Reference Letter

A reference letter is written to provide assurance of a person to the receiver. It guarantees that person's personality, character, qualifications or abilities. An effective reference letter can be beneficial while applying for a good position in a big organization. Generally, it provides very specific details of the candidate to the employer, so it becomes very important to maintain healthy relations with your current and past employer as well.

Reference letters are used in different situations where a reference letter can be a major factor in to assure a person. Reference letters can be written to guarantee a student for academic courses. These types of letters are called academic reference letters. Sometimes reference letters are written to guarantee a student for scholarship. Academic reference letters need to be written by that student's teachers and school or college authority.

If you are applying for a job in a company, a job reference letter is written to guarantee you as a good candidate for the job. This letter is written by your previous employer to the hiring employer. Many hiring employers ask for assurance about your ability.

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Reference letter format

A perfect reference letter should be written proper business letter format. After address of the sender and the receiver, these types of letters contain "To whom it may concern" line. Then the body of the letter begins with the details of your post, character and personality. The body of the letter provides all the specific information about your qualities.

This body can be divided into three paragraphs. Generally, first two paragraphs deal with candidate's good qualities and the last paragraph can be used as the conclusion of the letter. The conclusion can confirm the provided details of the candidate's personality.

Tips for writing a reference letter

If you are writing a reference letter to guarantee a person who is applying for a job or academic courses, you must follow some important guidelines. These guidelines include:

  • You must mention your relation with the candidate for whom you are writing the reference letter. You must also mention how long you know the candidate.
  • Reference letters are written to guarantee a candidate's special skills and abilities. Hence, you should mention how the candidate is suitable for the post. You can list the qualities, skills and any reward given to the candidate. Some specific examples related to the candidate's current field of interest. These details convince the reader about the applicant as best candidate for the post or course.
  • If you are writing a personal reference letter, you must mention your qualifications and experience. Hence, the reader can be impressed by your personality and may easily believe in your writing.
  • Mention your contact information and your assurance for providing additional information about the candidate at the end of the letter.
  • Proofreading the letter is very necessary before sending it to the receiver. This helps you to avoid any grammatical errors and typos.

See types of Reference Letter :

  • Sample Reference Letter
  • Personal Reference Letter
  • Employee Reference Letter
  • Academic Reference Letter
  • Business Letters

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