If you have reservations about writing a recommendation or reference, see "Declining to write a letter of recommendation."

Before writing this letter be sure to determine your company's or institution's policy regarding letters of recommendation. Some policies exist as protection against potential lawsuits. If you write a letter, stick to the facts, avoiding personal or derogatory statements. Give only complimentary opinions.

If the requester provides you with a recommendation form to fill out, you may still add comments in a space provided on the form or on a separate sheet. When sending a confidential recommendation in an envelope, it is often required that you sign your name across the seal. This practice is common in academic applications.

You will usually write a letter of RECOMMENDATION when you know who the specific employer is and what the position will be. In your letter you address a person's qualifications with that position and that employer in mind. Unless the person for whom you are writing waives the right to read your recommendation, be aware that he or she will probably read it.

You will usually write a letter of REFERENCE when you do not know who the employer will be or what the position may be. Although the strategy for writing a reference is essentially the same as for writing a recommendation, a reference is more general. The letter is generally used to introduce a person and/or vouch for that person's integrity and general character. The person for whom you write the reference will usually read it and perhaps duplicate it for future use.

Do not include comments about race, color, religion, handicap, sex, national origin, marital status, or parental status.

TO: University Admissions Committee
FROM: Doe Corporation
DATE: September 1, 1996
RE: John Doe, Applicant for Admission (Confidential)

Recommendation for John Doe

Letter of Recommendation for John Doe

Introducing John Doe
To University Admissions Committee

To Prospective Employers

to whom it may concern
reference: John Doe
with regard to
re: John Doe
recommendation for
letter of recommendation for
to the prospective employer of

I am delighted to be called upon as a reference for John Doe. I first became acquainted with Mr. Doe in 1992, when he joined the development group I supervised.

It is a pleasure to recommend John Doe as a sales supervisor. Mr. Doe has worked directly under my supervision for the past eight years.

I am pleased to comment on Ms. Steven's performance as a secretary. I have known Ms. Johnson since our graduation from State University in 1993, when we both started work at the Doe Corporation.

I have been Mr. Doe's employer for more than two years, and I can recommend John for your consideration, confident that his character and scholarship measure up to your university's high standards.

As a former employee of your firm with some understanding of your needs, I am pleased to add my personal assessment of Ms. Doe's qualifications.

It has been a pleasure to be Mr. Doe's supervisor since 1990.

I have no hesitancy in writing a letter of recommendation for Mr. Doe, a superb mechanic.

It is a pleasure to write a letter of recommendation for as Ms. Doe.

Mr. Doe has asked me to write a letter of recommendation to accompany his application for employment. I am very pleased to do so.

I have known Ms. Doe since 1993, when she enrolled in my accounting class.

I was Mr. Doe's teacher in two advanced therapy classes during winter semester, 1995.

Mr. Doe, about whom you inquired in your letter of December 19, was a district manager with us from March 1991 to July 1995, when he left to pursue other entrepreneurial ventures.

am honored to support him as a candidate
am pleased to provide a reference for
am pleased to write a character reference for
am delighted to be called upon
am happy to recommend
am pleased to comment on
can offer only the highest recommendation for
first became acquainted with
first came to my attention when
has worked under my supervision for
has worked directly under my supervision
has been a pleasure to supervise
have known Ms. Doe for
have no hesitation in recommending
have been his supervisor since
her performance as a
his qualifications and performance
have had the opportunity to
in response to your enquiry
in the past two years
is a pleasure to recommend
was a student in two of my classes
was employed by us from

While she was with us she supervised the maintenance of all computer networks. This responsibility involved working with 42 separate offices.

His extraordinary ability to analyze problems and outline necessary courses of action always kept us on schedule.

She was always punctual and willing to take on new assignments.

Her ability to interact with customers and resolve their complaints in a pleasant manner gave us a significant advantage.

In the past ten years he has submitted 23 suggestions that the Doe Corporation has implemented, saving the company thousands of dollars.

In a class of thirty, he completed the course with the second highest grade.

In the first six months of her employment with us, her innovations saved the company over $12,000.

