Complete Guide On How To Write A Letter Of Recommendation (LOR)

Admissions officers take letters of recommendation seriously. As college admissions become more difficult each year, recommendations can make or break a student’s chances.

Most admissions committees seek a comprehensive view of the applicant. They are interested in you as a person, not just your academics and exam scores. A great recommendation letter highlights your outstanding skills while also providing insight into your character and personality.

A letter of recommendation is a letter that recommends the work or academic performance of an individual. It is usually sent to a hiring manager or admissions officer who is deciding whether to hire or admit a candidate.

What is a letter of recommendation?

A letter of recommendation, also known as a reference letter, informs admission officers about whether or not a candidate is qualified for a specific post. There are various types of positions available, such as jobs, internships, master’s degrees, and Ph.D. programs.

A letter of recommendation describes a person’s qualifications and skills in relation to job or education. A past employer, a professor, a colleague, a client, or an instructor may write the letter. They talk on what skills and abilities make the candidate a good fit for the job, college, or graduate school.

Importance of Recommendation Letter

• A CV, statement of purpose, and application essay are all required for admission to a university in another country. While each of these is important in its own right, the recommendation letter is crucial. As a result, it enables you to demonstrate to someone in authority that your work is credible.
• In academia and the workplace, having validation from another individual, particularly an experienced professional or someone who has worked with you, is quite valuable. Their words are important since they have worked with you directly.
• These letters have a tremendous impact on a person’s skills and character. The recommendation and observation support showing behavior to assist hiring managers and recruiters in gaining a better picture of the individual and their potential for future success.

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation?

1. Introduction

A letter of recommendation can make or break a candidate’s academic or professional career. This detailed tutorial covers the details of writing a great letter of recommendation, including tips, tricks, and tactics to help you impress.

2. Understanding the Purpose of a Letter of Recommendation

A letter of recommendation highlights a candidate’s skills, qualifications, and personality, providing insights that may not be apparent from their CV or application. These letters, necessary for university admissions, fellowships, internships, job applications, and volunteer opportunities, can strongly affect a decision-maker’s opinion of the candidate, perhaps favoring them.

3. Types of Recommendation Letters

There are three main types of recommendation letters, each catering to specific application scenarios:

• Academic recommendation letters
• Employment recommendation letters
• Character recommendation letters

Each recommendation letter focuses on a different part of the candidate’s background, such as academic performance, professional experience, or personal traits. The writer’s relationship with the candidate, whether as a teacher, employer, or personal acquaintance, also influences the letter’s content and tone.

4. Essential Components of a Letter of Recommendation

An effective letter of recommendation should include the following sections:

• Salutation
• Introduction
• Overview of the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and strengths
• Personal anecdote showcasing the candidate’s abilities
• Closing statement and call to action
• Signature and contact information

Each section serves a specific purpose, working together to paint a comprehensive picture of the candidate’s suitability for the position in question.

5. Formatting and Layout Guidelines for a Letter of Recommendation

To ensure readability and professional presentation, adhere to the following formatting and layout rules:

• One-page length
• Single-spaced lining with spaces between paragraphs
• Traditional font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri)
• 1″ margins on all sides
• 10-12pt font size
• Left-aligned text

These guidelines help create a visually appealing and easy-to-read document that conveys your message effectively.

6. How to Write a Powerful and Persuasive Letter of Recommendation

Crafting a persuasive letter of recommendation involves more than just adhering to the format and layout guidelines. Focus on the following tips to ensure your letter stands out:

• Write an attention-grabbing introduction
• Establish a meaningful relationship with the candidate
• Tailor your recommendation to the candidate’s application
• List the candidate’s achievements
• Polish up your recommendation letter

By following these tips, you can create a recommendation letter that showcases the candidate in the best possible light and increases their chances of success.

