Writing a Recommendation Letter

A recommendation letter is written to provide a supportive reference regarding a candidate. When a person writes a recommendation letter for someone, they are attesting to that individual’s candidacy. The letter highlights the candidate’s distinctive qualities and portrays them in a desirable light. Recommendation letters are required when a student is applying for an educational program or scholarship and when a person is seeking a job.

For writing recommendation letters

Pro Tip: If you don’t have anything nice to say about a candidate, politely decline the request rather than making false statements about someone. Think very hard and very carefully before agreeing to write a recommendation letter. Not everybody is equipped to be well-versed.

Writing a recommendation letter is a big deal. You should write a rough draft twice before moving on to the finalized content.

Before writing, you should know the exact knowledge and purpose of the letter. The writer should know whether the receiver will be a university or a firm, or they could write according to their understanding.

The writer should know what the candidate wants to highlight and present in this letter. Focus on one or two traits. For example, some people have excellent people skills, so when they apply for a Public Relations job, they expect their recommendation letter to glorify them as people.

Most importantly, before writing a recommendation letter, you must know the candidate on a personal level to recommend them. If you are not acquainted with the candidate, do a background search and authenticate your information.

Often, people try to get casual while writing recommendation letters. ProTip: Don’t. You are writing a formal letter that influences their fate, and this should be taken seriously. So, follow the formal method of recommendation letter writing and exhibit professionalism.

Demonstrate a sense of closeness with the candidate, which is possible by explaining your relationship with the candidate and evaluating them on a human level. There is a thing called “Human Factor.” When a person demonstrates personal relation, it emphasizes the human factor.

Comparing the candidate with other acquaintances to present them with a better option increases their chances of being selected. For example, mention that the candidate is better than his coursemates because…. (Point out their quality).

While writing, candidates should update recommenders regarding their achievements, even the smallest ones. They should provide real-life examples to help highlight their relevant qualities.

Write about their achievements but focus more on their character and qualities, but don’t overdo it.

In the end, conclude with a direct recommendation that shows the recommender’s sincere effort to support that candidate. For example, he is a remarkable employee, and any firm will be lucky to have him. I suggest you allow him to work with you.

Provide your contact information so that if someone wants to ask questions about the candidate, they can reach out to you.

After completing the first draft of the recommendation letter, show it to the candidate to authenticate whether the provided information is sufficient or requires tweaking. Then, show it to a professional writer to check for room for improvement. Once done, put it aside and re-check it after a few days with a fresh pair of eyes.


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