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A Few Tips
on How to Write a Letter of Recommendation
As an employer, coworker, or
friend, you may at some point in your career be called upon to write
a letter of recommendation. If you are unsure about how to go about
it or simply don't know what to say, here are some tips about what
to include and how to structure a typical letter of recommendation.
This advice may also be useful if you request a letter of
recommendation from someone who is not familiar with how to write
one.
First
Paragraph -- Start out by specifying in what capacity and for
how long you have know the person whom you are recommending. If the
person is an employee or coworker, indicate the term of employment,
the responsibilities of the position, and any significant projects
undertaken by the individual. You may wish to include a sentence
about the nature of your company and its activities. Here, you can
also give a one-sentence summary or overview of your opinion of the
recommended individual.
Second
Paragraph -- In the next paragraph provide a more detailed
evaluation of the person as an employee. Describe his or her
performance on specific assignments and list any important
accomplishments. What are the individual's strengths or shortcomings
in the workplace? What was it like to interact with him or her?
Third
Paragraph -- To sum things up you can make a more broad
characterization of the individual and his or her demeanor. Overall,
was the person responsible, polite, warm, disagreeable, lazy,
spiteful? Finally, indicate the degree to which you recommend the
individual for the position she or he is seeking: without
reservation, strongly, with some reservation, or not at all.
Before writing the letter, you may
want to ask the person for a list of his or her projects, since you
probably will not be aware of all the work they've done. Finally, if
you have not had much contact with the person, you may be better off
declining to write the letter of recommendation, rather than putting
together something vague and dispassionate.
Positive
Recommendation Letter
Hart
Publications, Inc.
1400 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10012
(212) 555-6239
April 10, 1998
Subject:
Letter of Recommendation for Mr. James Miller
To
Whom It May Concern:
James
worked under my supervision as an editorial assistant from September
10, 1997, until April 5, 1998. His responsibilities included
conducting research and interviews, fact checking, and writing brief
front-of-the-book pieces, in addition to some clerical duties.
During the course of his employment, James proved himself to be an
able employee, a hard worker, and a talented writer.
I
was quite impressed by James' ability to complete all work assigned
to him on time, if not before it was due. His research was always
thorough and comprehensive, and his fact checking always accurate.
We sometimes allow our editorial assistants to do some writing, but
James' talents prompted us to assign him more pieces than the norm.
His writing is clear, concise, and evocative.
Overall,
James is a very conscientious and able employee. I certainly believe
he has what it takes to make a wonderful editor someday, and I am
sad to see him leave. I strongly recommend James for any mid-level
editorial position in publishing.
Sincerely,
Edward
P. Larkin
Executive Editor
Negative
Recommendation Letter
E-Center
34 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10009
(212) 555-8725
August
27, 1998
Letter
of Recommendation for Lisa Johnson
To
Whom It May Concern:
Lisa
Johnson was employed by E-Center as a Web Developer from June 10,
1998, to August 22, 1998. Her responsibilities included converting
Photoshop mock-ups to HTML, implementing CGI scripts, and creating
interactive DHTML features. During her time with us, Lisa showed
herself to be a less than ideal employee.
Although
much of the work Lisa completed was satisfactory, most of her
assignments were finished after stated deadlines. Many of her
programs contained multiple errors. When her superiors offered her
constructive criticism, she showed little desire to improve and
demonstrated an overall resistance to any sort of critique of her
work. Lisa's attitude in the workplace appears to be her major
shortcoming.
Lisa
may have the potential to become an excellent programmer, however,
her reluctance to accept criticism prevents her from becoming such.
I would hesitate to recommend Lisa for any job where she might be
required to accept commentary on her performance or be expected to
show signs of improvement. She does have the ability to complete
basic programming projects.
Sincerely,
Eliza
P. Walker
Executive Producer
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