How To Write Letter Of Recommendation (Plus Samples)

Your ability to get a good letter of recommendation can increase the possibility of your potential employers considering you for the job you applied for. A recomendation letter is sort of a confirmation of your work, talents, or academic credentials. On the other hand, You may be requested to write a letter of recommendation for someone else as well. Let us take a look at how to write a letter of recommendation and check out some samples as well.

How To Write a Letter Of Recommendation (Plus Samples)

Before going into the full details of what a letter of recommendation should look like, you need to understand what a letter of recommendation is. 

What Is A Letter Of Recommendation

It is a formal document that talks about a person's eligibility for a specific role. 

How To Write a Letter Of Recommendation 

A genuine letter of recommendation is a personal summary of your interactions with those you are recommending. You should be aware of how the person behaves and performs in the workplace. Before you accept to write a letter of recommendation for someone, consider if you can vouch for the person. Analyze what you know about the person and to which extent you know the person you are recommending. If you are not sure of the person you are writing a recommendation letter for, it's advisable to politely decline the request. Follow our tips below to have a clear understanding of how you can write a good letter of recommendation. 

Be Positive: You should state unequivocally that you believe the person is a strong prospect for the job. Avoid any comments that may imply otherwise. Make an effort to use words that will have an impression on the reader.

Be Formal: Your letter of recommendation should adopt a conventional business letter format. Your tone should also be official. If possible, write the letter on the letterhead of your company.

Highlight the candidate's most important qualification: For maximum impact, talk about two or three of the candidate's most relevant achievements as it relates to the job description and provide specific examples to demonstrate their suitability for the task.

Proofread: Pay close attention to the spelling of people's and businesses names. To avoid certain types of errors, you should read the letter aloud. This might help you in finding out if there are any grammatical or spelling issues. You might also have a trusted friend or colleague to help you look through the letter.

Recommendation Letter Format

A typical recommendation letter should include the following:

1. A brief introduction stating your name and relationship to the applicant 
2. A summary of the applicant's strengths as you have observed them 
3. An elaboration on one to two traits the applicant possesses.
4. A conclusion that explains why the person you're recommending is a good fit for the position.
5. A signature with your name and contact information.

Letter Of Recommendation Sample

Below is an example of a recommendation letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to strongly recommend Akinpelu Christiana for a position as a Data Analyst for Hubforjobs.

I am Seyi Makinde, a regional manager at Alpha Beta Nigeria. I have 15 years of experience working as an accountant and have seen many young professionals come and go. Akinpelu Christiana is one individual I have worked with who uniquely stands out.

During our time together, Christiana displayed great talents in technical applications, such as ArcGIS, R coding, Python, and several other data visualization tools. When we first met, I was immediately impressed with Christiana and her technical skills on day one, but when we worked together, her understanding of data analysis and the tools of the trade grew far more than that of her peers.

My first experience with Christiana's adaptability came shortly after she was hired. Last year, we had one client who sent data in Excel that needed extensive cleanup. At that time, Akinpelu Christiana's experience with Excel was limited, but she worked extra hours to learn how to clean up Excel data using functions properly. Within the week, the client's data was formatted correctly to be effectively analyzed and visualized. She even handled the data visualization skillfully, and the client had nothing but praise for the result.

It's not just her technical skills that impress me, however. Christiana was a joy to work with because of her amazingly positive attitude and eagerness to stick tightly to deadlines. Her can-do attitude and team-building skills were also necessary and valued not just by myself but by her peers, who often relied on her to get the job done.

I am confident Christiana would be a great fit for Hubforjobs. She will bring the skills and experiences you're looking for in an applicant and quickly become an asset and help Hubforjobs grow in any way she can.

If you need more information or please do not hesitate to contact me at (insert phone number) or by email at seyimack@alphabeta.com. As a recommendation letter likely only provides a snapshot of her talents and achievements, I would be happy to elaborate further on my time working with her.

Sincerely,

Seyi Makinde

Regional Manager

Alpha Beta Nigeria