How to Write a Letter of Recommendation: Format, Example & Checklist

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation in 5 Steps

Before drafting, turn the request into a small evidence project. The reader needs enough context to trust the recommendation, but not a complete biography. These five steps work for an employment reference, academic application, scholarship, internship, or professional opportunity.

1. 1. Confirm the purpose and audience

   Ask where the letter will be used, who will read it, the deadline, and whether there is a required format or submission system. A job reference should emphasize performance and collaboration; an academic letter may need learning, research, persistence, or intellectual curiosity.

2. 2. Choose evidence you can verify

   Select two or three moments you personally observed. Strong evidence includes a project result, a difficult problem the candidate handled, a change in responsibility, or a concrete example of judgment. Do not repeat claims copied from a resume unless you can add useful context.

3. 3. Build a simple structure

   Plan an opening that names the relationship, two body sections that connect qualities to evidence, and a closing that states your level of confidence. A short outline prevents the letter from becoming a timeline of every task the candidate has completed.

4. 4. Write for the decision being made

   Explain why the candidate fits this job, course, scholarship, or program. Translate facts into relevance: what the candidate did, how they did it, and what the result shows. Keep the tone warm but professional, and never exaggerate beyond what you know.

5. 5. Review facts, privacy, and delivery

   Check names, pronouns, dates, titles, organizations, attachments, links, and submission instructions. Remove private details that are not needed. Read the final version aloud and confirm that the candidate has approved any sensitive information before you send it.

Letter of Recommendation Format at a Glance

There is no single universal template, but a predictable format makes the recommendation easier to assess. Use block paragraphs, readable spacing, and a professional header unless the recipient provides different instructions.

How to Start a Letter of Recommendation

The first paragraph should establish credibility without spending the whole opening on the writer. Name your role, explain how you know the candidate, and state the opportunity. Then give the reader a short reason to keep reading.

Name the relationship and purpose

A direct opening is more useful than a dramatic introduction. The reader should know whether you supervised, taught, advised, managed, or worked alongside the candidate, and how long you observed their work.

• I am pleased to recommend Jordan Lee for the product analyst position. I supervised Jordan for two years on the customer insights team at Northstar Labs.
• I am writing in support of Maya Chen's application to the graduate research program. I taught Maya in advanced methods and advised her capstone project.
• As Alex Morgan's project manager, I saw firsthand how Alex handled a delayed launch, coordinated three teams, and kept the client informed.

Make the first quality specific

After naming the relationship, identify one quality that the rest of the letter will prove. Use a quality that matters to the opportunity—analytical judgment, research discipline, leadership, reliability, communication, or resilience—and connect it to a real observation.

• Jordan combines careful analysis with the ability to explain a decision to people who do not work with data every day.
• Maya's strongest quality is not simply diligence; it is the way she turns feedback into a better research question.
• Alex earned trust during the launch because teammates could rely on both the preparation and the follow-through.

What to Include in the Body

A recommendation becomes persuasive when each paragraph answers a different question: what did the candidate do, how did they do it, and what does that show about their future work? Keep the examples concrete and avoid making the same compliment in three different ways.

1. Relationship and context

Give enough context to make the example meaningful. Mention the course, team, project, client, or period of supervision. You do not need to list every responsibility; explain the setting in which you observed the candidate's work.

2. Specific evidence and action

Describe a situation, the candidate's action, and the result. A strong example might show how the candidate analyzed a problem, improved a process, supported a teammate, learned a difficult method, or made a thoughtful decision under pressure.

3. Impact and fit

Interpret the example for the reader. Say what the result reveals and connect it to the job, program, or opportunity. A statement such as ‘this is why I believe they will thrive in a research setting’ is stronger when it follows evidence rather than replacing it.

How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation

If you are requesting the letter, make it easy for the writer to give an informed answer. A thoughtful request respects their time and gives them the context needed to write a specific recommendation rather than a rushed generic note.

Ask the right person early

Choose someone who knows your work well and can describe relevant evidence. Ask before the deadline becomes urgent, and give the person permission to decline if they cannot write a strong letter or do not have enough time.

Send a useful request packet

Include the opportunity, deadline, submission instructions, your current resume or activities list, a short description of your goals, and two or three accomplishments the writer may have seen. Explain what you value about their perspective instead of simply asking for a favor.

Follow up without pressure

Confirm that the materials arrived, send one polite reminder before the deadline, and thank the writer afterward. If the process changes, tell them promptly. A short, respectful email is usually better than repeated messages or a last-minute emergency.

How to Close the Letter

The ending should answer the reader's final question: would this writer recommend the candidate for this opportunity? State your confidence plainly, avoid absolute claims you cannot defend, and offer a way to follow up.

Letter of Recommendation Examples

These examples show structure and evidence, not wording to copy. Replace every placeholder with facts the writer can verify, and adjust the level of detail to the opportunity.

Job recommendation example

Academic recommendation example

Review, Personalize, and Use AI Carefully

A draft is ready only when the facts belong to the writer and the examples sound like real observation. Read once for meaning, once for accuracy, and once for tone.

• Verify the candidate's name, pronouns, program, job title, organization, dates, and deadline.
• Replace broad praise with a specific situation, action, and result.
• Remove confidential details or personal information the reader does not need.
• Make sure the level of enthusiasm matches what the writer can honestly support.
• Check the submission link, file name, signature, and contact details before sending.

If a blank page is slowing you down, the free AI letter writer can help organize a first draft. Treat the output as editable material: verify every claim, protect private information, and keep the final recommendation in the writer's own voice.

Common Letter of Recommendation Mistakes

• Starting with generic praise — A sentence such as ‘Sam is hardworking’ is weak until the letter shows when and how Sam demonstrated that quality.
• Writing for every opportunity at once — A letter that never names the job, program, or decision gives the reader no reason to trust the fit.
• Repeating the resume — Add context and interpretation instead of copying a list of duties or activities.
• Making claims the writer cannot verify — Do not describe skills, diagnoses, family circumstances, or achievements based only on hearsay.
• Using an unclear closing — Tell the reader whether you recommend the candidate and how to contact you for follow-up.
• Ignoring the submission instructions — Check the required file type, length, recipient, portal, deadline, and signature before delivery.

Letter of Recommendation FAQ