At some point in your career, you probably will be asked to write a letter of recommendation or reference for an employee, a friend, a student, or a colleague. You must know your support may make all the difference. An effective and strong recommendation letter can help the applicant achieve their dreams. 

Writing a recommendation letter can be challenging, particularly when submitting something well-written, personalized, and honest. But search no more! Here is the best guide on how to write a strong recommendation letter with examples and descriptive explanations by Radviser, your intelligent adviser. Our easy-to-follow format will help you speed up the process.

What Is a Recommendation Letter?

A recommendation letter is written by someone who can recommend an individual's work, character, or academic performance. It is typically sent to the hiring manager and admission officer. They will decide whether to employ or admit a candidate. A letter of recommendation describes a person's skills and qualifications related to employment or education. 

The recommendation letters are from previous employers, professors, colleagues, supervisors, managers, clients, or teachers. These letters will highlight a person's capabilities that make them a good fit for the specific college, graduate school, or job position. A letter of recommendation or reference letter will add extra credit to the candidate's application. Although there are multiple letters of recommendation, the three main types are university/college applications, character qualifications, and employment. 

Who Needs a Letter of Recommendation? 

These are the most common types of recommendation letters asked by people.

1. University, Grad School, or Scholarships

Most universities, college programs, and scholarships require more than two recommendation letters stating a candidate's capabilities and academic records. This way, the admission committee will have a better understanding of the student. These letters will vividly cover the details and parts not seen and mentioned in the resume, SoP, and other documents. These letters are from those who can speak to a candidate's strength.

2. Jobs

Almost all job applications will work only by a motivation letter and a good resume. However, some companies or industries may require a letter of recommendation in addition to other documents. One of the most convincing recommendation letters for a job is the one written by a supervisor.

3. Character References

A character reference from a close friend, teacher, or family member who knows you well can make all the difference and help you land a job quickly. This type of recommendation letter is usually used when the applicant has little to no work experience. Also, a previous employer's recommendation letter can help you stand out from the crowd. 

What to Do Before Writing a Recommendation Letter?

Before you start writing, you must consider a few steps to ensure this letter will be compelling and strong.

Step 1: Ask for Valid Information

Ask for a copy of the applicant's resume, cover letter, personal essay, and other valid documents attached to the application. Read them and avoid repeating the information mentioned in them. Ask if they have an example in mind that they would like you to say. 

Step 2: Search 

Try to find information about the university, college, company, or organization the applicant aims for and base your letter according to their requirements. Read through the details and then start to write.  

Step 3: Think about the Type of Letter

The type of recommendation letter specifies its tone and content. When a manager writes a letter of recommendation, it will be formal and professional regarding the working experience and achievements. A character reference can be more casual and focused on personal strengths and positive characteristics. 

How to Write a Recommendation Letter?

If you are asked to write a recommendation letter, ask for the required guidelines on what to include. The requester should tell you which skills or qualifications are more important for the job or program. You need to customize your letter for specific requirements. Review the samples or check whether the selected organization has a specific format or not. Here is an overview of how a recommendation letter should look. 

Let us start with the different parts of a perfect recommendation letter. These two are essential factors for writing a letter of recommendation: Content and page layout. If you want to know how to write a compelling recommendation letter, this part is for you.

1. Content Rules 

Content is the most important element of a strong recommendation letter. Following is a list of seven golden rules of how to write a recommendation letter. Write your letter based on these elements to ensure it is captivating. 

Section 1: Contact Information and Letterhead 

The letterhead section must include your name, address, and contact information. If the required format does not have a letterhead, the information should be written on the page's top left side. Otherwise, the date must be on the page's top right, followed by the company/school name, addressee's name, and address.

Section 2: Salutation

The recommendation letter's first line should address the person or group of people you are writing to by the name and title. Do not use general and vague salutations like "To whom it may concern" unless no title is available. 

The salutation must be personable and polite. A proper greeting is structured as Dear + Title + Name of the Recipient

1. If you know them: (Dear + Ms./Mr./Mrs. + Last Name, Dear + Professor + Last Name)
2. If you do not know them: Dear + Title of Recipient (Dear + Hiring Manager, Dear Dean of Admission)
3. Addressing a body of people: Dear + Name of Group/Organization (Dear + Admission Committee, Dear + Board of Directors)

Section 3: How You Know the Applicant (Opening Paragraph)

Write down your sincere recommendation of the applicant. Describe who you are, how you know the applicant, how long you have known the applicant, and such. 

This section will include the recommendation letter's first sentence and set the tone for the entire letter. It must start with a strong punch showing your fondest recommendation of the applicant. For example:

1. It is my pleasure to recommend
2. It is my honor to
3. I could not be more pleased

Then signify who you are and how you know the applicant. You can include your position, the capacity you know the applicant, and how long you have known the applicant. These elements will showcase the foundation of the relationship and the validity of the information.

Section 4: The Personal, Professional, and Academic Data of the Applicant

This section is the start of the second paragraph. Mention the relevant academic and professional capabilities and achievements of the applicant. It is good to elaborate on one or two of them significantly. You can mention specific talents, skills, and experiences relevant to the target job or college program. These examples must be descriptive and detailed to prove professionalism.  

