How to write a letter of recommendation. How to write a letter of recommendation for a company (form, template)

Anchor points

Most recently, we talked about a cover letter for a resume and figured out that having one will definitely play a positive role when considering your resume. Now it's time to talk about the letter of recommendation.

To increase your chances of finding the job you want, it will be helpful to attach a letter of recommendation to your resume (examples of letters will be given below). If it is available, the resume acquires a special status and is in the forefront for consideration. This is explained by the fact that for an employer who wants to find a conscientious and qualified employee, a letter of recommendation performs two important functions:

• Gives a more complete picture of the candidate, a kind of "psychological portrait". It indicates the successes, achievements and overall assessment of the employee's professional skills.
• Gives an additional guarantee that the candidate really worked somewhere, especially if the letter is certified by signature and seal

Do not confuse this document with that compiled by the applicant himself, in order to attract the attention of the employer. A letter of recommendation is very similar to a “reference letter from a place of work / study”, but is a more official and more modern document. A well-written such letter can be more important than the resume itself.

The basic structure of this document is formed in accordance with the general rules for writing a business letter. The text should be simple and easy to read, without complex phraseological turns.

It's no secret that many people write letters of recommendation for themselves, and then simply give them to the HR department for signature. These letters have a certain "style" a la: "During his work in our company, Petr Petrovich learned to turn water into wine and increased sales by 300%." Letters of this kind are easily recognized by HR managers and the attitude towards them immediately changes. If you decide to write a characterization for yourself, then you need to try to avoid grammatical errors, correctly punctuate and follow the tips below.

A good letter of recommendation should take no more than one page, be drawn up in accordance with the requirements for paperwork, but you should not oversaturate it with template phrases and epithets. If you want to write a letter that will not be an ordinary formal application, but will really help a person in finding the desired job, then you should not write it based on a template found somewhere - this is always striking. While adhering to the following rules, try to write in a free descriptive manner and give specific facts of the employee's achievements:

• You must specify the title - "Letter of recommendation"
• It is advisable to indicate the appeal if the letter is addressed to a specific employer
• The position in which the employee worked is indicated. During what period did he occupy it
• The next part, the most important, contains information about the successes and achievements of the applicant. Here it is better to give specific figures or facts: “increased the level of sales by so many percent ...”, “contributed to the opening of new representative offices in the following cities ...” and so on. It is necessary to describe the personal qualities of the employee, the positive traits of his character
• Specific recommendations regarding the subject of the letter are indicated: what position he is most suitable for, in what area his activity will be most effective. Example: “given the qualities of Mr. Abakumov, I recommend him for such and such a position”
• At the end, the full name of the author, his position, signature, date of preparation of the document are put. It is best to certify the letter with the signature of the CEO and the seal of the company

It must be remembered that employers very often call the organization that gave the testimonial in order to verify or clarify the information indicated in the letter, so it is always worth writing only the truth.

Everyone has to look for a job at least once in their life, and in the modern world, this has to be done even more than once. Finding a good job is not easy, because employers are demanding and selective, and competitors are on the alert. In such circumstances, it is necessary to use all possible tools that can persuade the employer to your candidacy. One such tool is a letter of recommendation.

What is a letter of recommendation and how it can help with employment

Letters of recommendation came to Russia from Europe, where they were in use several centuries ago. At that time, a letter of recommendation was actually used as a resume, and without this document there was no way to get a more or less decent job, not only to serve in a government or commercial enterprise, but even a maid or a cook needed recommendations in order to work in a good house and with a decent salary. In Soviet times, the tradition of providing recommendations when applying for a job has changed. Recommendations were replaced by characteristics that, in principle, can be considered identical to letters of recommendation in their purpose. In recent decades, in Russia, the tradition of providing recommendations for employment has been revived. The presence of recommendations (oral or written) allows the candidate to confirm in front of a potential employer that, firstly, his resume is true and, secondly, the previous workplace was not left due to a conflict or dishonest performance of duties.

• to the bank when applying for a loan or mortgage;
• to a higher education institution to consider the possibility of providing a study grant;
• to government agencies for grants.

