How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

Guide Note

Being asked to write a letter of recommendation can be flattering, but also daunting if you don't know what to say. How to Write a Letter of Recommendation will guide you through the basic structure of a letter as well as give you some suggestions as content, tips on how to write it, examples of recommendation letters and even tell you how and when not to write a letter of recommendation letter. Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What You'll Need
• Parts of the Letter
  • Heading
  • Opening Statement
  • Body
  • Closing
• Overall Writing Tips
• Example Letters
• Choosing Not to Write the Letter
• Conclusion
• References

Letter of Recommendation Tips

1. Get as much information about the person beforehand.
2. Use standard business letter format for the letter.
3. Your first paragraph should state some background information.
4. Include specific information in the body of the letter.
5. Don't use vague words.
6. Proofread the letter before sending it.

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Introduction

• If you have been asked by someone to write a letter of recommendation, your first thought may be "what do I say?" The content within different letters of recommendation will vary greatly depending on who wrote the letter and the reason the letter was written. However, the basic structure is typically the same.

What You'll Need

• If you agree to write a letter of recommendation for someone, you will want to make it as easy on yourself as possible. Therefore, you should obtain some information from the person before you start writing. These things can include:

1. The person's full name, address, e-mail and telephone number.
2. When the letter is due.
3. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Adrian Clark)
   The name and address of the person or institution the letter is for. (If applicable.)
4. A resume or curriculum vitae.
5. Two copies of any forms they need to be included with the letter.¹
6. A list of activities, awards, accomplishments and achievements.¹
7. For academic situations: the person's GPA, courses taken or transcript, and a paper or exam from your course.^{2 3}
8. A description of the person's goals.⁴
9. Any outside service activities that he or she has participated in.²
10. The reason the letter is needed.⁵
11. A list of the different ways you have interacted (for school and work settings).⁵
12. Things that the person would like you to address in the letter.⁴
13. Any other information that you feel will make the process easier.⁵

Parts of a Letter of Recommendation

• There are different styles you can use with your letter of recommendation. This page will cover both the block and modified block styles. They are very similar except that in the modified block style the date, inside address and closing begin at the center of the page instead of at the left hand margin.⁶ In the block style, all elements are aligned on the left.⁷ Paragraphs are not indented for either style.⁸

Heading

• The heading includes your return address, the date, the recipient's address and the salutation.

1. You will only need to include a return address if you are not using personalized stationary. Your return address goes above and should be aligned with the date.⁶
2. An empty line should be placed between the date and the recipient's address.⁸
3. The salutation should be "Dear (Person's Name)" and end with a colon.⁷ If you do not know the person's name, write "To Whom it May Concern."

Opening Statement

• The first paragraph is where you should explain your relationship to the person you are recommending. In doing so, you should establish the following points:

1. The person the letter is about.⁵
2. Who you are.³
3. Your relationship to the person (teacher, employer, friend, etc.).⁹
4. How well you know the person.¹⁰ Include information on how long you have known them and how often you met with them.⁴
5. A brief statement regarding your overall opinion of the person.⁵

Body

• What you include in the body of the letter can vary widely. However, you want to include as much specific information and examples as you can. Examples can come from projects, papers, events and any experiences you had with the individual.⁵ It can be as short as one paragraph or extend into several paragraphs.¹⁰ Here is a list of different things you could include in the body:

1. An evaluation of the individual based on your experiences.⁵
2. An explanation of why he or she is qualified.¹⁰
3. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Aldo Gonzalez)
   Explain how the person's academic skills might translate into other areas.⁵
4. State the person's professional qualifications along with examples from specific accomplishments.¹¹
5. Explain how the person's character would apply to the position (without mentioning anything that could be the basis of discrimination).¹¹
6. Discuss specific likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, energy level, motivation, areas of talent and challenge, plus any unusual contributing factors.⁵
7. What he or she can contribute to the facility.¹⁰
8. How the person's skills match what they are applying for.¹⁰
9. How the applicant is better suited than others with similar backgrounds.¹¹
10. Explain any weaknesses in the person's record.³
11. Other things you might mention in your letter include:
    1. Consistency of performance/Reliability: shows initiative, dependable
    2. Communication skills: articulate, expressive,
    3. Character traits: self-confident, intelligent, highly responsible, mature, sophisticated
    4. Team skills: cooperative, observant, assertive
    5. Work style: efficient, innovative, creative, imaginative, self directed, effective, energetic⁴

Closing

• Your last paragraph should summarize what has been said and include contact information. Then, you should end the letter with a complimentary closing, your signature, and your name and title typed.

