Writing A Recommendation Letter For Someone Else

When you are asked to write a letter of recommendation, be honest in your assessment. Put yourself in the reader's position and consider what you would want to know if you were reading the letter. If you have concerns about specific areas, be up front with the requester when you are asked to write the recommendation. There should be no surprises. A good way to create a letter of recommendation is to use pre-designed templates available in letter-writing products. Additionally, you should review writing samples to better understand the structure before you begin to write. Follow these steps to be fair to everyone involved:
Be honest about your feelings, intentions, and concerns. This will save time and embarrassment for both parties if you feel that you cannot provide a good recommendation.
If you are not sure what to write, ask the requester to provide a draft letter for you to review, edit, finalize, and sign.
Find out when the requestor needs the letter and be sensitive to deadlines.
Letters of recommendation may be written in a classic format that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. There may also be specific requirements for certain letters that you may need to follow. In most cases, however, any well-organized format will be acceptable. Look at the following sample format:
Introduction
Introduce yourself as the recommender. State your professional position, how you know the applicant, the length of your relationship, and any other pertinent information to build your credibility as a knowledgeable contributor.
Provide an overview of your general impressions of the applicant.
Body
Cover one exceptional quality of the applicant in each paragraph
Use specific examples to show how you observed each quality
Address qualities in order of importance
Keep the body of the letter to two or three paragraphs
Conclusion
Confirm that the applicant would be a desirable employee, adding any other comments you feel appropriate.
Encourage the reader to contact you for additional information or with any questions.
Don't forget to personally sign the letter.