Reference Letters

Say the right thing and be a hero. Say the wrong thing and hinder their success!

A thoughtful, sincere reference letter written on another's behalf may pave the way for that person's success.

Just what is a reference letter?

A reference letter is a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment, given by someone familiar with the person (probably you).

7 Quick Reference Letter Tips

• Make sure you know the person and their capabilities. If you are a relative, you are not a good choice.

• Be sure to ask for enough time if necessary (3-4 weeks, if possible) to write the reference letter.

• Ask for their goals and advice on what you might write to help achieve those goals. Be specific; general praise is a waste of space. Don't be shy. A reference letter is a sales letter to sell another. Now is the time to brag!

• Ask for a review of your conversation. Get suggestions for your reference letter. You may need ideas to help you write.

• State your connection with the person you are recommending, why they are qualified and the specific skills they have

• Write only complimentary, yet factual, observations. Avoid unflattering or derogatory remarks. If you cannot do this, you should decline to write the letter.

• Remember that potential employers are good at “reading between the lines,” and any negative implication may destroy a person's chance at getting the new job.

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Find the perfect words for your letter of reference

How to write a reference letter:

• Explain how you know the applicant. How long have you known the person and in what relationship or circumstance?

• State your qualifications for writing the reference letter. Why should the reader be interested in your reference? How many other people of the applicant's caliber have you known, and why does the applicant stand out?

• List the applicant's exceptional qualities and skills, especially those that are specific to the applicant's field of interest or job requirements. For example, competency in his/her field or prior experience, organizational and communication skills, academic or other achievements, interaction with others, sound judgment, reliability, analytical ability, etc.

• Emphasize key points that you want the reader to note on the applicant's resume or job application. Be sure to meaningfully elaborate, don't simply restate.

• Give your judgment of the applicant, his/her qualifications and potential. Why should he/she be considered over other people? How does he/she compare to other people you have known? Do not state weaknesses. If you can't write a positive letter of reference, you should respectfully decline.

• Give specific examples to back up what you have said about the person's qualifications and character. Remember, generalized praise is a waste of space.

• Unless it is absolutely relevant, do not state (directly or by implication) the applicant's race, religion, national origin, age, disability, gender or marital status.

• Don't be too brief. One or two short paragraphs are death to a reference letter. On the other hand, be succinct. Make every word count. Here is a rule of thumb: a letter of reference for employment should be one page; a letter of reference for school should be 1-2 pages.

• Make the ending statement strong without overdoing it. Undo praise can be viewed as biased or insincere.

• List your contact information if you are willing to field follow-up correspondence.

• Proofread! The letter of reference represents both you and the applicant.

Learn how our software can help you quickly compose professional reference letters for endorsing a person, product or service, requesting a letter of reference, or declining to write one...and many other situations.

Recommendation/Reference/Referral Letter Topics

Get a variety of letters for each of these topics:

• Write a recommendation or a reference about someone

• Advocate legislation

• Decline to write a letter of recommendation

• Endorse a political candidate

• Endorse or nominate a candidate for an award

• Recommend a course of action or support a decision or policy change

• Recommend a service or product

• Recommend a teenager for a job (strong recommendation letter)

• Request information about an applicant

• Request that someone write a letter of recommendation in your behalf

• Thank someone for a referral or recommendation

• Thank someone for accepting your advice or recommendation

• Thank someone for writing a reference or recommendation for you

• Use a referral in a sales letter

• Write a credit reference

• Write a weak recommendation for a job candidate

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	Recommendation Letters eBook	Easy Letters	4,001 Business, Sales & Personal Letters (Best Value)
Number of letters	33	2,200+	4,001+
Number of recommendation, reference and referral letters	33	63	87
Number of topics (situations)	9	500+	1206
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Writing a reference letter is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Choose from a variety of prewritten reference letters--Easy Letters has ready-to-use reference letters that cover 16 common situations. Copy letters directly into Microsoft Word or your favorite word processor.

2. Or, let our software guide you step-by-step through the reference letter-writing process, suggesting sample sentences and phrases during each writing step. In minutes, you can write an effective letter of reference.

3. Print your reference letter and send it!

Why write a letter of reference?

• A reference letter offers a favorable picture of your personal characteristics, job performance, and professional promise.

• Potential employers may accept a reference letter, instead of personally contacting your reference, who can get annoyed if he/she is contacted repeatedly.

• Reference letters may speed up the hiring process because it is quicker to read a letter than to communicate with people personally by mail or by phone.

• Reference letters eliminate such variables as a reference being too busy or unavailable when a potential employer tries to contact him/her personally.

• Many employers keep a record of what a reference has to say about a job candidate; a letter provides a ready-made record without any work.

• If you have been laid off, some employers will question why, while a reference letter proves that your job performance was not the reason.

• One of the great advantages of a reference letter is that you already know exactly what your recommender has to say about you.

When asked to write a reference letter...

• Are you the right person to write a letter of reference? If you are asked to write a reference letter, you need to discuss the subject candidly with the requester. A letter of reference is most effective when a person who knows the requester and his/her reputation writes it.

• What is your company's policy regarding letters of reference. Many policies have been established as protection against potential lawsuits. The common rule is write only positive, factual reference letters.

• Do you qualify? Another consideration is your integrity--can you honestly write positive things about the requester? If not, you need to bow out gracefully without hurting feelings. On the other hand, if you qualify, you should brainstorm with the requester to write what he or she wishes to be said. Be sensitive to deadlines.