Is writing a letter really difficult? Not necessarily. If you master the structure of any letter, writing it may be way easier. However, there are some types of letters that may be more troublesome since they do require some extra efforts and modifying the structure a little. What kind of letters are they? We can recognize a few, but a letter of recommendation is one of them. What is it, how to write a letter of recommendation and how to structure it right to make it pass the test? Read on to find out!
What is a letter of recommendation?
Letters of recommendation are getting increasingly more popular nowadays and can be great deals when it comes to recruitment processes. You can either receive a letter of recommendation if you ask someone for writing it for (and about) you, or you can give it to someone if you want to recommend someone further.
Letters of recommendation are usually written to recommend someone for the next job role, position or relocation. They should include some strengths and opportunities, some kind of rating of a particular person’s potential in terms of work. Letters of recommendation are often written by previous employers who want to recommend a particular employee to others, due to the unstable situation in the previous workplace (for example, closing the whole branch). Sometimes, the employers are asked by employees to give some kind of endorsements in the form of a letter.
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How to write a letter of recommendation – best practices
There are a few pieces of good advice we can give you in terms of writing some letters of recommendation. You can either use them for writing such a letter to someone you would like to recommend to others or for verifying whether the letter of recommendation you received is correct.
Always double-check whether the letter of a recommendation reflects the actual skill and scope of cooperation. It should also include the period of work of a particular person, to show whether the experience was gained and presented a few years ago or rather recently.
It is always in good taste to highlight some of the best things of a particular person – things that can also be widely appreciated in the new role.
How to write a letter of recommendation – brief example
Let’s say that you want to write a letter of recommendation about a restaurant manager that you worked with for 6 years, but the business is closing now – nothing to do with a particular restaurant, the chain is just closing in the whole country. What can you write about him?
Highlight his skills connected to management and restaurant logistics. Write about the achievements and goals or key performance indicators met by that person – this may be a gamechanger for anyone interested in hiring them. While skillset is important, do not forget about some more “human” characteristics, shows the nature of that person. Show them in the bright light so no employer would ever hesitate in terms of onboarding such an employee in their team.