Recommendations can be requested orally or in writing. The recruiter can receive verbal recommendations from the person indicated by the applicant through a telephone conversation or in a personal meeting. The applicant himself should most often be puzzled by the timely preparation of written recommendations. Most often, the applicant himself draws up this letter, and the manager only reads the already completed document, and then confirms with his signature that he agrees with everything stated.

My experience shows that in some companies even PR specialists are assigned to write letters of recommendation. In this case, the employee should not let everything take its course and hope that a good PR person will write “as needed”. It is better to take the initiative and prepare at least a text template about yourself on your own, even if you are deprived of the gift of writing. The PR specialist will correct punctuation and grammatical errors in the letter, the essence of which will convey what you need.

As such, there are no formal requirements for the design of letters of recommendation, however, there is a set of basic principles, the observance of which will facilitate the creation of a document and its subsequent use. A letter of recommendation should traditionally be drawn up on the company's letterhead. In a free business style, it tells about the employee and about those qualities that you want to highlight especially. At the end of the letter, the signature of the person making it, his surname and initials is put. It is also necessary to indicate the position of the compiler and contact information (telephone and email address). It is also important to indicate the date of compilation in the letter. Letters from ten years ago can hardly serve as a convincing argument for employment. The company seal may not be placed on such a letter if the seal does not exist in principle.

It is necessary to start the letter with the name, namely the words "Letter of recommendation". Further in the text, for example, the following points can be reflected:

• confirm the fact that the submitter of the letter actually worked in the designated company in such and such a time period, together with the person who is now making the recommendation;
• describe the job responsibilities of the employee, the nature of the work that he performed, and his success in this matter;
• characterize the professional qualities of the employee, the presence of achievements, promotion, gratitude;
• indicate the reasons for leaving;
• formulate your recommendations and express your opinion about the person, his talents, skills and prospects for further professional development.

The letter is free-form

How to write a letter of recommendation in English and when it may be required

When writing a letter of recommendation in English, you must adhere to the rules of business English-language correspondence. If the letter of recommendation is written in paper form, the contact information of the compiler, as well as the date of compilation, must be indicated in the header of the document. The document itself can be printed on a printer, but the signature at the bottom of the page must be handwritten.

If the document is sent by e-mail, the header can be omitted, but in the subject of the letter it is necessary to indicate the full name of the candidate, the position he is applying for, and the purpose of your letter. Contact details can be specified at the end of the letter itself after the signature.

Otherwise, the requirements for the content of an English-language letter of recommendation are identical to the requirements for a letter drawn up in Russian. The ideal length of a letter of recommendation is no more than one page.

I had to prepare letters of recommendation in English for admission to a foreign university. To write my letter, I previewed several examples of letters from the Internet, and then compiled my own version. If your level of English is far from perfect, it is better to seek help from more knowledgeable friends and colleagues. In the future, when studying, flaws in colloquial speech will be forgiven for you as a foreigner, but mistakes in the text of a letter of recommendation will not play in your favor at all.

As a rule, the head on whose behalf the document is drawn up must certify and sign a letter of recommendation. This may be the head of a department or branch, or the CEO himself. Students for their letters of recommendation can get a signature from the dean of the faculty or from the head of the department.

Strictly speaking, there are no specific requirements and rules for writing letters of recommendation, so it's hard to make a mistake when writing such a letter. Nevertheless, given that the purpose of the letter is to help the former employee find employment, following certain canons when drawing up a document, this goal can either be moved away or brought closer. So, it is unlikely that a letter will help to receive a job offer, based only on personal impressions of the employee, but not affecting the professional qualities and relationships of the person with the team. A recruiter cannot take into account a letter written by a person who did not have experience of direct interaction with the applicant. So, the personnel manager cannot make an adequate description of the advertising specialist. In order for the document to influence the decision of the recruiter, it must be drawn up by the immediate supervisor of the employee. Recommendations in vague formulaic wording also do little to help the HR manager of the future employer when making a hiring decision. A good letter should be short and concise.

The presence of recommendations from former employers is not yet a guarantee of successful employment, however, in modern conditions, when looking for a dream job, you can not disdain any auxiliary tools. It is possible that well-written recommendations will be the decisive drop that will tip the scales in your favor when making a final hiring decision.

