Before agreeing to prepare a recommendation letter, consider if you are qualified to appropriately judge the candidate's skills. How well you know the person and what they are capable of is important. If you are unable to create a letter that is positive and flattering, it is acceptable to turn down the request. Knowing the person well and understanding their achievements is key.

Ask the person requesting the letter to provide as much information as possible about what they are applying to. For example, if the letter is recommending them for a specific job, ask for the job description. This will help you to determine what skills the employer is looking for. You can then offer examples of how this person fulfills the job requirements. Many academic institutions or colleges have guidelines on their website of what they are specifically looking for. This is a good place to start when drafting your ideas.

Start the letter by introducing yourself and letting the reader know what your relationship is to the candidate. If you were their supervising manager, indicate both your job title and theirs. Be sure to include the length of time that you worked together. If you are providing an academic reference, include information about your position in relation to the student. For example, if you were a teacher, indicate the class or grade that you taught the student in and what the name of the school was. The information in this section will help the reader to verify information that will likely be present on the candidate's job or school application.

The body of the recommendation letter is likely the longest part with the most detail. It can be one or multiple paragraphs, but try to keep the information concise and straightforward. Consider including the following items:

Once you have completed a detailed summary of what you perceive to be the candidate's best features, a general recommendation paragraph is needed. This is often just one paragraph and will include a statement about how or why you believe this person is a qualified individual. You can indicate that you would be pleased to work with them again, or that they were a memorable or exemplary student in the class.

The conclusion section of any letter is generally brief. The point of this paragraph is to provide general information about the letter. Indicate that you are willing to answer further questions or clarify the details in the letter in a phone call or email. This shows that you are open to communication and are willing to confirm your enthusiasm for the candidate.

There are many ways you can write a recommendation letter. Here are a few helpful tips to consider:

The purpose of a letter of recommendation is to provide an honest and positive review of an individual's performance. There are a number of items that you should avoid when preparing a letter:

Unless otherwise directed, letters generally follow an agreed-upon layout and format. This helps the reader to quickly scan a letter to find information. Be sure to include the following sections, in the order listed: