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Reference Letter

What is a Reference Letter?

A reference letter is a letter in which skills and capabilities of another person are mentioned in a positive way. Do you know why this type of a letter is used for? It is used for:

  • The university admission
  • The job application
  • The scholarship application

Do you know what the person who writes such a letter is called as? The person writing a reference letter is called as a referee and sometimes is also called as a sponsor. The referee can be anyone like:

  • A boss,
  • A supervisor,
  • A teacher,
  • A professor, etc.

To write such a letter, it is important for you to have some connection with the concerned person. Showing your connection can make it easy for you to draft a reference letter.

Structure of the reference letter

There is no particular structure or a format specified for the reference letter. Generally, the business letter format is used to draft such a letter. Over the period of time, it has been observed that people are following a particular structure for writing the reference letter like:

  • If you are writing the reference letter for the sake of employment, then it is important for you to make use of letterhead or the good quality of a paper.
  • Whichever type of the reference letter you are writing, it is important for you to add the right salutation.
  • Do you know the recipient? If yes, then mention the name of a recipient or you can write “To Whom It May Concern”.
  • It is very important for you to mention the purpose of writing a reference letter.
  • Generally, the referee mentions the details of the person to whom he or she is referring.
  • It is important for the referee to show his or her connection with the student or an employee.
  • Don’t make use of more than two sentences to describe your connection. From how long you are knowing each other? Give answer to this question, in the beginning of the reference letter.
  • Describe in detail about the qualifications and abilities of the person. You should also mention the experience of the person if any.
  • Whatever description you give about the person, it is important to maintain the positive tone. This definitely does not mean that; you get the permission to be dishonest with the recipient.
  • In the end of a letter, you should provide a small conclusion. This conclusion should be the short summary of the candidate.
  • Reassure the reader, that the candidate is efficient enough to hire. Also let the reader know that he or she can get in touch with you, in a case of any queries. For this, it is important for you to add the contact details.

How to Write a Reference Letter?

  • How do you know the applicant? It is important to explain this point in your reference letter. You can also explain the relationship that you share with an applicant.
  • Why is an applicant different from others? It is good to be straightforward in such a letter, but at the same time, it is also important to mention some exceptional points about the applicant that makes him or her different from others.
  • How important is it to list the exceptional qualities of an applicant? It is very important, but ensure that you list the qualities that are related to the job search.
  • How will you make your letter look truthful? It is possible by backing up your letter with some specific examples.
  • What are all things you can mention in the reference letter? You can add different things in such a letter like those related to the experience, achievements, interaction skill, reliability etc. of an applicant.
  • How important is it to not lie in the letter? It is always advisable to say the truth in such a letter and so if you think you cannot write a positive letter, then diplomatically say no to the applicant.
  • What is not allowed to include in the reference letter? You are absolutely not allowed to refer an applicant by means of caste, gender, marital status, religion, disability, age etc. Make every word of your reference letter count. It is advisable to not include any kind of details in an extremely lengthy way.
  • What should be the length of a letter? The length of the letter, maximum should be one page. If you are writing it for the school admission reference, then you can somewhat extend the length.
  • How important it mention your contact information? It is very important because adding contact information can make it easy for the recipient to get in touch with you when needed.
  • How to conclude the letter? You can conclude the letter by writing some strong point about the applicant, but don’t overdo it.

Reference Letter – Writing tips

  • The reference letter is the reflection of you and the candidate and so it is important to make it look good in terms of the appearance.
  • Add information related to different aspects of an individual, but be specific while mentioning the skills and abilities.
  • Make use of the powerful words in your letter, but see to it the words you make use of does not carry any kind of positive and negative connotations.
  • You can make use of some positive adjectives like intelligent, honest, cooperative, dependable, reliable, innovative, sensible, expressive, observant, etc.
  • Don’t make use of ordinary adverbs or adjectives like fair, good, reasonable, adequate, nice etc.

Attributes used to address an applicant in the reference letter

  • Self-confidence
  • Leadership
  • High energy level
  • Ability to comminute
  • Intelligence
  • Inclination to accept responsibility
  • Imagination
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Competitiveness
  • Goal achievement
  • Vocational skills
  • Potential ability to lead

Who requires a reference letter?

