Recommendation letters are required before applying for many jobs.
Writing a letter of recommendation to a business on behalf of someone you know or work with is a major responsibility. You may be writing the letter for your employee, colleague, student, business associate or friend, but you're most likely addressing a business or organization of some kind to recommend the person you know for a job, internship or other career opportunity. The most important part of the letter is the beginning, and you need to start it in the best possible way.
Instructions
1. Type your name and contact information at the top of the business recommendation letter. This ensures that the recipient can contact you with further questions. Type the name, title, company and address of the recipient one space below your name and contact information. If this information isn't known, ask the person you're writing the letter for to provide you with it. Type the date you're writing the letter one space below the recipient's information. Skip one line and type a professional greeting that includes the recipient's formal title and last name, followed by a colon, such as "Dear Dr. Smith:"
2. Explain why you're writing the letter in the first sentence of the first paragraph, the letter's opening segment. This sentence should include the person's name you're writing the letter for, the fact that you're recommending her and what you're recommending her for. For example, you might say, "I'm writing on behalf of Jane Smith to recommend her for the marketing internship at XYZ Company."
3. Finish the first paragraph with a few sentences about your relationship with the person you're recommending. This information should include how you know the person and how long you've known her. This concludes the opening of the letter.
4. Compliment the person you're writing the letter for in a direct and realistic manner in the second paragraph. List reasons why she is an excellent candidate. For example, you might say something like, "Jane is a very dedicated worker who is always willing to take on extra responsibilities." The body of the letter can be up to six paragraphs long, so this paragraph should basically list general traits that will be explained in more detail throughout the rest of the body of the letter. Paragraphs in the body of the letter should be about two to four sentences long.
5. Elaborate on one or two of the traits you listed in paragraph two in the third paragraph. Each paragraph in the body of the letter should give specific examples that demonstrate the general traits you already listed. In the third paragraph, for example, you might explain a specific situation in which the person demonstrated being a dedicated worker who is willing to take on extra responsibilities. According to the Box-free Concepts' online guide to letters of recommendation, this should be explained in anecdote form. It should also include details about the circumstances and the outcome, such as a project being completed successfully three days ahead of schedule. The rest of the paragraphs in the body of the letter should be also written in this way.
