GUIDELINES FOR WRITING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Letters of recommendation are used to gather additional information about a candidate for employment,
graduate study or other opportunity. It should give an overall picture of the candidate's:
Preferably, the person writing the letter of recommendation has been in a working or academic relationship
with the applicant. It is recommended that the student provide you with a copy of their resume, along with the job de-
scription they are applying for. The letter should be about one page in length and generally consist of three parts:
opening, body, and closing.
Two questions to ask yourself BEFORE accepting a request to write a letter of recommendation
1. Can you speak positive about this individual? If you find yourself making up half truths, or having trouble find-
ing positives, then you need to politely decline serving as a reference, or writing a reference letter. To avoid hurting
feelings, simply state you feel you are not familiar enough with their background or work ethic to provide the best rec-
ommendation.
2. Can you speak for the applicant on the position they are applying for? If an individual asks you to be a refer-
ence, or to provide a reference letter and you do not feel you can provide a well rounded background reference, then
you may want to consider either politely declining, or setting up an appointment with that individual to get to know
them, and the position they are seeking more.
Opening
The writer should explain the relationship between himself/herself and the candidate as well as why the letter is being
written.
For example: Bill Jones completed his student teaching under my supervision. I am pleased to
be able to provide a letter recommending him for a position as a teacher.
The writer may want to describe the type of experience, length, and time period during which he/she worked
with the candidate. The writer may also wish to describe any special assignments or responsibilities that the
candidate completed.
Body
The body of the recommendation should provide specific information about the candidate.
Information may include:
1. Personal characteristics such as poise, confidence, dependability, patience, creativity, etc.
2. Teaching abilities such as knowledge of the subject area, problem solving abilities, ability to manage
students, ability to work with colleagues and parents, curriculum development, etc.
3. Specific areas of strength or special experiences. The candidate may have some exceptional strengths
such as a very high energy level or excellent communication skills.
Closing
The closing of the letter should briefly summarize previous points and clearly state that you recommend the
candidate for the position, graduate program or opportunity they are seeking.
The recommendation letter should be written in language that is straightforward and to the point. Avoid using
jargon or language that is too general or effusive.
Kaiser, L. (2001) Guidelines for Writing Letters of Recommendation. Retrieved from: http://career.clemson.edu/faculty/writing_guidelines.pdf
See Page Two for a Sample Recommendation Letter
personal characteristics
performance
experience
strengths
capabilities
professional promise