Creating A Letter of Recommendation: A Comprehensive Guide

Last Updated on June 29, 2023 by Ossian Muscad

Various job applications allow you to include contacts or someone who can vouch for your qualifications as a potential candidate for certain recruitment. Asking a reliable contact to write you a letter of recommendation gives your application documents more credibility and can help you make an excellent first impression on a potential employer and land an interview.

Read on and learn more about letters of recommendation and how you can leverage low-code power to create one. 

What is a Letter of Recommendation?

A letter of recommendation outlines a person’s credentials and abilities, particularly with regard to a job or education. Usually, these letters are written by former employers, professors, coworkers, or teachers. It talks about the traits and skills that make the applicant a good fit for a certain job, college, or graduate program.

Types of Letters of Recommendation

Many people utilize recommendation letters for a variety of objectives, and the most commonly used according to purpose are:

Academic Recommendation

This is often employed by students throughout the admissions procedure and scholarship programs. This gives admissions committees insights into a student’s history and extracurricular and academic accomplishments. 

Character References

This is used in scenarios when knowing a person’s character is very important, such as housing arrangements, legal disputes, parental adoption, and other similar circumstances. Character references are usually written by previous coworkers, landlords, business partners, neighbors, medical professionals, and acquaintances.

Employment Recommendation

Usually contain details about work history, productivity, work ethic, and individual achievements. A direct supervisor or a past (or present) employer will write the letters. Aspirants lacking the formal work experience necessary to obtain references from an employer or supervisor can join community or volunteer groups. 

What are the Things to Be Considered in a Letter of Recommendation?

The most crucial factor in selecting a contact that will write the letter of recommendation is that they must be familiar with the candidate well enough to speak favorably of them while properly expressing their skills and interests. Moreover, they should be able to provide the following aspects.

1. A brief summary detailing their identity, connection to the applicant, and any relevant professional or personal experience.
2. An outline of the applicant’s capacities based on their personal experience and how these capacities match the open position.
3. A brief narrative that highlights one or two desirable qualities the candidate has.
4. A concluding statement that sums up the reasons why the person they are endorsing would be an excellent match for the position.
5. A signature with their name and contact details

Steps in Writing a Recommendation Letter:

The purpose of a recommendation letter is to have a third party bring out your best qualities in relation to the job opening. Follow these steps for an effective letter of recommendation. 

1. Recommendation letters are professional paperwork written in the conventional business letter structure, which includes the sender’s and recipient’s contact information at the top of the letter. This detail is important since the interviewer can be interested in calling the author or sending an email to learn more about the applicant. 
   1. Name of the Author
   2. Author’s designation
   3. Author’s company
   4. Company address
   5. Author’s email address
   6. Date
   7. Name of the referral
   8. Referral’s designation
   9. Referral’s company
   10. Company address
2. Normally, this letter lacks a subject line. But it’s vital to begin with a formal greeting.
3. In the initial paragraph, make it clear that you suggest the applicant for the position. This hinting lets the reader know what to anticipate later in the essay. In your first proposal, do not overstate your candidate’s accomplishments.
   1. Describe how you know the individual and how long they have been working for you to give your recommendation some perspective.
   2. You can also emphasize your position here to demonstrate your qualifications for making the recommendation and to give the reader confidence in your judgment.
4. In the next paragraph, give examples of why you think favorably of the applicant. Concentrate on one or two of the employee’s best qualities rather than detailing all of their strengths. In this manner, you can keep it short and clear.
   1. Carefully review the job description and describe how your applicant satisfies all the qualifications.
5. In the last paragraph, summarize and provide a conclusion emphasizing how valuable your referral will be to any company they will work for.
6. If an email format suggestion is made, supply your contact details after the message.

With all these points considered, you can now be confident writing a recommendation letter.

Strategies For Writing An Effective Letter Of Recommendation

If you’re writing a letter of recommendation, you likely want the person you recommend to have the best opportunity to succeed. Here are some suggestions on how to write a compelling letter that will stand out to admissions officers, future employers, or anybody else reading the letter.

• Do some research. Know specifically what the person you are recommending is applying for. Ask for an overview of the career or the prerequisites for the academic program, their curriculum vitae, and any specific competencies, accomplishments, or talents they’d want you to emphasize.
• Be specific. Consider what the recipient of the letter would like to know. Don’t be afraid to provide information or insight that won’t necessarily appear on a résumé or application. Your letter needs to introduce the individual you are endorsing to the reader. 
• Be optimistic. Your endorsement needs to attest to the fact that the applicant is an eligible candidate for the position for which they are applying. Be sincere in your enthusiasm, and refrain from saying anything that can be perceived negatively. 
• Be formal and precise. Keep your message brief and direct because the receiver reads a number of letters daily. Plan for a minimum of one page and certainly not more than two. 
• Do not be anxious to refuse. Saying no is acceptable if you don’t feel like recommending a candidate. Often, an inadequate recommendation can do as much harm as one that is bad.
• Observe instructions. You are endorsing this particular person. Make sure to thoroughly stick to any submission rules and send your letter on time. If your letter leaves a positive impression, the candidate you’re backing will also benefit.

Create A Letter Of Recommendation With DATAMYTE

You don’t have to worry about letter formats when you utilize digital solutions like DATAMYTE’s low-code platform. Our user-friendly interface offers an array of pre-made templates, including a letter of recommendation that you can instantly use and customize so that you don’t have to think of drafting the letters from scratch but rather concentrate on the details as well as specific qualities of your referral and simply fill it out on the template fields.

The DataMyte Digital Clipboard is a low-code automation software that features actionable workflows and hundreds of pre-built templates, highly customizable in a drag-and-drop functionality. Create and download your letter of recommendation promptly. And you need not worry; our templates are convertible to any medium(PDFs, email, MS Word, among others.).The Clipboard board also encompasses a wide range of device compatibility, allowing you to use your preferred devices to access and edit your letter of recommendation.

Sign up today for a FREE TRIAL today! See how DATAMYTE’s low-code solutions can help you

Conclusion

Letters of recommendation provide an interpersonal element to job submissions by giving important context on the applicant’s personality and skill set in a manner that a resume cannot. So, don’t forget to include a letter of recommendation with your job applications!

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