7. Tips for Tailoring a Recommendation Letter to the Candidate’s Application

To be genuinely effective, tailor your recommendation letter to the exact needs of the position or program for which the candidate is applying. This entails highlighting relevant skills, qualities, and accomplishments that illustrate the candidate’s appropriateness for the position. Tailoring your message in this way allows decision-makers to consider the candidate as a great fit, enhancing their chances of selection.

8. Asking for a Letter of Recommendation: Best Practices

When requesting a letter of recommendation, consider the following best practices:

• Choose an appropriate person who knows you well and can attest to your abilities
• Provide ample notice and relevant information to the writer
• Follow up with a thank you note once the letter has been submitted

By following these guidelines, you can ensure a smooth process and increase the likelihood of receiving a strong recommendation.

9. Crafting a Winning Recommendation Letter Template

Having a pre-built template can simplify the process of writing a recommendation letter, providing a consistent structure and format to work from. Use the following template as a starting point:

[Salutation]

[Attention-grabbing introduction]

[Brief introduction of the writer and relationship with the candidate]

[Overview of the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and strengths]

[Personal anecdote showcasing the candidate’s abilities]

[Closing statement and call to action]

[Signature and contact information]

By following this template, you can create a compelling and persuasive letter of recommendation that effectively highlights the candidate’s strengths and qualifications.

10. Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

A well-written recommendation letter can considerably improve a candidate’s chances of success in the application process. By following the principles and ideas in this article, you can develop a one-of-a-kind, SEO-friendly, and engaging letter that effectively shows the candidate’s talents, qualifications, and personal qualities, enhancing their chances of landing the desired position or opportunity.

LOR Sample For Undergraduate (UG) Program

LOR Sample For MS Program

LOR Sample For Professionals

What makes a good letter of recommendation?

Finding someone to endorse your character is one of the hardest elements of college application. Friends and relatives write recommendation letters, while employers write them. No matter what, they’re vital. Family and friend recommendation letters are more personal. Employer-written letters are more professional, but both are crucial. More endorsement letters are better. Make sure your recommendation letters are unique if you receive more than one.

Whether from a teacher, school counselor, or peer, your recommendation letter should reflect your unique traits and achievements. The admissions committee wants to know you. They want to know your personality, interests, and character. What drives you? How do you communicate with professors and classmates? How do you handle problems? What are you doing to reach your goals?

Colleges want students who will improve their community and thrive academically. A compelling letter will explain your past accomplishments and your potential success.

Strong character, leadership, and creative skills impress admissions officers. Sincerity, morality, boldness, humor, maturity, cultural sensitivity, insight, and compassion may be praised by your recommenders. Teachers may comment on your analytical, communication, problem-solving, and abilities to work with others

Tips for Writing a Strong Letter of Recommendation

If you’re looking for guidance on how to write a letter of recommendation, here are a few tips that can help you through the process.

New letter for each recommendation

It is best to write a new letter for each recommendation. While a basic template might be helpful, it is important to personalize each letter by include particular facts that highlight the candidate’s talents and abilities. Making a basic outline ahead of time can help you address all of the important topics about the candidate’s qualifications.

Request some bullet points

Consider sending a list of bullet points or a short paragraph outlining the major points you want to convey for the position. This will save you time and ensure that you cover the most important points. They may also provide a draft of the letter that you can rewrite in your own terms.

Prepare a list of qualities

Create a list of their skills and achievements that showcase your qualifications for the job. It’s also a good idea to highlight top assets that are relevant to the job you are seeking.

Include language from the job description

To understand the employer’s expectations, request a job description cop. By carefully reading the job description, you may modify your application to fit its needs. If you’re writing a general recommendation, ask the candidate for two job examples they are applying for, so you can create one that applies to both.

Focus on one or two qualities

Please select one or two traits that make the candidate fit for the job. Give examples of the candidate’s behavior to support your claims. Discuss the barriers they overcame to reach their goals. The letter’s body should include two paragraphs: one on the candidate’s accomplishment and one on their character attributes, such as fortitude, integrity, work ethic, or personal standards.