Section 5: Characteristics

Your recommendation letter's third paragraph describes the applicant's personality, positive characteristics, and some vivid examples to support them. You can highlight some of the applicant's positive personality traits and key capabilities without going into detail. 

The recommendation letters requested by companies or colleges are to get a more holistic understanding of the applicant. A persuasive letter will cover personal qualities as well as academic and professional records. You can use adaptability, energy, honesty, resourcefulness, compassion, enthusiasm, integrity, responsibility, intelligence, trustworthiness, generosity, and leadership followed by strong examples. 

Section 6: Optional Explanation of Applicant's Departure 

This section is required only in employment recommendation letters. It explains the reasons the applicant left the previous company in a neutral or positive tone. It can be a family matter, outgrowing opportunities, or medical reasons. If you think this section might have a negative light, it is better to exclude it.

Section 7: Recommendation of the Applicant (Closing Paragraph)

The closing paragraph of your recommendation letter must contain your truest feeling and a compelling recommendation of the applicant. It is very effective to encourage the reader to contact you for any further questions. This part emphasizes the value of the applicant as an asset. You can use a statement such as:

1. I am confident that … would be an extraordinary member of your …
2. There is no doubt that … would become an incredible asset to your …
3. It is my strong opinion that … would be a valuable addition to your …

Conclude the paragraph by leading them to contact you. Then close the letter formally and politely. The common words are sincere, regards, and best regards. If the closing is more than one word, only the first word is capitalized. 

2. Page Layout Rules 

Besides content, the appearance of the letter's page is important as well. This contains font size, alignment, and margins. The consistency and neat look will impact the impression of the reader. Follow these rules for a professional recommendation letter.

One page Max

The recommendation letter must have a logical length. One page seems good unless the extra pages strengthen the recommendation. It is better to cut unnecessary details. 

A 12-Point Font

A 12-point font will give you perfect readability and space. This is the common choice for different recommendation letters. 

Basic Font Styles

Use fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Garamond, and other basic formal styles. Do not use styles that affect readability.

Left Alignment

Using left alignment will help you maintain an organized appearance throughout the entire letter. 

 1"–1½" Margins

It is possible to go slightly over or under these limits to fit the letter on one page, but it is better not to. 

What Are the Features of a Strong Recommendation Letter?

1. Personable

A recommendation letter's importance is for it to be written by a real related and qualified person. This letter will represent how other people perceive an applicant's capabilities and personal skills.

2. Credible

One of the essential features of a strong recommendation letter is to be from an authoritative and reliable source. Applicants' mothers cannot be credible sources for writing a recommendation letter supporting their children. 

3. Enthusiastic

Another feature of a strong recommendation letter is that it has enthusiastic and sincere language. The reader must feel that you are wholeheartedly fond of the applicant. Otherwise, it will be unconvincing and weak. Adjectives like outstanding, exceptional, wholeheartedly, and sincerely are good choices.

4. Detailed

Avoid any cliches. "He is the best student I ever had." This is weak. Use specific examples and support them with enough evidence. If the applicant is the best student, you need to elaborate on how and why. 

5. Relevant 

A perfect feature of a strong recommendation letter is its relevance. The writer must stick only to relevant strengths, abilities, experience, or characteristics that support the applicant's pursuits. For instance, if an applicant is applying for engineering, writing about their literary masterworks is irrelevant. 

6. Narrative 

By the end of the recommendation letter, readers must feel like they know the applicant and the writer better. The letter must feel like a story. 

Who Should I Ask for Writing a Strong Recommendation Letter?

You should ask someone with whom you have a close, solid, and defined relationship—someone who can speak your strengths from their position of power and authority. The best person to ask for writing a recommendation letter depends on the type of application. We categorized a list of the best people to ask for writing a recommendation letter based on your situation.

1. Student Applying for College or Scholarship

The best person to ask for a recommendation letter, in this case, will be teachers who taught you for a long time or you performed well in their classes that are related to your target field.

2. Student Applying for Grad School 

Ask professors who know you if you performed well in their classes, were active in their classes, or achieved great scores in their classes. 

3. Newly Grad Applying for Teaching Job

If you are trying to teach in college, you might have experience teaching different courses under the guidance of professors. They are the best person to ask for a strong recommendation letter.  

4. Teacher Applying for a New School

The most reliable person to ask for writing a recommendation letter will be the previous school's principal. This letter will be written from a position of authority and will bring you validity. The head of the department can be your second choice.  

5. Applying for a Job with Little or No Experience

In this case, you can ask a close friend or extended family member to write you a character reference. Close family members will be considered as close to home and not much reliable.

6. Applying for a Job with Experience

The best person to ask for writing a recommendation letter in a professional situation will be your supervisor, manager, colleagues, or those you have worked with closely. 

Final Thoughts

Now that you know exactly how to write a strong recommendation letter, it is safe to go for the first draft. The secret about letters of recommendation is that no one wants them to be long and complicated. The people receiving the letter do not want a multi-page letter. They just want to be sure you really recommend the applicant, and you have that authority. If you still have doubts and questions, check out Radviser’s Library to find more about the topic!