  • An applicate, who is looking out for a job
  • The students, who want to apply for an academic course
  • The students, who need fund for further education
  • An interviewee, who got the new job and needs reference letter before signing the contract
  • An applicant, who wants support for the job application

Types of Reference Letters

  • Character reference letter
  • Teacher reference letter
  • Employer reference letter
  • Scholarship reference letter
  • Business reference letter
  • Adoption reference letter

Sample Child Custody Reference Letter

Last Updated On May 18, 2020 By Letter Writing Leave a Comment

Divorce is a very common thing these days and after the divorce who will take the custody of the child becomes a huge question. The reference letters are an effective way in which the court gathers important information about the relationship of each parent with the child. The reference Letter must contain ample information about […]

Filed Under: Reference Letter

Character Reference Letter

Last Updated On April 11, 2020 By Letter Writing Leave a Comment

A character reference letter is a recommendation letter written by someone who can attest to your character. A referrer can be you someone who knows you well and can positively attribute to your characteristics. A close friend, family member, colleague, coworkers, etc. can prove to be a good source as a referral. These letters may be required by […]

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Student Reference Letter

Last Updated On April 2, 2020 By Letter Writing Leave a Comment

Reference letters are gaining significance these days.  A reference letter is used to access a person’s quality and characteristics rather than digging out the information about his professional forefront. It focuses more on collecting details about a person’s attributes. Reference letters are of many types -some of them being a colleague’s reference or a student’s […]

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Work Reference Letter Sample

Last Updated On March 30, 2020 By Letter Writing Leave a Comment

A work reference letter is an informative letter that holds your opinion about the person you are referring to. It is a kind of frame that helps the employer to know about the character and other things about the employee that is important for the work environment. The main purpose of writing these letters is […]

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Request For Contractor References

Last Updated On September 12, 2018 By Letter Writing

A request letter is most handy when you require to put forth a polite and humble request. The request can be anything like asking for a favour or some information or asking for permission etc. You can also write such a letter to request the reader for a meeting, for holidays or jobs, etc. There […]

Filed Under: Reference Letter Tagged With: New Letters

Academic Reference Letter

Last Updated On September 18, 2018 By Letter Writing

Many of the colleges make sure that they get to know the student as a whole, rather than assessing him only on his test scores or academic grades. It would be impossible for the college to meet and interview all the students applying for the college. Hence the college keeps a proper screening process which […]

Filed Under: Reference Letter Tagged With: New Letters

Reference Letter for a Scholarship Applicant (From Employer) Letter

Last Updated On May 29, 2018 By Letter Writing

As an employer, you are to know best how well suited an employee is for a scholarship. Apart from other requirements, an employee applying for a scholarship program needs a reference letter from his/her current or former employer, even if the employee was working for the organisation in the near past. In this letter, the […]

Filed Under: Reference Letter, Scholarship Letter Tagged With: New Letters

Volunteer Reference Letter

Last Updated On September 19, 2018 By Letter Writing

There are plenty of volunteering positions available around, but it won’t just be handed to you. Crafting an apt Volunteer Reference Letter that grabs the attention of the hiring managers is of paramount importance to get the desired job. This kind of recommendation letter may sound uncommon, but it is very useful for people who […]

Filed Under: Recognition Letter, Reference Letter Tagged With: New Letters

Court Reference Letter

Last Updated On September 12, 2018 By Letter Writing

A court reference letter is a letter in which the skills and capabilities of another person are mentioned positively. A court reference letter is written to show how a person is better than the mistakes/crimes he/she might have committed. This letter is written to the magistrate or any higher official, mentioning the perfect character details […]

Filed Under: Reference Letter Tagged With: New Letters

College Reference Letter

Last Updated On September 10, 2018 By Letter Writing Leave a Comment

A teacher for a current student usually writes a college letter of reference. The letter may serve one of a variety of purposes; it may be a reference to college, a scholarship, a unique college program. The letter is shown with the student’s report card providing insight into what kind of student he or she […]

Filed Under: Reference Letter

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