A recommendation letter, also known as a reference letter, is a short document in which someone who knows a person well describes their experience, skills, and achievements. It adds weight to an application for a job, school, scholarship, or rental home. Supervisors, managers, mentors, and teachers often write one. Use our free letter of recommendation template to create yours in minutes, then follow the guide and examples below.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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As a person who’s writing a recommendation letter, you are required to include such information as the employment or academic performance of the applicant, the applicant’s personal traits and accomplishments, reasons for your recommendation, and, of course, your contacts. One page is enough, so try not to make the letter too long.
Admissions committees and employers read many letters on top of their regular workload. Begin with a hook, such as a significant achievement or strong praise of the person.
A letter of recommendation is generally divided into three parts:
The introductory section includes the personal information of both the reference and the applicant. State your name and position, and describe your relationship with the candidate. Then give a few details about the applicant’s academic history, work experience, skills, or professional accomplishments. To draw attention to the applicant, you may describe their most significant achievement or outstanding skill right away.
In the second section, you should precisely characterize the applicant as an employee or a student, describing the professional skills, academic performance, experience, effectiveness level, motivation, and contribution to the cause. The main body shows the unique personal qualities, values, knowledge, and work achievements that set a person apart from other applicants. Support every fact with an example or a short anecdote.
Look at the applicant from all angles and mention a minor weakness too, since it adds credibility to your recommendation. Describe how well the applicant communicates, cooperates, and works with other students or team members. Finish this section with an overall opinion on the applicant and your impression of them.
In the last paragraph, comment on the person’s suitability for the chosen role. Explain and justify your recommendation, since your name stands behind it. Finally, give your contact information. You can also place contact details on the letterhead or after the sign-off.
Not every letter has a specific purpose. Some people want a general recommendation letter just in case. It follows the same structure but highlights broader qualities that suit a wide range of applications.
Sometimes, a letter of recommendation is required as an obligatory part of the application process. In other cases, it adds significant support for the candidate’s qualifications. The most common types are employment, academic, and personal references.
Employment references describe applicants from a professional perspective, including their experience, skills, achievements, and general contribution. An employer or supervisor usually writes one, though a colleague or co-worker can also give a recommendation.
People often use a letter of recommendation to open up more opportunities when applying for a job. It helps most when a person has little or no experience, and it can be the deciding factor for a highly competitive position. Recommendation letters are always required for senior positions such as top-level managers and specific professions, such as teachers or health professionals.
Students use academic references when applying for college, graduate school, a fellowship, or a scholarship program. Such a reference helps admissions committees see a student’s personality and motivation to study at a particular college or university, beyond academic performance.
Students usually ask teachers, instructors, professors, or mentors who know their personal qualities and achievements well.
A character or personal reference letter describes a person’s character, values, attitudes, and accomplishments. It is useful when applying for an immigrant visa or looking for a rental property. Landlords often run a background check on potential tenants, and a convincing letter of recommendation helps in the overall screening. This letter can also come in handy during the child adoption process or court actions.
Depending on the occasion, anyone who knows the applicant well enough to give a positive recommendation can write a character reference. Common choices include:
Many people need a recommendation letter at some point, especially when applying for a job, college, or graduate school. Choose someone you have a positive relationship with, since they can make your letter credible and vivid. It also helps to gather relevant references early, so you are well prepared when the time comes.
Use these three steps to make a successful request.
Tell your potential reference why you want exactly this person to write your letter. Be polite and tactful, even if you know them well.
Email is an excellent way to send the request. A meeting in person works too, but not when the person has a tight schedule. Follow up politely if you do not hear back, and avoid sending a flood of reminders. Also, agree on a date that works for both of you.
Once the person agrees, share everything they need to write a strong letter, including a description of the application. For a job, send the job description and your cover letter. These documents show the role and explain why you are interested in it and suitable for it. Then talk through what to include in the letter.
Do not wait too long to find a suitable person. Your reference needs enough time to prepare a credible and convincing letter. Feel free to include a letter of recommendation template and examples with your request. It makes the work easier and the person more likely to agree.