By restructuring the packaging process, he was able to reduce delivery time by twenty percent.

Her keen sense of organization and unlimited energy led to her promotion a year earlier than usual.

He has remarkable ability to motivate co-workers and build a spirit of camaraderie.

Her greatest talent is in developing innovations for new products.

I cannot overemphasize his track record in writing successful proposals.

When our production date was moved up, he willingly worked overtime every day for eight weeks to help us catch up.

She is an active and articulate participant in staff meetings and policy discussions. She volunteers useful comments without being prodded, and when called upon unexpectedly to answer a question she can always frame an intelligent response.

He grasps new concepts quickly and accepts constructive criticism and instruction concerning his work.

She finishes her work on schedule. When she has a concern or question about an assignment, she speaks her mind clearly and directly, giving voice to what others may feel but cannot or will not say.

a creative problem-solver
always cheerful and dependable
always met his deadlines
always behaves professionally
among her significant contributions to the company are
broad range of skills
can attest to his integrity
careful attention to detail
comments are well thought out and clearly articulated
communicates her ideas clearly
communicates effectively in writing
completely loyal and trustworthy
deals sensitively with customers and co-workers
demonstrated particular strengths in
discharged her duties satisfactorily
follows tasks through to completion
fulfilled the job requirements admirably
gets along well with others
handles administrative tasks efficiently
handles responsibility well
has a take-charge personality
has a flair for organization
her sensitivity and concern for others
is innovative and creative
is a tireless worker
is mature beyond her years
is intelligent and ambitious
is personable and easy to work with
keeps calm under pressure
meticulous attention to detail
one of our finest, most well-rounded undergraduates
outstanding leadership abilities
oversees a meeting tactfully and effectively
punctual and reliable
punctual and hard working
self-motivated individual
wide-range knowledge of
willing to go beyond what is required
willing to take on new responsibilities
works efficiently and effectively
works independently and effectively
works well with little supervision

I believe he left us to pursue a more challenging job opportunity.

He left the company when we were downsizing our Boston operation. He was the most recently hired.

We are sad to see him leave our firm, but we understand that he needs to relocate for family considerations.

The loss of government contracts has caused us to curtail operations in our Springfield plant where she was employed. If circumstances were to change, we would not hesitate to rehire her.

We are reluctant to let him go, but we recognize that this position would be an excellent professional opportunity for him.

Although we wish she would stay with us, we don't want to stand in the way of her professional advancement.

We are sorry to learn that she is leaving; our loss is clearly someone else's gain.

a more challenging job opportunity
am sorry to see him go
are reluctant to let him go
are sorry she is leaving
are sorry to lose her
are sad to see him leave
as a result of a layoff
contributions will be missed
gave no reason for his resignation
good career move for her
have curtailed operations in
in line with the company's policy
it is with regret that we
left us to pursue
most recently hired
needs to relocate because
our loss will be someone else's gain
understand that he needs to
when we were downsizing
will certainly miss
wish that she could stay
wish we were in a position to
would not hesitate to rehire

Mr. Doe will be a great addition to your staff. If I can further assist, please call.

I am pleased to give my unqualified recommendation for John Doe to be your personnel director.

Because she has been so innovative and conscientious, I do not hesitate to recommend her very highly to your company.

I have no hesitation in recommending Mr. Doe to you as a highly effective manager; I believe he will exceed your expectations.

Jane Doe has my strong recommendation. She will be a credit to your firm.

I am confident that Mr. Doe will continue to be very productive. He has my highest recommendation.

If I could, I would hire her back. I am sorry to see her go. Nevertheless, I know that this move is important to her family. I am sure she will continue to rise in her career.

I give her my highest recommendation, without reservation. Please call me if you have further questions.

I have nothing but admiration and respect for John. He leaves my company with my highest recommendation.

It is satisfying to be able to give him my highest recommendation. I hope this information proves helpful.

Based on her performance with us, I am confident she will do very well in any sales context.

I know of no reason why you should hesitate to hire Mr. Doe.

I offer my highest recommendation for Ms. Doe to be a member of your task force.

I enthusiastically recommend Mr. Doe as a promising candidate.