– letter of recommendation. Consider what this document is, where and from whom you can get it, when it should be taken and when not, and how recommendations from a previous employer can help with employment. And also consider a typical example (sample) of a letter of recommendation.

A letter of recommendation is a written review about an employee, written and certified by a former employer after the employee's dismissal, which is used as an advantage in subsequent employment in another organization.

This document is a list of positive professional and personal qualities of an employee, his achievements during his work, other pluses and strengths. From the point of view of a potential employer, the content of a letter of recommendation psychologically gives the job candidate more advantages than what is written in him, even if the information is similar. This is logical, because it is one thing - what a person says about himself, and another - what others say about him. And even the very presence of a letter of recommendation can already be clearly considered as an advantage when applying for a job.

By the way, in large companies, when hiring for high positions, a letter of recommendation is generally a mandatory document for consideration of the candidate's candidacy.

But in order for a university graduate who does not yet have experience, you can enlist a letter of recommendation from the institute, in which his personal qualities would be favorably represented.

Let's start with the fact that you can get a letter of recommendation upon dismissal only if the dismissal went “smoothly”, without scandals and quarrels with superiors, and this often happens. It also makes no sense to ask for a recommendation if you were fired due to serious violations at work, dissatisfaction with your work, non-compliance with work discipline, etc.

It is best to ask for a letter of recommendation immediately, right at the time of dismissal, while there are still some mutual obligations between you and the organization. Once you are fired, no one will owe anything to anyone, and you may be denied a recommendation, if only because they do not want to spend time compiling it.

However, in such a situation, you can go for a trick: suggest to the employer that you yourself write a letter of recommendation for yourself on his behalf, and he will only sign it. I observed this practice very often, and, in some cases, employers even offered just such an option.

In this case, the employee must know how to write a letter of recommendation. There are two options here:

Of course, the first option seems easier, and most people choose it. At the same time, it has one very significant drawback. Imagine that a previous candidate (or candidates) for the job you are applying for also downloaded the same sample letter of recommendation as you and substituted their data into it. After all, as a rule, those examples that are the first in the search are downloaded. You bring a letter of recommendation to your potential manager, and it is written in the same words as previous applicants. He remembers this well, because he constantly has to read different letters of recommendation. How will the manager react? The same...

Therefore, I personally am inclined to believe that a letter of recommendation should be drawn up either according to the model used in a particular organization (each large company has its own examples of letters of recommendation that they issue to retired employees), or written independently, without copying any existing templates .

Well, in conclusion, consider an example or sample of a letter of recommendation, according to which you can independently compose it for yourself or for your employee.

1. Title. Your document should be called so: “letter of recommendation” or “recommendation”.

2. Appeal. If a letter of recommendation is addressed to a particular employer, you must contact him. On the right write: “Mr. Ivanov I.I.”, and start the text of the letter with the words: “Dear Ivan Ivanovich!”. If the recommendation is issued for any possible employers, this item is simply omitted.

3. Information about the applicant, his position, place and period of work. For example: “Mr. Petrov Petr Petrovich worked at Raduga LLC as a chief from January 2010 to June 2015”.

4. Responsibilities, achievements, successes, personal and professional skills. Here it is necessary to indicate everything that may be important when considering a candidate for the next job. For example: “In the official duties of Petrov P.P. included the search for potential wholesale buyers and the implementation of direct sales of bakery products manufactured by our company. During the period of work, he concluded 150 supply contracts, including with such large retailers as Rodnik LLC and Khleb LLC. Largely due to the results of the work of Petrov P.P., our company was able to increase sales turnover by 7 times and enter the TOP-10 manufacturers of the region. During the period of work, he showed himself as an enterprising and diligent employee, who does not stop in front of difficulties and works for results”.

Getting recommendations for potential new employees is a fair desire of employers when looking for candidates for vacant positions. Sometimes it is written in the text of the vacancy as a wish, and then it is better to try to ensure its presence among other documents provided to the employer. The employer cannot refuse a candidate due to her absence, but there will be those applicants who will fulfill this request, and their chances of getting a new position will be much higher.

In contact with

A job reference is a review provided to an employee by an employer in order to confirm the length of service in the organization and describe professional skills and personal characteristics specialist, shown in the performance of their duties.

