How to Write a Recommendation Letter for a Friend
Anybody who has good friends should know how to write a recommendation letter for a friend. A recommendation letter for a friend is also called a personal recommendation letter or a reference letter. It is a letter that highlights positive attributes of a friend or an individual while recommending them for a position- best-job-interview.com.
When applying for a job or an MBA, a recommendation letter for a friend should be written by a person who knows you outside the work parameters or one with the external view of your candidacy.
Although you may choose who writes a recommendation letter for you, most recommenders write the recommendations themselves and you may not know what they write about you in the letter- bloomberg.com.
A step-by-step guide on how to write a recommendation letter for a friend
- Preparation
You need to prepare to write a recommendation letter for a friend. This preparation entails targeting the recommendation. For instance, are you recommending a friend for a job, an academic position or a volunteer post? Take time to know what the position that your friend is applying for is all about. Your friend can give you a description of the position that they are applying for. Review it before you start writing so that you can come up with a letter that is tailored for that specific purpose.
- Get appropriate contacts and use them properly
Your friend should give you the appropriate address and name to use in the letter. When writing the recommendation letter, you need to adhere to formal letter protocol- work.chron.com.
Note that, a recommendation letter for a friend is the same as a professional communication letter.
Therefore;
- Your address should be placed at the top-right side.
- Your address should be followed by the date
- Below your address and the date, the recipient’s address should be written on the left side.
Example:
Henry Patrick
134 B Street
City Center, New York 13246
June 19, 2015
Ben Martin
342 A Street
City Center, New York 2134
- Salutation
Use a formal letter’s greetings.
Example:
“Dear Mr. Ben,”
If you do not know the name of the recipient, use “Dear Sir,” or “Dear Madam,”
- Write the introductory paragraph
The introductory paragraph should explain the reason for writing the letter. It should also indicate the person that you are recommending. Provide an overview of the relationship that you have with the person that you are writing to recommend. The introductory paragraph can be one sentence, two or more.
Example:
“I am glad to recommend Joyce Stephanie for an editorial position at Carescorp Consultancy. As the General Manager of Write Right Inc, I was the direct supervisor of Joyce from 2012 to 2015. We handled several key projects together successfully at that time and I also came to know her very well.”
- Write the body
In the body, you make your friend’s case. The body can have several paragraphs. This is where you describe the experiences that you have had with your friend. You can also provide examples of the good qualities of your friend.
Example:
“Joyce’s impeccable grammar and attention to details combined with her passion for what she does makes her an ideal person for an editorial position. During the time that she worked with us, she helped in improving productivity in our company. Her approach to writing quality and unique content that meets the specific needs of clients made her an invaluable asset for our company. She is highly professional and respected. She is humble and easy to work with…”
You should be specific when recommending your friend. For instance, you can say “Joyce output in the completed projects exceeded the combined output of some employees combined.” By making comparisons, you will enable the recipient of your recommendation letter to know exactly why you are recommending your friend- wikihow.com.
- Write the closing paragraph
In the closing paragraph, you reinforce your belief about your friend. Make sure that the closing paragraph has the actual recommendation.
Example:
“I enthusiastically recommend Joyce for an editorial position” or “With her ability, dedication and adaptability, Joyce will be a great editor for Carescorp Consultancy. I am certain that Joyce will please you once you hire her. For further clarification, kindly contact me any time using the above address.”
- Write the actual closing
A recommendation letter for a friend should include a formal closing and a name sign.
Example:
“Sincerely,
Henry”
Or
“Best Regards,
Henry”
Note that the closing paragraph is very important because this is where you state clearly that you have confidence in the qualifications of your friend for the position that he/she is applying for. In this paragraph, you can also tell your recipient that you are willing to discuss your friend’s experiences and qualifications in greater details. After closing the letter with, “Sincerely,” “Best Regards,” or “Yours truly,” and your name, you can also include your title followed by the company name.
More guidelines on how to write a recommendation letter for a friend
- Explain the relationship that one has with a friend
Explaining the kind of a relationship that you have with the person that you are recommending is very crucial and it should be done right away. This is because it tells the recipient what qualifies you to write a recommendation letter for that person or your friend.
- Explain the accomplishments of the friend
If you worked with your friend, explain that in the letter and how his/her job was. Explain what his/ her job duties were. If for instance the person was your junior, explain how he/she performed her duties. If you are writing a recommendation letter for an academic post for a friend that you went to the same school with, explain how he/she performed in class. Also focus on the personal traits of the person as well as how his/her traits qualify him/her for the position that he/she is applying for.
- Explain the reasons for recommending the friend
A good recommendation letter for a friend must explain why the writer feels that the person is best-suited for a position that they are applying for. Therefore, provide more details and examples to support your reasoning. Tell stories about the person. However, do not exaggerate- wikihow.com.
Helpful tips on how to write a recommendation letter for a friend
- Include the name of your organization and its address to make your recommendation letter more credible
- Use the right attributes of your friend in the letter such as sociability and interpersonal skills, creative thinking and imaginative, dedication, leadership, honesty, intelligence and integrity among others.
- Keep the content and tone businesslike, specific and factual throughout
- Be positive and complementary but honest
- Use the full name of the friend while mentioning him/her for the first time. After that, you can use the friend’s first name only or with a title.
Avoid
- Lying or stretching the truth so that you can benefit the friend. This can cause trouble for the friend that you are recommending in case the recipient knows the truth.
- Mentioning the weaknesses of your friend
- Taking an informal approach
- Saying something that can be construed to be a libel
- Personal information that is not relevant to your friend’s recommendation or application
- Platitudes and generalities
- Wording that can be used in reference to race, political affiliation, nationality, religion, marital status or age or anything that is discriminative.
Example of a recommendation letter for a friend
Martin John
132 A Street
Kingston, Jamaica 23124
June 19, 2015
Bill James
3426 B Street
Kingston, Jamaica 23124
Dear Mr. James,
I am writing this letter in regards to Mr. Ken Bradley. I have personally known Ken for more than 10 years.
Ken is organized, easy going and responsible. He possesses skills and vast experience in office management. I strongly believe that he is an ideal candidate for the office manager’s position that he is applying for in your organization. While working with Intel Communications where his duties entailed answering phones, book keeping and scheduling appointments, Ken demonstrated skills and abilities that set him apart from other employees. He is diligent, adaptable, disciplined, energetic and hardworking.
I confidently recommend Ken for the office manager’s job in your organization because I know that he is a capable office manager. In case you need further clarification, kindly contact me using the above address.
Best regards,
Martin John
341-345-321
martinjohn@gmail.com
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Sources
http://www.best-job-interview.com/character-reference-letter.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2012-07-25/recommendations-an-mba-applicants-best-friend
http://work.chron.com/write-job-reference-friend-9515.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Letter-of-Recommendation