Letter of Recommendation Template

Nobody likes a blank slate when writing a letter of recommendation - even if you have a lot to say, you may need a little help organizing your thoughts. We've created a template to get you started and put together some tips for adding content to your own writing.

What is a letter of recommendation?

A letter of recommendation is a brief account of your experience or acquaintance with a person, usually a former student or employee, in which you praise their performance or personality. This person might ask you for a letter of recommendation when applying for a job or university.

Since your former student or employee asked you for a letter of recommendation, they probably expect you to speak positively about their work. If you are not sure whether you can actually recommend the person in question, or if you do not remember your contact with them well, you can tell them that you cannot write a letter at this time.

How to write a letter of recommendation

So what do you write in a letter of recommendation? Here is an efficient procedure you can use from the start:

1. Make sure you know the purpose of the letter.
2. Think about the person asking you for the recommendation.
3. Use our template to create the first draft of your letter.
4. Shape the draft by deleting or adding information.

1.Know the purpose

What should be written in a letter of recommendation depends on the purpose of the letter. Is your former team member applying for a master's degree, internship or job? Who do you need to address the letter to and what is that person likely to be interested in?

The answers to these questions will help you absorb the right information. For example, if a former team member is applying for a machine learning training program, it would be more helpful if you included how well they performed on a machine learning project under your supervision. Or if you know that the position you are applying for requires leadership skills, you should also provide relevant examples.

If you don't have this information, consider asking your former student or colleague for more details or to provide more general examples.

2.Think about the person asking for a recommendation

It is useful to refresh your memory of this person's work or your own experiences with them. If the person was a former student, they may have completed projects under your supervision. If the person was a former team member, you can view all available records of their accomplishments.

In general, try to answer these questions:

• What was my working relationship with this person?
• What projects has she worked on under my supervision?
• Can I think of two examples of good performance or positive attitude from this person?
• What are two or three qualities that I know this person has?
• Is there anything particularly impressive about this person or their knowledge?

The answers to these questions will help you craft your letter of recommendation.

3.Start with our template

Here are two templates to get you started, one for a former employee and one for a former student:

Letters of recommendation for employees

Dear [insert name],

I am writing to recommend [employee_name]. [He/She/They] worked at [Company_Name] as [Employee_Job_Title] and [reported to/worked with me] in my position as [insert job title].

As an employee, [employee name] was always [insert quality]. During [his/her] time on my team, [he/she] managed to [insert example].

I have always placed a high value on [insert quality] in my team members, and [employee name] has always delivered on this. An example was when [insert example].

[Employee Name] is a pleasure to work with and I would not hesitate to hire [him/her/him] again.

If you have any further questions about [he/she/it], please feel free to contact me at [phone number].

Thank you,

[Your name and signature]

Letter of recommendation for a former student

Dear [insert name],

I am writing to recommend [student_name]. I am [job_title] at [institution] and [student_name] was my [undergraduate/graduate student/lab assistant/etc.] for [X months/years].

As a student, [student name] was always [insert quality]. During [his/her] time in my class, [he/she] worked on [insert projects] and managed to [insert example].

I have always placed great emphasis on [insert quality] in my students, and [student's name] has always delivered on that. An example was when [insert example].

[Student_name] is [insert personality trait] and I would not hesitate to work with [him/her] again.

If you have any further questions about [he/she/it], please feel free to contact me at [phone number].

Thank you!

[Your name and signature]

4.Personalize your design

Our templates give you an idea of what you could include, but feel free to modify them or add as many examples as you think are important. Here are a few things to consider:

• Refine the text. In one or two sentences, provide the context for each of your examples.
• Use your own voice. Every text will have more impact if it sounds natural and authentic.
• Be honest. Your former employee or student may be asked about the examples you provide. Don't sugarcoat it to make yourself look good, because that might come out at some point.

For example, see a modified sample letter of recommendation for two cases (the information and names included are fictitious):

Sample letter of recommendation for an employee

Dear Ms. Edwards,

I am writing to recommend May Thompson. She worked with me at Acme Inc. as a Senior Sales Manager and reported to me in my position as VP of Sales.

As an employee, May was always reliable and resourceful. During her time on my team, she managed to build a strong sales team from scratch. Your team exceeded our annual deal closing goals for three consecutive years. May also conducted high-impact customer research and made a number of key recommendations for our product positioning strategies.

I have always valued leadership and problem-solving skills in my team members, and May has always gone above and beyond in both areas. For example, she motivated her team members with several fun competitions, which she also used as a coaching opportunity for younger employees. She also helped resolve a major conflict between the sales and product teams regarding features required by our customers.

May is a pleasure to work with - a team player with a consistently positive attitude who can get anything done. I wouldn't hesitate to hire her again if the opportunity arises.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach me on +10000000.

Thank you!

Sarah Potter

Vice President of Sales, Acme Inc.

Sample letter of recommendation for students

To the MIT admissions office,

I am writing to recommend Luke Thompson for your PhD program in Chemical Engineering. I have been a professor of chemical engineering at Acme University for over 15 years, specializing in nanotechnology. Mr. Thompson was my student for two years before graduating from Acme University with his bachelor's degree.

As a student, Mr. Thompson was always very curious and eager to learn. During his time in my class, he worked on various projects conducting research on nanotechnology and biotechnology. His grades for all of these projects were excellent because his papers were well researched, well structured and offered brilliant insights. One example is his project on nanosensors and their impact on biomedicine. We submitted this work to a conference in Berlin and was immediately accepted.

I have always placed great emphasis on initiative and hard work from my students, and Mr. Thompson has always stuck to that. An example of this was when he and a few other students organized study sessions with various professors. In these open sessions, each student was able to ask questions about each professor's area of expertise. Mr. Thompson was the one who suggested that these sessions could also serve as informal career guidance for younger college or high school students.

Mr. Thompson is intelligent, hardworking, and has a great passion for the field of chemistry and chemical engineering. I would not hesitate to work with him in an academic capacity.

If you have any further questions about him, please feel free to reach me on +1000000.

Thank you!

Professor Sally McPhee

These two sample letters of recommendation will give you an idea of how you might design your own letter of recommendation. Whether it's a letter of recommendation for an employer or a letter of recommendation for students, our guide will speed up the process.

In conclusion, utilizing a well-structured template and thoughtful tips can streamline the process of writing a letter of recommendation. Personalize your endorsement to highlight the individual's strengths effectively. Consider leveraging tools like IceHrm for enhanced HR support in the recommendation process.