Letter Writer Hub

At some point in life, you’re almost certainly going to have to write a reference letter for someone. It might be a former employee or student, or even a family friend. Here’s what you need to know about the purpose of reference letters and how to write the most effective letter possible. Note: I will be using “candidate” to refer to the person who the reference letter is about, “you” to refer to the person writing the reference letter, and “recipient” to refer to the person receiving the letter. I’ll emphasise here, though, that reference letters are not only for job or academic “candidates”, it’s just a handy term to use to keep this article straightforward! What is a reference letter and when are they used? A reference letter is usually written to testify to a person or (occasionally) a company’s skills, character and/or achievements.  Sometimes a reference letter is known as a “recommendation letter”. It is a formal document, and should be typed and written in a serious and bus...

Has a student, volunteer, or employee asked if you would be willing to provide a  recommendation letter  for them? If you agreed to the recommendation letter request, you may be wondering exactly how to write a letter that will impress recipients. Recommendations can carry weight in a job candidate's application, so it's important to write an effective letter of support. Your letter will support the applicant's candidacy and can help them secure an offer. Discover what elements to include in your note to make it successful, and see two sample recommendation letters that you can use for inspiration as you  write your own recommendation letter .  What To Include in a Recommendation Letter Effective recommendation letters contain the “who, why, where, when, what, and how” (five Ws and How) that you may be familiar with from journalism. 1  Modified for business correspondence, this means you should explain: Who you are writing for Why you are willing to write on the...