. You can also mention the rectification of these shortcomings to highlight the potential of the requester. Covering up wrongdoings will damage your credibility and the applicants, as well.

• Give reasons for Recommendation – It is a prerequisite that you provide solid reasons for your recommendation. You can also highlight them to make them obvious.

Your recommendation should summarise the following:

1. Specific, concrete examples and anecdotes regarding the requester’s talents, passion and/or character
2. Depiction of multidimensional personality of the applicant so that he is not considered good for only certain things
3. Use terms like - Abilities, Accomplishments, Character, Consistence, Contributions, Dependability, Potential, Skills, Strengths etc.   

• Show your Enthusiasm – A recommendation maybe a routine affair for you but for the applicant and the ultimate recipient it may not be so. A typical opening with dull and repeated words indicates your disinterest. This will go against the applicant. And if you really feel proud and pleased to recommend, don’t hide or dampen it. Show your enthusiasm as it shows your interest and applicants worth. You can also offer any meeting or provide your communication number to handle any query. Ensure this in the start and at the end of the letter. Overall it strengthens your recommendation.

• Highlight your Credibility – Your authoritative status shows your credibility. This credibility is the result of your education, qualification, training and experience. To put the credibility into effect use a letterhead containing your name and title. If you don’t have a pre-printed one, use your rubber stamp letterhead. In addition include your title on your signature as well. Your credibility adds credibility to the recommendation letter and to the applicant as well. Also, a recommendation from a credible person is an accepted norm for a suitable candidate.

• Estimate and Suffice the Anticipation – The recipient party only consider recommendations which live up to their anticipations and expectations. You need to be experienced to estimate and satisfy their needs. Or you need an expert who can analyse these and offer the answers accordingly. But then there are always other means to achieve this task. This isn’t your job so tell the requester to gather information about the organisation, personally or from the internet. Socialise with former/current students or employee to seek their help. Use your own IQ and the applicants in imagining yourself as the authority seeking recommendation. Your imagination and other efforts will inform you the anticipated.

• Neither too Lengthy, Nor too Short – A recommendation letter is supposed to be neither too brief or too lengthy. To makes sure you do this, choose number of pages and or number of words. Stick to this limit and it will be of appropriate length. A letter of 2-3 pages is generally considered as an ideal one. But that may not be achievable at times. So if your letter happens to be short, be insightful, interesting, specific and clearly legible.

What to avoid

1. Unflattering remarks about the applicant
2. Mention of applicant’s race, religion, disabilities, political preference, nationality and/or marital or parental status
3. Any negative implication that may destroy the applicant’s ability to obtain the position/award
4. Faint praise
5. Jokes, slang and casual language are not appropriate and may harm the candidate’s chances
6. Personal information not relevant to the application

• Proofread – Proofread your letter so that it is error free. Use spellchecker online or offline. Check the usage of correct grammar or any irrelevant information. Read it aloud to figure out mistakes missed in writing. Use a good quality paper and ink which will stick.

• Timely Recommendation – Once you have committed towards a recommendation letter, do live up to it. Give it sufficient time and proper attention so that it lives up to its name. Don’t keep the requester waiting or delaying as the recommendation may be required at an earlier time than you anticipated.

Recommendation Letter Format for a Student