Open by explaining your relationship to the candidate and the opportunity. Then use two or three examples you can personally verify to show why the candidate is ready for that next step. Close with a direct recommendation and a way to contact you.
A letter of recommendation is a statement from a manager, coworker, professor, or another person who knows the candidate’s work or study. It should connect observed evidence to the role, program, or scholarship instead of repeating general praise. This guide includes a practical format, three templates, and questions to ask before you agree to write.
Key takeaways
- A credible letter of recommendation states how the writer knows the candidate, names the opportunity, and supports two or three relevant strengths with observed evidence.
- Specificity is more persuasive than generic praise. Describe a project, decision, behavior, or result that the writer personally saw, then explain why it matters for the role or program.
- Ask the candidate for a short request packet before agreeing: their resume, the role or program, the deadline, submission instructions, and the achievements they hope you can honestly discuss.
- A recommendation letter, reference check, and employment verification are different tools. Use a letter as one source of context, not as a substitute for a consistent interview and selection process.
- AI can help organise a draft, but the recommender must verify every claim, protect confidential information, and make the final judgment in their own voice.
- Keep the letter focused. A clear endorsement with relevant evidence and contact details usually serves the reader better than a long biography or a page of adjectives.
What Is A Letter Of Recommendation?
Letter Of Recommendation commonly used in the hiring process as part of the employment verification step, a recommendation letter is a formal document discussing how suitable or qualified a person is for a certain job or program. It basically is a brief outline of the experience of an individual where the person giving the reference talks positively about the individual’s performance or personality.
It usually is a former employee or supervisor or professor whom one can ask to write a letter of recommendation either from an academic, professional, or employment perspective.
A letter of recommendation is typically required for:
- University admissions
- Fellowships or internship positions
- Job applications
As a recommendation, some job applications ask for references on the application itself, however, there are some fields such as finance or medicine that require a stronger statement of support.
How A Letter Of Recommendation Differs From A Reference Letter?
The basic difference between a letter of recommendation and a reference letter is that a LOR focuses on the skills and qualifications of the applicant, whereas a reference letter focuses more on their personality and characteristics.
Both are commonly used for employment purposes, but may also be used for academic or personal purposes. They are a kind of endorsement of an individual given by a person who knows them on a professional or personal basis.
A good letter of recommendation will be a brief outline of the individual’s skills, attributes, and personality.
Why Do You Require A Letter Of Recommendation?
A letter of recommendation along with your resume and cover letter adds to your credibility. It is kind of a personal testimony from an expert in your field that can give you a significant advantage when applying for a position.
It is a detailed explanation of how you can put your skills and qualifications that are already mentioned in your resume to good use. It also shows your commitment towards your goals as you go that extra step to get a letter of recommendation. And, also highlights your working relationship with your previous company.
How To Write A Letter Of Recommendation?
Recommendation letters follow a particular layout and format.
LOR Layout
- One page length
- Single-spaced lining
- Traditional fonts
- 1” margins on each side
- 10-12 point font size
LOR Format
- Salutation
- Introduction
- Overview
- Personal story
- Closing statement and sign-off
There’s a lot more to writing a recommendation than just following the format and layout.
Build an evidence map before you write the letter
The strongest letters make it easy for the reader to connect a real observation to the opportunity. Before drafting, create a small evidence map. It prevents vague claims and helps the writer stay honest about what they know first-hand.
| What to capture | Weak wording | Evidence-led wording | Why it helps the reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relationship | “I know Sam well.” | “I managed Sam for 18 months on a six-person customer-success team.” | Shows why the writer’s view has weight. |
| Strength | “Sam is a great problem-solver.” | “When a rollout created repeat client questions, Sam grouped the issues, drafted a guide, and reduced the team’s repeat explanations.” | Connects a quality to an observed action. |
| Result | “Sam exceeded expectations.” | “Sam took ownership of the handoff process and helped the team meet its agreed response-time target for the quarter.” | Gives useful context without unsupported superlatives. |
| Fit | “Sam would be perfect for this role.” | “That work is relevant to this customer-facing role because it required calm communication, prioritisation, and follow-through.” | Explains the link to the next opportunity. |
This approach reflects the advice in current guidance from Indeed and Microsoft: explain the relationship, use specific details, and tailor the letter to the role, program, or scholarship. The original opinion should still be the recommender’s, not copied from a template.
1. Start with a great, attention-grabbing introduction
Recruiters come across hundreds of recommendation letters so make sure yours stand out from the get-go. If you don’t know where to start you can mention one of the following points
- A positive quality about the candidate
- A remarkable achievement of theirs
- An experience that showcases their skills
Dear Mr. Doe,
I am sincerely glad to be recommending Ms. Jane Austen for the Junior Copywriter position. It was due to her detail-orientedness and research skills that helped her complete her Ph.D. thesis before the marked timeline.
2. State your relationship with the candidate
I’m highly impressed by Jane’s effective way of communicating with her colleagues. Her language skills not only reflected in her verbal but also in her written communication.
3. Tailor the recommendation letter to the position
A little extra effort on your part might help your referee land that job. All you need to do is check the job requirements and match their skills and strengths to them.
Teaching Jane for the past 2 years has been a pleasure. Guiding her through her remarkable thesis on ‘everything’s going to be fine’, I have seen her develop that same attitude.
4. Mention the candidate’s achievements
Of course, you are writing the letter to mention the skills, strengths, and personality of the referee. But it would add more meaning if the skills are backed up with facts.
Jane’s ability to chase after difficult stories first became apparent when I assigned her a report about loneliness among seniors. Despite being so young, she took up the challenging topic and achieved more than expected by
a) meeting seniors in senior citizen and old age homes
b) interviewing the seniors, wardens, and caretakers
c) creating a social media impact by making young people aware of the situation in their own homes
5. Format, layout and proofread your letter
Polish up your letter of recommendation by using the correct layout, formatting it well, and proofreading it for grammar, spelling, and tone. Try to not be overly positive maintaining a positive rhetoric.