Before you start, think about whether you can give a good and convincing reference. If you cannot give the applicant positive feedback, it is better to turn down the request politely, because a negative letter can hurt their career. If you can, follow the steps below. You can also use our letter of recommendation template to speed things up.
Most weak recommendation letters share the same few problems. Read through the list below before you send your draft, and fix anything that sounds familiar. Small changes make the letter clearer and more convincing.
Here are two sample references, one for a college application and one for a job application. Use them together with our recommendation letter template to write your own letter quickly and with confidence.
Both samples follow the same pattern:
November 25, 2020
Jennifer Smith
Director of Admissions
College of Design
Dear Ms. Smith,
I am pleased to recommend Mary Johnson for admission to the College of Design. I have known Mary since her enrollment in the High School of Art and Design, and I feel fortunate to work with Mary as her graphic design instructor these past four years. Every year, I watched her grow in her ability to cope with complex tasks and never give up while overcoming challenges. Mary’s remarkable performance in the Adobe Youth Voices Award Competition between over 2,000 students nationwide recently secured her second place.
As Mary’s teacher, I witnessed her approaches to develop her effectiveness constantly. In the beginning, she was a shy student, insecure about her abilities. Over time, she has managed to become the strongest student in class due to her persistence.
She has learned all the essential graphic design basics such as composition, typography, color theory, page layout, logo design, and promotional advertising during her study. She has mastered such graphic editors as Adobe Photoshop and Canva. For the last year, Mary has managed to complete over ten projects. Her digital portfolio can prove that she is an outstanding student.
Sometimes, Mary overloaded herself with different projects at once while working as a freelancer. However, she managed to stay an organized student at school. Mary is a friendly and compassionate person who always finds a way to help her classmates. She actively participated in extracurricular activities, organizing school events, and volunteering.
I am confident that Mary will be an excellent addition to the College of Design alumni. She will definitely bring a new creative perspective to your environment. If you have more questions about Mary’s character, abilities, or experience, feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Joan Farmer
Graphic Design Instructor
High School of Art and Design
1111 Main Street
Somewhere, CA 90044
555-555-5555
joan.farmer@artndesign.org
November 25, 2020
John Douglas
Human Resource Department
New Solutions, Inc
Dear Mr. Douglas,
I am writing to recommend Dina Mendes for the role of customer service manager at New Solutions, Inc. I have known Dina for three years, and during that time, I observed real outstanding communicative skills. Dina has worked as a sales team leader at App Solutions, Inc. from January 12, 2017, to November 20 of the current year, and managed to show her leadership abilities and determination.
Dina is an invaluable employee, always ready to help not only clients but also her team members. Her patience and empathy helped her deal even with the rudest customers, and her positive attitude always motivated the team. Her contribution as an employee to the improvement of the company’s service procedures is hard to overestimate.
As a person, Dina is a bit self-demanding, usually takes a lot of responsibilities. However, she has excellent time management skills and is capable of working under pressure. Dina is a compassionate and persuasive person, a true team player.
I strongly recommend Dina as an employee at New Solutions, Inc. I am confident that she will become an excellent addition to your company. If you have more questions about Dina’s experience, skills, or personal traits, please contact me at 555-5555-555.
Sincerely,
Chris Roland
CEO at App Solutions, Inc.
1111 Main Street
Somewhere, CA 90044
555-555-5555
chris.roland@appsolutions.org
Most recommendation letters fit on one page. Two pages is the most to aim for, so pick your strongest examples and leave the rest out. A shorter letter is also easier for busy readers to finish.
Pick someone who knows you well. Common choices include:
People often use the two terms for the same document. Both describe a person’s experience, skills, and character, written by someone who knows them well.
Send your resume, the job or program description, and a cover letter if you have one. Also share the achievements you hope the letter will mention, and agree on a date that works for both of you.
Yes. Adjust the details to fit the occasion, or start from one of the type-specific templates at the top of this page for a closer match.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