It can be provided orally and in writing. In the first case, HR managers independently turn to the recommender, asking him questions of interest about the candidate. In the second, the time for the recruiter to receive additional information about the applicant is significantly reduced, since it was received in the form of a letter of recommendation.

For an employer, getting a recommendation can be both a pure formality and a significant stage in the selection of candidates. Thanks to her, the future employer makes conclusion about the credibility of the applicant and the absence of conflicts at previous places of work, because a brawler or a loafer is unlikely to be able to get recommendations, and even on an official letterhead with the seal of the organization. At the same time, recruiters understand that with the current technical capabilities, one may encounter the provision of a high-quality fake, but this is easy to check with one call to the company.

For the applicant, a letter of recommendation from the employer is an excellent addition to the resume, since this is not his personal assessment of his own professional qualities, but the opinion of those who worked with him when solving real work problems.

The recommendation-characteristic can be compiled by different specialists of the enterprise. But for the employee, it is important that it be signed by the immediate supervisor. The higher the recommender's status, the greater the weight and significance of the presented characteristic. Have the greatest value letters signed by the first persons organization or CEO. But not everyone has the opportunity to get them.

Recommendations for top managers provided by colleagues of equal status look illogical. Also, reviews received from managers, in whose direct subordination the specialist has never been, will have less weight.

How to write a letter of recommendation so that it is favorably received by the addressee? There are two main forms of letters, depending on who exactly is the object of characterization: either the employee or the organization itself.

Typically, the document is on company letterhead with details. But there are some cases when the recommender can be a private person. In this case, there may be no form as such, and the author himself chooses the form for submitting information. Most often, this option is used when it is necessary to make patronage to a well-known person.

A letter of recommendation (a sample is given below) from one organization to another is of particular importance at the beginning of cooperation, when sending commercial proposals, in order to confirm the quality of the services provided.

To characterize the company, a review of an ordinary buyer - an individual can be used. An example of this is the reviews on the pages of online stores, which are drawn up by people solely at their own request and in a free form, contain information about the quality of service and recommendations for cooperation.

Design rules

• use of the official letterhead of the organization;
• specifying the details of the organization;
• the presence of a signature indicating the position, surname, name and patronymic of the recommender.

Most often, the characteristic-recommendation is compiled without specifying a specific company in which it will be presented in the future. Therefore, instead of filling out the right side of the form with the details of the recipient, the standard phrase “For submission at the place of demand” is written.

Letter structure

There are no uniform requirements for the structure of the recommendation provided. Each employer compiles it at their own discretion, and sometimes creates a form of a letter of recommendation - sample for structural divisions to facilitate the task of providing characteristics to departing employees.

The document may include the following sections:

1. General part with details of the enterprise.
2. Introductory information about the enterprise and confirmation of the period of work of the employee.
3. The main part with the characteristics of the employee.
4. The final part with praise and compliments.
5. The visa of the provider of information.

What to include in a letter

The main task of the introductory part is to confirm the fact of the work of a specialist in the organization. To do this, you can specify:

• period of cooperation;
• position and structural unit in which the employee worked;
• information about the immediate supervisor;
• information about internal movements, indicating the career growth of a specialist.

In the main part, you must provide description of the qualities of a specialist. What can be included in the description:

1. Key functions of the position in which the specialist worked, or areas of his responsibility.
2. The results he achieved, his effectiveness.
3. Professional competencies to achieve results.
4. Personal properties that influenced the interaction in the team, and necessary for interaction, for example, with partners of the company.
5. If necessary, you can specify the reasons for the dismissal of a specialist.

When preparing this part of the text, the question often arises whether it is necessary to write about what skills the employee needs to develop further. Of course, this is at the mercy of the author, but it is important to understand that a too smooth and “combed” characteristic can alert you with its ideality. If it was decided to reflect not only the best qualities of the employee, then the information can be presented in the form brief description of possible development prospects for which the employee has every opportunity.

In the final part, it is necessary to confirm the readiness to recommend a specialist for consideration for vacancies, compliments about the qualities of the employee. It is appropriate to supplement this section with the contact details of the recommender and express readiness, if necessary, to give oral explanations and additions.