What to ask for before you agree to write a recommendation
It is reasonable to say yes only when you can write a positive, accurate letter based on your own experience. Ask the candidate to send the following in one message so you can decide quickly and write with useful context:
- The job, course, scholarship, or program description.
- Their current resume or CV.
- The deadline, submission link, recipient name, and any word or format limit.
- Two or three achievements or projects they would like you to consider, with enough detail for you to verify them.
- A reminder of how you worked together, including dates, team, course, or project.
If you cannot honestly recommend the person, reply early and kindly rather than creating a vague letter at the deadline. A short, factual letter is better than an inflated one, and a candidate has time to ask someone else.
Using AI for a recommendation-letter draft without losing credibility
AI can help turn an evidence map into an outline, spot repetition, or make the language clearer. It cannot supply the recommender’s observation or judgment. Do not ask it to invent a result, rank a candidate against people you did not manage, or create a personal story you cannot confirm.
Before sending an AI-assisted draft, the recommender should check these points:
- every date, title, achievement, and number is accurate;
- examples come from first-hand experience and relate to the target opportunity;
- private performance details or sensitive information have not been added without permission;
- the recommendation sounds like the signer and uses their real contact details; and
- the candidate knows the submission method and deadline.
For hiring teams, the same discipline makes reference discussions more useful alongside structured interviewing and clear pre-screening questions. Keep the criteria job-related and use the same core process for comparable candidates.
Letter of Recommendation Templates:
1. Template for letter of recommendation for an employee
Dear Mr. Doe,
I am writing this recommendation for Jane Austen who I have had the pleasure of working at Company as a Junior Copywriter for the past 2 years.
As a person, Jane always puts people first. During her time in my team, she managed to not only help create a culture of people first but also set an example in the way she communicated with the people for all her stories.
This one time she really came out shining by making a huge difference amongst her peers. She was assigned this story about ‘loneliness amongst seniors’ where she not only went out of her way to meet them in old age homes but also created this impact amongst youngsters. Through social media, she started educating people about the problems their parents or grandparents might be facing as seniors.
Jane is a delight to work with and I wouldn’t hesitate to hire her in my team again.
Should you have any further questions about her, feel free to reach me at jsmith@emailcom.
Thanks,
John Smith
2. Template for academic recommendation letter for a former student
Dear [Name],
I am writing to recommend [student_name] who was an excellent [student] of mine for [program] for [number] of years. I am [name] teaching as a [job_title] at [institution].
What drew me instantly towards [student_name] is [quality]. During [their] time in my class, [they] worked on [projects] and managed to give exemplary performance all through the program.
[Student_name] is [personality attribute] and collaborating with [them] was a learning experience for me as well.
Feel free to reach me at [phone number] in case you have any further questions.
Thanks,
[Your full name, signature, and contact information]
3. Template for character recommendation letter for a coworker
Dear [Name]
I have had the pleasure of knowing [Referee] as a person for as long as I remember and as a coworker for the past [number of years]. I am currently working as [designation] at [comapny_name]. [Referee] was the one who helped me get this job as [they] were already working here for the past [number] of years].
What makes [them] an extraordinary manager is that [they] understand [skill]. [Share a personal story with the referee highlighting their characteristics and achievements.]
Whenever you need me, I am available to talk more about [referee] and how [they] can add value to your team.
Regards,
[Your full name, signature, and contact information]
Recommendation letters are one input in a fair hiring decision
A glowing letter should support, not replace, job-related interviews and consistent evaluation criteria. SHRM’s 2026 recruiting benchmark found that only 20% of organisations reported using quality-of-hire measures. The finding is not about letters of recommendation specifically, but it is a useful caution against treating any one document as a complete measure of a candidate. Read the SHRM benchmark.
Conclusion
Use the templates as a starting structure, then replace every placeholder with facts the recommender can confirm. A concise letter with a clear relationship, relevant examples, and an honest level of support gives the reader more useful context than a page of general adjectives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aim for one focused page unless the recipient gives different instructions. Three or four concise paragraphs with specific evidence are usually easier to read than a longer letter that repeats the same praise.
A recommender may ask for a draft or an evidence packet to save time, but the signer must revise it, confirm every claim, and make the final recommendation their own. Never present invented achievements or opinions as the writer’s first-hand view.
Credibility comes from a clear relationship, verifiable examples, relevant strengths, an honest level of endorsement, and real contact details. Generic phrases such as “hard-working” carry more weight when tied to an observed project or behavior.
Yes. Keep the factual examples, but change the explanation so it connects to the specific role, program, or scholarship criteria. Check the recipient’s instructions before changing the format or length.
No. A letter is supporting context. Employers should use consistent, job-related interviews and assessments to compare candidates fairly, then use references or letters as one additional input.
Also called a professional letter of recommendation, it is a document that describes the applicant’s work, achievements, and relevant qualities for a job or education program.
Choose a current or former manager, supervisor, professor, mentor, or coworker who has directly observed work relevant to the opportunity. Ask only someone who can give an honest, specific recommendation.
Restate the recommendation, offer to answer reasonable questions, and sign with your name, title, organisation, and contact details.
Source: https://recooty.com/blog/letter-of-recommendation-template-sample-tips/
Jump To Section
Author's Profile
Hardik Vishwakarma
Hardik Vishwakarma – AI Recruitment Strategist | HR Automation Expert | Applicant Tracking Software Specialist Hardik Vishwakarma is a recognized leader in HR automation and...
View Full Profile →
