---

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

Be part of making a good impression. If you've been asked to write a letter of recommendation, take the time to do it well. You have been asked for your opinion because it counts.

Steps

1. Proactively write recommendations. If someone is requesting you write a recommendation you're too late! You should have written them a recommendation long ago. If you think ahead then your referencee won't get caught in the situation where they need your reference immediately for a prospective job offer. Also, proactivity encourages your referencee to return the favor, that is, to write a recommendation for you.
2. Login to your professional networking site, click on 'contacts', go through your list and starting with the people you can most enthusiastically recommend, click on 'recommend.'
   • 
   • 
3. Provide personal references, that is, don't skip your friends and family. Personal references matter too, in fact, they may matter more because if you've known someone for a decade your impressions of that person carry more weight than someone who knew them for only the length of a business project. However, you'll need to tailor your recommendations to the purpose, i.e., you must focus on the professional qualities that all employers seek (see below).
4. Focus your recommendation on qualities all employers seek. You don't know what this reference will be used for, that is, your referencee may change careers. If so, a reference that focuses on specific industry skills is useless. See below a summarized Knock 'Em Dead [1] list of professional behaviors that employers universally seek:
   • Honesty
   • Integrity and Trustworthiness
   • Pride and Attention to Detail
   • Dedication and Goal Orientation
   • Analytical and Strategic Thinking Skills
   • Efficiency, Organization and Time Management Skills
   • Economic and Budgeting Skills
   • Team Player
5. Give a very brief background of how you know the person, perhaps only onoe sentence. There is no need to be verbose because a reader can click your name to see more details about you.
6. Tell a story, that is, when writing about a professional behavior try to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end. Stories make your recommendation memorable, much more so than a laundry list declaration like 'Joe is a honest, dedicated team player'. Anyone can give a list, but only you can tell that story. Besides, its easy to tell a story so why do it the hard way when when the easy way is better?
7. Accentuate the positive, but don't fib. Even if you write a believable piece of fiction you may not be able to recall the details should a prospective employer call you regarding your letter.
   • Today's references are much shorter than they used to be, but today length is replaced by quantity, that is, a person has many more references than was the case in the twentieth century. However, don't make your letter so short that it appears you didn't care. A story (see the step above) helps you do this because it's an informal narrative, that is, you don't have to worry about style, just tell the story. You'll be suprised, one story can take up the whole letter, but that is OK as long as you've highlighted one of the professional behaviors above. Other references can highlight other areas or perhaps add more stories to support the behavior you highlighted.
8. Proofread your recommendation and then click submit. Your referencee will get a pleasant email saying someone recommended him/her. Networking sites usually allow you to include a personal message that rides along with the notification email. In the message just say you were following the suggestions of your networking site and proactively writing recommendations. Be sure to say that it is a rough draft and encourage the referencee to suggest modifications (see example below). After a few editing go-arounds your referencee will have a great letter of recommendation and will likely write one for you in return.
   • 
9. Following the steps above will ensure you never have to participate in the unhappy alternative, that is, the Retro-Recommendation (see below).

Retro-Recommendations

This section is entitled 'Retro-Recomendations' because this is how recommendation used to be done. It is very inefficient in that it is not 'write once use anywhere' like recommendations of today. It puts a great deal of stress on the writer because the requester needs it urgently (usually) to complete their interview portfolio for a prospective employer. If this is your situation then woe is you, but following the steps below can help ease the pain.

1. Determine what the recommendation is for. Is it for a job, a volunteer position, a background check, personal reference, or an academic post? Write your letter so that it is focused on this purpose. For instance, if the letter is for a job, it should focus on the professional qualifications and conduct of the candidate.
2. List the qualities needed for the position. Get a copy of the job description, if you can. Otherwise, talk to the person you will recommend (and, if you know him/her, the recipient of the letter) and learn what you can about the requirements of the position. You do not have to know it in as much detail as you would if you were the candidate, but try to have some idea what it is about.
3. Know who you are recommending. If it's somebody you don't know as well as you would like, or haven't seen in awhile, ask for a resume or C.V. to be better informed. Spend some time talking to the person, too. (If it is somebody you don't know at all, you should probably state that and decline to recommend him or her.)
   • As you write the letter, do not simply parrot the resume. Instead, use it as a reference to support and expand upon your own impressions of the candidate and, if applicable, to remind yourself of the candidate's accomplishments when you worked together.
4. If you can, find out to whom the letter should be addressed. Ask how to spell the name, if you need to.
5. Open the letter with a formal business greeting:
   • Dear Ms. Smith:
   • Dear Sir or Madam: (if you don't know the recipient's name)
6. State that you recommend the candidate:
   • It is my pleasure to recommend Jane Murphy as a candidate for Senior Cartographer.
7. State briefly how you know the person you are recommending and, if appropriate, explain your own qualifications to recommend the person. Put your title and company in the return address or under your signature. This portion might read as follows:
   • Dr. Murphy worked under my supervision for three years at Acme Industries. During that time, I managed the Department of Cartography, so I am quite familiar with her work there.
8. Describe which necessary qualifications the person has and how they're important for the position. Be specific. "Dr. Murphy's thorough knowledge of databases saved our company time and money." is far stronger than "I have enjoyed working with Jane."
9. Include personal qualities and impressions of the person, if you can do so confidently. Again, be specific.
   • Dr. Murphy's dedication to her work set a great example for the whole team, and her encouragement and mentoring of her younger colleagues will continue to benefit Acme for some time to come.
10. Close the letter by reiterating that you recommend the candidate and, if appropriate, invite the recipient to contact you.
    • For all of these reasons, I think Dr. Murphy will make a fine addition to your team. Should you have any questions, I invite you to call me at the number above.
11. Use a business closing and sign your name.
    • Sincerely,
    • Best regards,

Tips

• Type the letter. It is more businesslike and your recipient won't have to decode your handwriting.
• The first time you name the candidate who is the subject of the letter, use his or her full name. After that, use either the first name or an title (Ms., Mr., Dr.) and the last name, depending on how formal you want to be. Whichever you choose, be consistent.
• Keep the tone and the content factual, businesslike, and specific throughout.
• Be complimentary and positive, but be honest.
• Avoid putting negative information in the letter. If you feel very strongly that you must mention a shortcoming of the candidate, be very specific and state clearly why you recommend the candidate, anyway:
  • Mr. Forbes must occasionally miss work to care for his elderly mother, but he consistently makes up for this missed time, and I am confident that he will prove a dedicated employee, nonetheless.
• If you are put in the position of writing your own letter of recommendation, perhaps for somebody else to sign, be honest and specific. Try to write as you would write about a candidate with your qualifications. Get help from a friend or colleague seeing yourself as others see you. Ask your friend to tell you how your letter comes across.
• If you ask a candidate to write his/her own letter of recommendation, recognize that many people find it difficult to write about themselves in this way. Read the letter and make sure that you agree with what they have written before you sign it.

Warnings

• A letter of recommendation should focus on the key knowledge, skills, and abilities of an individual. Don't spend your time inflating your letter of recommendation with excessive positive tones, as this is generally overlooked by recruiters.
• Decide carefully whether to give a copy of the letter to the candidate, particularly if you express reservations. A letter may hold more sway if the recipient knows that the views in it are candid, and not written for the gratification or flattery of the candidate.