In order to simplify the task of preparing recommendations, we will give examples of letters of recommendation for an employee from the previous place of work (sample) and for the company.

Ivan Arkadyevich Smirnov worked at Commerce Center LLC as a Key Account Manager in the Sales Department under the supervision of the Head of the Sales Department Natalia Ivanovna Guryanova from 02/10/2015 to 01/22/2017. Having joined the company as a sales manager, a year later he was promoted to the position of a key account manager.

Ivan Arkadievich performed the tasks of supporting the company's key clients. Created commercial offers, held presentations and negotiations with the heads of sales departments of client companies, prepared proposals for expanding the range, was responsible for the timeliness and quality of shipments, and successfully resolved issues related to receivables from partners. During his work, he regularly fulfilled sales plans.

Ivan is a leader in the team, has a calm and non-conflict character, knows how to support colleagues.

The specialist left the company of his own free will in connection with moving to a new place of residence.

I recommend Ivan Arkadyevich for consideration for the position of a manager or a key account manager. I am sure that he will be able to contribute to the development of the business of the company in which he will be hired. If necessary, we are ready to provide additional information by phone. +7 (ххх) ххх-хх-хх or I will answer the request by e-mail: [email protected].

Head of the Sales Department of Commerce Center LLC Guryanova N.I.

LLC "Business" has been working with LLC "Consult" since 2011. During the cooperation with the company, 12 projects were completed in the field of describing the business processes of our company, developing regulations and procedures for processes, assessing the qualifications of our company's personnel.

LLC "Consult" is a professional team of consultants who are able to solve complex problems within the terms specified in the contract. Thanks to the completed projects, our organization was able to make changes to its work processes, which made it possible to increase business efficiency, change the motivation of staff, and create a personnel reserve for the company.

General Director of LLC "Business" Kulikov Ilya Mikhailovich

Applicants are not always able to provide written references and therefore provide the contact details of referees for oral feedback. However, there are times when companies refuse to share information over the phone, and the HR manager has to submit a formal request to receive data.

In order to do this, it is necessary to clarify the email address of the employee who could describe the candidate and send a written request. It can be sent by fax.

In writing, you must specify:

• Goal of request;
• the name of the vacancy for which the applicant is being considered;
• range of questions to be answered;
• thank you for taking the time to provide information;
• contact details for sending a response to the request.

Important! Do not ignore the request received, the rules of business etiquette require employers to write a review for an employee who has moved to a new job and send it in response to the request received.

Preparation of letters of recommendation requires some preparation, but is not too difficult. The main thing is to decide what information needs to be reflected in the document, and remember that the provided characteristic will help the employee find a job, continue his professional development and realize his ambitions.

A letter of recommendation from a commercial structure for a company is understood as a form of feedback about this company. The letter assesses the partner reliability of the company, the level of services provided, the degree of professional training of specialists, etc.

The letter is also called a cover letter.

An applicant who is about to be interviewed is more likely to get a positive result if there is a cover letter.

The work of personnel personnel is simplified and the specialist will be more attractive.

Characteristic is a positive additional factor.

• It is recommended to start the document with the words - “Letter of recommendation“, so this heading is often found.

• Submit your recommendation letter using letterhead.

The letter contains the certification signature of the head, as well as the seal of the structure giving the recommendation.

• The cover letter is limited to one page.
• When writing such a letter, do not use general phrases, give specific examples of the actions of the recommended company.
• Enter your contact details in order to be able to further refine the details.

In the United States of America, letters are prepared as cover letters. The addressee, day, month, year is indicated, then there is an appeal, something like this: "For interested parties."

The document looks like this:

It tells about the positive aspects of cooperation with the recommended structure, gives an assessment of the professional level of its specialists, and makes suggestions about using the services provided by this company.

• At the bottom of the letter signed by the head of the organization that makes up the recommendation. The position of the head, his surname, name and patronymic are indicated.
• The number is placed above or below sheet.

Technomontazhservis LLC has been a partner of our company in the construction and architectural field for a long time.

For more than four years, Technomontazhservice has been demonstrating the ability to solve the assigned tasks. All works are carried out by this structure in a timely manner and with very high quality. "Technomontazhservice" is distinguished by a high level of professionalism, organization of the company's specialists and a strong team spirit.

