How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

Recommendation letter is an official document written as a statement of support for a particular person. It is an essential document stating the achievement of professional or can be used to accomplish education goals. Employers and educational bodies usually request for such letter as part of the application process.

Applicants are generally asked to submit two or three such statements with their resume and cover letter for the job. Students are required to submit this letter of recommendation for the fulfillment of their scholarship or college admission application. Such letters are normally written by teachers, former or current employer, friends or some authorized people and seniors of the candidate.

Following are a few tips on how to write the best recommendation letter in the most effective way.

• Make an honest and genuine attempt to help a certain committee or an individual in decision making.
• Compose it on your official letterhead.
• Write the recipient’s full name, title, organization and its address.
• Enter the current date on it.
• Make a clear and crisp subject line. Add some relevant information to make it focused and meaningful.
• Start your writing with your name, position, address and contact detail followed by the requester’s name, title (if applicable).
• Write down what relationship you share with him and how long you have known him. It will communicate your ability to evaluate.
  Provide a sufficient evidence and information to represent the candidate in better light.
• Provide a clear review of a candidate’s remarkable strengths and weaknesses.
• If you are writing for a job proposal, write it by keeping the requirements of that particular job in your mind.
• Discuss both educational qualification and personal character. Develop a balance in between these two. Connect both with each other to prove it worthy.
• Describe the broader range of personal qualities and professional experiences.
• Write two or three most distinguished qualities and skill sets the requester by giving specific examples.
• You can include some extracurricular activities or work if it is related with the requirement of that particular job or academic application.
• You can add some mild criticizing lines in positive manner. This will increase the credibility of your reference.
• Summarize all the important points in the last paragraph. Present your overall assessment of the person who has requested you to write this letter. Give some strong valid reasons in sincere tone to justify his suitability for certain position.
• Provide your contact information and request the recipient to contact you for the further discussion.
• Proofread it to ensure there is no important point which is missed to be mentioned. Correct the grammatical and spelling errors. A flawless letter not only represents the requester in bright light but also reflects your credibility to the recipient.