Examples of Recommendation Letters and How to Write a Reference
The Do's and Don'ts of Writing a Great Recommendation Letter, examples of recommendation letters.
The job market is very difficult today. There are far fewer job openings, and far more job seekers. This is one of the reasons that a reference letter can be very important. If someone asks you to write a recommendation letter they are putting a fair amount of trust in you. That trust should not be taken lightly, and that is why It is so important that you take a careful look at how to write a great recommendation letter.
The first thing that you want to think about writing is an explanation of who you are and why your opinion should matter. This does not 
mean that you go into a detailed autobiography. Instead, you want to explain how you know the person that you are writing about. You need to illustrate how long you have known each other in addition to what capacity you know them in. Additionally, if you have been a colleague or supervisor of the applicant you will want to illustrate that you have current market knowledge that is pertinent to the position that they are applying for. You do not have to spend too much time on this area of the letter, but you definitely want to touch on it.
From there you want to work your way into talking about what makes this candidate so special. You want to outline what is exceptional about their skill set as well as what personal attributes make them unique. This is the part of the letter where you want to spend a fair amount of your time and energy.
Though you do not want to exaggerate you do not want to undersell either. Be sure that you clearly explain any positive claims that you make with very specific examples.
Next you are going to want to move onto what the prospective employer wants to hear which is why the candidate is a going to be a good fit in their business. You want to reference how the candidate holds the necessary skills that the prospective employer is looking for.
This may mean that you discuss their professional achievements, their academic experiences, or their proven track record of dependability Here you may want to reiterate a few qualifications or details that are on the applicants resume. This can help to call the employers attention back to those details .
There are some things that you must avoid doing when writing a recommendation letter. The most important is that if you do not feel like you can write a positive letter then you cannot accept the request to write one. While it may feel difficult to decline the request it is better in the long run.
Additionally be careful of not saying enough. While you do want each and every word to matter you do not want your letter to be do short. Generally, if you are writing an employment letter of recommendation you want it to be almost a full page in length.
Ensure that you take the time to proofread your recommendation letter. Just as errors on resumes can disqualify a candidate so can an error ridden reference letter. Instead of taking that chance spend a couple of minutes reading through your letter before you send it off.
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Examples of recommendation letters
Letters of recommendation are necessary during retrenchments or downsizing or when employees leave the firm. In these situations it is important that managers know how to write a reference.Companies normally have a database of template examples of recommendation letters for different departments as this letter has the potential to shape and impact someone’s future career prospects.
This epistle provides an analysis of an employee’s attributes, experience and abilities to save future employers interviewing time.
The writer’s credentials are important too as the reader will gain a sense of your credentials, whether you are able to formulate a sound judgment about the candidate and provide insight into the applicant’s character which information is not normally available from a resume.
Recommendation letters tend to be formalistic and include three sections: opening – purpose of the letter, body - specifics which characterize the employee and pertinent personal dimensions; and closing – level of confidence in the employee’s ability.
Examples of recommendation letters include length of service, job title, outstanding contributions, work performance, attitude, customer service, ability to work independently or unsupervised and the writer’s name, designation and contact details.
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