Letter of recommendation template

A well-written recommendation letter can open up a host of opportunities in your professional journey as an employee or your academic journey as a student. Recommendation letters are used in college applications, internships, scholarships, or job applications. Mainly, they highlight your abilities, achievements, and character—thereby allowing the institution or company to have a better idea of how well you will fit into a team or program.

We are going to discuss the importance of this vital piece of document, giving you steps to create a compelling recommendation letter, and giving you access to a ready-to-use, customizable template that you can use directly!

Why Write a Recommendation Letter?

A recommendation letter (or a reference letter) provides a third-party perspective on a student’s qualifications or an employee’s experience. It is a general-purpose document that can be tailored for your specific needs. For example, it can be used to highlight someone’s academic performance, work ethic, or personal attributes. At its core, a recommendation letter is a stamp of approval or an endorsement that adds weight to any type of application or proposal—helping decision-makers see the potential in a candidate beyond grades, test scores, and previous experience.

In a sea of applications, resumes and applications might get lost before they can see the light of day. And that’s precisely why a recommendation letter is so important. A good recommendation letter can help a candidate stand out while also highlighting their relevant, key qualities. It makes the candidate or student a better fit for the opportunity they are seeking.

What Should a Recommendation Letter Have?

We have a ready-to-use, customizable template for you. It includes all vital pieces of information that you can change as per your needs to better endorse your employee or student. In terms of a typical letter of reference or letter of recommendation sample, here is what will be included to help the candidate have an easier application process:

• An Introduction: A brief introduction or a formal greeting helps introduce who you are. This can include your relationship to the student or employee as well as your qualifications to recommend them.
• Overview: Next, you offer a brief overview of the candidate or student, including any achievements, extracurricular activities, notable accomplishments, and key attributes such as how well they fit into a team. This is key in any job recommendation letter, whether or not the candidate is applying for the same or a similar job title.
• Examples: Specific examples are always important. You can illustrate the candidate’s qualities and strengths with these examples. These can be about leadership skills, initiative, problem-solving, or other qualities. For example, how hardworking someone is or how they helped out a coworker in a pinch. A good letter always has many specific examples talking about the candidate and how he/she handled certain situations.
• Conclusion: The letter typically ends with a strong endorsement of the student or candidate. The pitch is to be 100% honest about their suitability for the opportunity they are seeking. Your contact information such as your phone number also goes here, in case the institution or company wishes to follow up with you for further information.

These were the elements, roughly speaking, that a recommendation letter should have. The idea is to make it personalized and persuasive to help it stand out to admissions officers, scholarship committees, or employers. A solid resume, a nice cover letter, and a strong letter of recommendation following the ideal reference letter format highlighting key personal qualities always work better with potential employers, a hiring manager, or a high school/graduate school department head.

Tips for a Compelling Recommendation Letter

Writing a good recommendation letter is not rocket science, but neither is it a simple affair. Three key ingredients make for an excellent recommendation letter:

1. Personalize Your Letter: The letter should feel personal. You can tailor the content in the letter to the specific opportunity that the student or candidate is seeking. Only highlight the most relevant qualities.
2. Positive Language: Every strength and potential of the candidate or student should be emphasized using positive, assertive language through the recommendation letter.
3. Concise: Nobody has time to read life stories. Aim for a letter that gets to the point quickly. It’s a great idea to summarize everything in bullet points, except for the introduction and conclusion. Just focus on what’s important and read the letter to identify anything that might unnecessarily overwhelm somebody with details.

It should be clear by now that drafting a recommendation letter is not so simple after all. It takes time and thought. And that’s precisely where an easy-to-use, comprehensive, and customizable template comes into the picture.

Recommendation Letters with FreshDox.com

You need to provide a valuable endorsement for your student or employee. We understand that. That’s why we simplify and streamline the process for you. The perfect, most impactful recommendation letter isn’t just about intent, but also the right tools. FreshDox.com is here to facilitate this. We have a comprehensive selection of professional document templates (and legal ones too!). These include our wide array of expertly designed student and employee recommendation letter templates.

All you need to do is sign up for a FreshDox.com account to gain access to a vast repository of templates that can be customized to fit any need. We have both Word and PDF formats available here. Save time today with the highest standards of professionalism! FreshDox.com offers a 14-day trial period, inviting you to explore the benefits of our Basic or Premium Plans. While Basic Members can download up to 3 templates per month, Premium Members enjoy unlimited access, perfect for educators, counsellors, and anyone frequently writing recommendation letters.