Executive Director of Construction Partner LLC - signature - Timoshchenko S.T.

Real Business LLC has been providing constant assistance to our company in the implementation of web design projects for more than five years. During a long period of mutual cooperation, Nastoyaschee Delo LLC has constantly confirmed its high level of competence and professionalism. Each project developed by our company was implemented by the specialists of Real Business LLC very quickly and efficiently.

We believe that it is possible to effectively and successfully cooperate with the company Real Deal LLC.

Webdesignproject.ru LLC

Since 2012, Nastoyaschee Delo LLC, within the framework of cooperation with Webdesignproject.ru LLC, has been developing new projects to promote our company in the Internet industry. During the period of our joint activity, the Real Deal has won the well-deserved authority of a structure that boldly takes on and confidently solves the most complex problems.

Our company is fully satisfied with the result of joint activities with Real Deal LLC as a responsible and reliable partner and recommends it to everyone.

Webdesignproject.ru LLC

Real Deal LLC has been a partner of Webdesignproject.ru LLC since the beginning of 2005. A long-term partnership proves that the specialists of the Real Deal are high professionals. On their part, there was never a failure to fulfill the order. The tasks were solved by them in the shortest possible time, efficiently and reliably. There were no complaints from customers about the work of the Real Case.

Director General signature Ospennikov V.A.

Webdesignproject.ru LLC

The letter confirms that Nastoyaschee delo LLC has been cooperating with Webdesignproject.ru LLC for more than four years, starting from 2011 in the field of design services. During this period, we were able to fully verify the reliability of this company, its professionalism and efficiency in solving work tasks. Employees of the "Nastoyaye delo" have an extraordinary, creative approach to the implementation of various projects.

As the General Director of Webdesignproject.ru LLC, I confirm that the activities of the specialists of Real Business LLC fully comply with the stated direction.

Director General signature Ospennikov V.A.

Webdesignproject.ru LLC

The Real Deal Limited Liability Company has been a business partner of the company since the beginning of 2001. Throughout this period, I have never been disappointed with the results of our joint activities in solving joint projects. Employees of the "Real Business" successfully solve all the variety of tasks set by the Customer. The result of their work meets high professional requirements. The high level of communication culture that is inherent in the management of Real Business LLC contributed to the close partnership relations that have developed between our companies.

Director General signature Ospennikov V.A.

Webdesignproject.ru LLC

The letter was prepared by Webdesignproject.ru LLC to confirm the fact of cooperation with Real Deal LLC. The result of such cooperation was the active promotion of our company to the international market and a significant increase in the client base. The tasks set by the employees of the Real Deal company are carried out at a high professional level and always in a timely manner. We note a creative non-standard approach to fulfilling orders, taking into account all the wishes of the clientele.

Executive director signature Ospennikov V.A.

Webdesignproject.ru LLC

Closed Joint Stock Company "Ural Timber Company" and Open Joint Stock Company "Trading House" Stroitelny "have been conducting joint activities since June 2011.

Throughout this period of cooperation, Stroitelny Trade House OJSC has established itself as a conscientious partner in carrying out repair and construction work. This company always uses the latest technological developments. The results of the execution of orders are delivered according to the previously planned deadlines. There were no complaints about the quality of work. Both executives of the company and ordinary performers conscientiously and responsibly treat the performance of their duties.

Director General of CJSC "Ural Timber Company" - signature - Tikhomirov F.A.

Optimal transport delivery LLC, cooperating with our company for more than ten years, has confidently proved its highly professional status. The employees of this company have a responsible and conscientious attitude to all road transportation. There were no facts of transportation disruptions, untimely delivery of the car or damage to the delivered goods.

The activity of Optimal Transport Delivery LLC deserves only a positive assessment.

Executive Director of JSC "Blagodat" - signature - Surname I.O.

Cleanliness and Order LLC specialists constantly manage to effectively and efficiently clean rather complex objects, to show a flexible non-standard individual approach to solving emerging problems. Orders are executed with very high quality within the stipulated time.

General Director of OJSC "Podmoskovnye Evenings" - signature - Surname I.O.