1. Restate your overall recommendation.⁹
2. Provide ways for the person to contact you if they need additional information.¹¹ This can include your email address, home or cell phone number.⁴
3. Your complimentary should be short and polite. It should be located at the left margin or with it's left edge in the center of the page.¹²
4. Capitalize only the first word of the complimentary close (such as "Best wishes") and follow it with a comma.⁸
5. Include your title with your signature.⁹

Overall Writing Tips

• Here are some basic tips on things to do and not to do when writing recommendation letters:

1. Type your letter on business letterhead.¹³
2. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Suzi Duke)
   Get a signed written consent form before releasing any personal information about the student such as GPA, grades, social security number, etc.¹⁴
3. Avoid stating personal opinions or feelings unless you can give specific explanations for those statements.¹⁴
4. Don't include secondhand information.¹³
5. Don't use vague words such as good, fine, nice or reasonable.
6. Proofread your letter.¹⁵
7. Although there are no rules on how long a letter of recommendation can be, keep your letter brief and to the point.^{9 15}
8. Keep copies of every letter you send.¹³

Example Letters of Recommendation

• Sometimes it can be helpful to look at other examples. Here are a few sites that offer example letters of recommendation:
• Monster.com: Letter of Recommendation.pdf (application/pdf Object)
  • Graduate Student Instructor Teaching & Resource Center: Sample Letter of Recommendation
  • eduERS.com: Free Sample Letter of Recommendation Example - Recommendation Letters  
  • NACEWeb: Sample Faculty Reference Letter
  • CollegeBound Network: Recommendation Letter Breakdown
  • Center for Engineering Career Development: How to Write Letters of Recommendation
  • About.com: Sample Recommendation Letters | Sample Reference Letters, Recommendation Letters and Character References | Reference Letters - Sample Reference Letters  

Choosing Not to Write the Letter

• There may be times you are asked to write someone a letter of recommendation for someone that you would rather not recommend or don't feel you can recommend. If faced with this situation, your best bet is to tell the person you can't write a letter for him or her.

1. Only write letters for people that you know.¹⁶
2. Don't be afraid to say no if you don't have the time to write the letter.⁹
3. Be upfront with how strong your letter will be.¹³
4. A vague or dishonest letter can actually do more harm than good.¹⁵

Conclusion

• While it might seem like a burden, writing a letter of recommendation for someone gives you the opportunity to help another person pursue their goals and ambitions. Therefore, it is important that you put enough of an effort into it to be an asset and not a detriment to that person.

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References for How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} CollegeView: Asking for a Letter of Recommendation: Tips & Advice
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Marky Lloyd's Careers in Psychology Page: How to Get Good Letters of Recommendation
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning: Writing Letters of Recommendation
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} HSU Career Center: Write a Letter of Recommendation
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8} Center for Engineering Career Development: How to Write Letters of Recommendation
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} The OWL at Purdue: Writing the Basic Business Letter: Sample Letters
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} George Mason University Writing Center: Writing Business Letters  
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} The OWL at Purdue: Writing the Basic Business Letter
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4} emurse: How to Write a Letter of Recommendation (July 6, 2007)
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4} About.com: How to Write a Reference Letter  
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} 1st-Writer.com: Recommendation Letter
12. ↑ English Plus: Business Letters
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3} Harvard University: Writing Your First Letter of Recommendation
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} NACEWeb: How to Write Reference Letters - Suggested Guidelines for Reference Givers
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2} About.com: How to Write a Reference Letter  
16. ↑ ASCB.org: How to Write an Effective Letter of Recommendation