What to Include in a Letter of Recommendation

What to Include in a Letter of RecommendationWhat to Include in a Letter of RecommendationIf you have been asked to write aletter of recommendation for employment or for academic reasons, you may be struggling to know what information to include - and what to leave out. This recommendation letter schablone shows the format of a typicalletter of recommendation, with details on what to include in each paragraph of your letter. What to Include in a Letter of Recommendation A recommendation letter should include information on who you are, your connection with the person you are recommending, why they are qualified, and thespecificskillsthey have. Whenever possible, its helpful to provide specific anecdotes and examples that illustrate your support. For example, rather than simply stating that a candidate is a strong writer, mention that they wrote a prize-winning essay. If someone has achieved awards or special recognition for their accomplishments, mention it. Your goal is to writ e a strong recommendation that will help the person youre recommending get hired or accepted. When writing aspecific letter referring a candidate for a particular job opening, the recommendation lettershould include information on how the candidates skills match the position they are applying for. Ask for a copy of the job posting and a copy of the persons resume, so you can target your recommendation letter accordingly. Try to usekeywordsfrom the job listing in your recommendation. In addition, the lettershould include your contact information for follow-up. Be prepared to answer questions about your endorsement of the candidate. The following template can be usedfor an employment reference, as wellas areference for graduate school. Letter of Recommendation Format Below is a template with an example of the format for a letter of recommendation. A template can help you with the layout of your letter. It shows you what information to includeand how to organize your letter. Whilel etter templatesare great starting points for your own message, you should always edit a letter to fit your situation. You can alsoreview samplesof recommendation letters to help you write your own. Writer AddressYour anthroponymJob TitleCompanyStreet AddressCity, State Zip Code Date SalutationIf you are writing apersonal recommendation letter,include a salutation (Dear Dr. Williams, Dear Ms. Miller, etc.). If you are writing a general letter, say ToWhom it May Concern or simply dont include a salutation. Paragraph 1 IntroductionThe first paragraph of the recommendation letter explains the purpose of the letter, as well as your connection to the person you are recommending, including how you know them, and for how long. Paragraph 2 DetailsThe second paragraph of the recommendation letter contains specific information on the person you are writing about, including why they are qualified, and what they can contribute. If necessary, use more than one paragraph to provide details. Incl ude specific examples attesting to the persons qualifications whenever possible. Paragraph 3 SummaryThis section of the recommendation letter contains a brief summary of why are you are recommending the person. State that you highly recommend the person or that you recommend without reservation or something similar. Paragraph 4 ConclusionThe concluding paragraph of the recommendation letter contains an offer to provide more information. You can include a phone number within this paragraph. Another option is to include a phone number and email address in the return address section or signature of the letter. Letter ClosingFinish up your letter with aformal letter closingand your name and title. If you are mailing a hard copy of the letter, include your signature underneath your typed name Sincerely, Signature(for hard copy) Writer NameJob Title Review a Sample Letter of Recommendation George McAdamsCoach / Biology TeacherThomas Jefferson High School8740 Highland Avenue Hillside, Il linois 60162(000) 123-1234gmcadamsemail.comMay 21, 2018To Whom It May ConcernIt is with much enthusiasm that I am writing this personal recommendation for my student, Keeshan Williams. Keeshan has been an indispensable member of the Thomas Jefferson High School football team that I coach since his freshman year in 2015-2016.Keeshan is truly one of our star students at Thomas Jefferson High School. Not only has he twice been recognized as MVP for our football team, but he also is an honors student, maintaining a 3.85 GPA as he completes a full schedule of AP classes in English, Biology, Chemistry, and Calculus. He is an acclaimed student leader, holding offices in student government and Beta Club, and also volunteers as a Biology tutor in our peer mentoring program.Keeshan possesses a maturity and focus that far exceeds those of most students his age. Determined to eventually go to college and medical school (to pursue a career in sports medicine), he has worked various part-time job s in retail to help fund his education, and understands how to provide attentive customer service, operate point-of-sale systems, and build team morale and project ownership.I thus highly recommend Keeshan Williams, confident that he will bring the same drive and dedication to your organization that he brings to the classroom and the football field.Please contact me at the email or phone number listed here if there is any other information I can provide.Sincerely,George McAdams Expand What to Include in an Email Recommendation Message When youre sending your recommendation letter by email, you can eliminate the Writers Address section and include your name, address, title, email address, and telephone number in the signature section of your message Best regards,Writer NameJob TitleEmailPhoneCompanyStreet AddressCity, State Zip Code ExpandThe subject of your message should include the candidates name Subject Recommendation - Applicant Name What Not to Include in a Letter of Re commendation If you do not feel comfortable recommending someone - whether its for a job or graduate school or for something else - its best to let the person requesting the recommendation know thatyou cannot write it, rather than writing a negative letter. This will give them an opportunity to seek out someone who can wholeheartedly write a positive recommendation. Keep in mind that your own reputation is in play when you write a letter of recommendation you do not want to endorse someone in a letter who you do not think will perform well since it could cast a negative light on your own judgment. You also do not want to lie in the letter Dont exaggerate accomplishments. Overblown praise can diminish the impact of your recommendation. But be aware that since most recommendation letters skew very positive, any criticism will be very noticeable.