Quantify the strengths

It’s helpful to quantify your strengths wherever possible. This may involve ranking your friends or colleagues in comparison to you, such as most analytical skills. You could also cite particular accomplishments you achieved while working under supervision, such as increasing website traffic by 25% and revenues by 10%.

Discuss their potential

Please include in the letter why you think the individual would excel if given the chance. You might emphasize their teamwork and independence. Please also list any abilities, strengths, or talents you think will assist them achieve.

Be enthusiastic

Your goal is to help the individual stand out from other applicants for the career or college program they’re interested in. Express your enthusiasm for their suitability for the role. You can simply accomplish this by informing the recipient of the letter that you would be delighted to rehire them in your department.

Proofread

It is crucial to dedicate sufficient time to proofread the letter meticulously to prevent any typos or grammatical mistakes. In fact, it might be helpful to read the letter out loud to prevent unintentional skipping of words and potential errors.

Use the right format and length

If you wish to print your letter, choose Times New Roman at 12-point. Electronic letters should use Arial 11-point font. Print the letter with a one-inch margin. Letters should be two-thirds to one full-single-spaced page long.

LOR Guidelines

Unless specified by the university or college, a letter of recommendation is often a 400-500 word essay. It should go over the candidate’s abilities, skills, strengths, and weaknesses. Here are some general guidelines to bear in mind as you work on your LOR:

• Use the official letterhead of the previous institution or company for the LOR.
• Ensure that the professional LOR recommender is still working in the company.
• Remember that a LOR is not a repetition of an SOP, as they are two different documents.
• An ideal LOR should demonstrate various perspectives and aspects of your personality that are not stated in your resume or SOP.

LOR Samples for Students: Basic Format

Here’s the basic LOR format to follow:

To Whomsoever It May Concern

• First Paragraph: Introduction – Introduce the recommender’s credentials and relationship with the student, and mention how long they have known the student.
• Second Paragraph: Discuss Major Quality – Talk about the student’s essential qualities, such as research aptitude, academic prowess, leadership, teamwork, organizational skills, etc. Provide examples to demonstrate these qualities.
• Third Paragraph: Discuss Other Qualities – Highlight another quality of the student and provide claims to support the qualities mentioned.
• Fourth Paragraph: Talk about Some More Qualities – Discuss co-curricular achievements or sports-related accomplishments, showcasing qualities like teamwork, enthusiasm, and an all-rounded personality.
• Fifth Paragraph: Conclusion – Summarize the student’s strengths and provide an enthusiastic endorsement by the recommender for their candidacy.
• Salutations – Use phrases like “Best wishes,” “Best regards,” “Yours faithfully,” or “Yours sincerely.”
  Recommender’s Information – Include the recommender’s name, designation, school, city, contact, and email.

LOR Template

Here’s a template to assist you in writing a LOR:

To Whom This May Concern

My name is [Recommender Name], and I am pleased to offer my recommendation of [Candidate’s full name], whom I have personally known for [number of years or months] at [location].

During my relationship with [candidate’s name], I have observed that they are a diligent employee, showcasing qualities such as teamwork, initiative, work ethic, and maturity. I strongly recommend [Candidate’s full name] for the program at [University’s name].

For any queries, please contact me at:

Best,

[Signature]

[Date]

[Mobile Number]

[Email]

Conclusion

Writing a good recommendation letter shows potential employers or classmates that you know them and can write about them. A well-written recommendation letter informs your employer or professor that you know and understand the candidate’s skills and that you’re a good fit.

A strong letter of recommendation can make or destroy a candidate’s job prospects. This six-part course offers advice and tactics to write an engaging letter.
With the appropriate guidance and formatting, you can write a recommendation letter that promotes the candidate and boosts their chances of success.

If you need a letter of recommendation, ask someone you know for an objective assessment of your work and character and suggestions on how to ask.