Seldom have I been able to recommend someone without reservation. It is a pleasure to do so in the case of John Doe.

I will be pleased to answer any additional questions you may have.

I am very interested in Mr. Doe's application and will be happy to provide further information.

an asset to your organization
every confidence in her ability to
give my unqualified recommendation
has always proved satisfactory
has my highest recommendation
have admiration and respect for
have no reservations in
hope this information proves helpful
if I can further assist
if you have further questions
if you need additional information
if you would like more information
recommend without reservation
recommend her very highly
request your favorable consideration of
should be given serious consideration
should you have any questions
under other conditions with another supervisor
under the right circumstances
will be happy to speak with you
will meet your expectations
will be successful in any enterprise he undertakes
will be a credit to your
will measure up to your high standards
will be a great addition to
would be an asset to any company
would be a valuable addition to

Employment Review Committee:

I am pleased to recommend Jane Doe as a candidate for the position of office manager. Ms. Doe has managed our Springfield office capably since 1990.

In her there, Jane almost single-handedly doubled the revenue of her division. In 1992, she implemented a restructuring of the sales force, increasing sales and reducing travel expenses markedly. Her facility with personnel and emphasis on efficiency have made Springfield our most productive branch. I am saddened to learn she has decided to move on.

Ms. Doe has made no secret of her desire to move to a position which affords her greater flexibility and potential for growth. I enthusiastically recommend her for this position. If you have any questions I can answer about Ms. Doe's sterling record with my company, please do not hesitate to contact me.

It is my pleasure to recommend John Doe to you as an employee. I have worked closely with him for more than five years as his supervisor and find him extremely competent and enjoyable to work with. Among his many accomplishments, he suggested and developed a procedure that resulted in annual savings of over $100,000. In a word, he is bright, innovative, and dependable. I am sorry to see him leave, though I wish him well in his career choices. Great employees are hard to find.

It is with pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for John Doe, who has served as supervisor of production under my supervision for the past three years.

From the beginning, John has steadily risen through the ranks. He began as a programmer in our maintenance department, almost immediately graduated to a senior position in research and development, and now holds a management and supervisory position.

Throughout his years with us he has consistently displayed a remarkable ability to not only cope in high stress situations, but to thrive in them. Last year, when notified of a shortened deadline on an important project, he managed his team with confidence and efficiency until the work was finished. We were all surprised and grateful when he produced the completed project ahead of schedule.

I am sorry that John will soon leave to relocate in your area, but I know that this move is important to him for personal reasons. I give you my highest recommendation with the knowledge that John Doe will serve you with devotion and skill.

Letter of Recommendation for Jane Doe (confidential)

TO: Office of Graduate Admissions, Institute of Design

FROM: John Doe, industrial designer

I'm honored to recommend Jane Doe for admission to graduate studies at the Institute of Design. Since Jane will be visiting you soon, the following information should help introduce her as well as convey my wholehearted recommendation that she be admitted to your program.

My association with Jane--I've known Jane closely for three years, during which we've collaborated on many projects. Her role has been that of a consultant to our architectural firm. Jane and I have also conversed privately on theoretical and practical matters of style, aesthetics, and philosophies of design. I've always been impressed by her know-how--from how to design an arboretum to good principles of document design.

Jane's integrity--The hallmark of Jane's character is her honesty. This extends from those areas where we easily see it (in relationships and business transactions) to integrity of thought. Scientific, thorough, and meticulous, she approaches any analytical task with an exacting eye. This is the kind of care and concern I mean by integrity of thought.

Jane's scholarship and balanced education--As a student of the humanities, Jane pursued a course of study that could serve as a model for any general education curriculum. She knows not only Shakespeare but mathematics. She's as comfortable in a wood shop as at the opera.

Her professional manner--Jane Doe is one of the most pleasant persons you'll ever meet or work with. She's forthright, but neither intimidates nor intrudes. She's open, friendly, and authentic--the Jane you'll soon meet is the Jane you'll get, without any surprises.

Jane has my unqualified professional endorsement and my deep personal respect. Please feel free to call at any time if I can be of further assistance.