FREE 30+ Basic Letter of Recommendation Samples in PDF | MS Word

In this fast-paced world, competition is everywhere. Corporations, small businesses, and even educational institutions—all these utilize stringent methods in screening the individuals who they want to join their company or university.

Whether you are applying for a job position or you are applying for a degree program in some top-notch university, then it is to be expected that there is still the competition. Truly, combating all these equally qualified applicants can be gruesome and anxiety-inducing feat. That is why, if you really want to get hired or get accepted for a school program, then you need to employ all effective methods possible. One way to ensure that you get the slot you’ve been eyeing is to ask someone to write a captivating recommendation letter for you.

If you are a previous employer, professor, or anyone at all who is asked to take on the responsibility of crafting an effective recommendation letter, then you need to be able to send a letter that is convincing. In order to do so, you need to refer to samples of recommendation letters for your letter-writing guides. Here at sampletemplates.com, we are offering you with a variety of recommendation letter samples for varied purposes. You may select from any of these and download it for free.

College Recommendation Letter

College Recommendation Letter from Teacher

College Application Recommendation Letter

 

Job Recommendation Letter

Teacher Job Recommendation Letter

Job Reference Recommendation Letter

Employee Recommendation Letter

Generic Employee Recommendation Letter

Internship Recommendation Letter from Employer

Scholarship Recommendation Letter

Scholarship Recommendation Letter for Student

Sample Scholarship Recommendation Letter from Employer

Employment Recommendation Letter

Personal Employment Recommendation Letter

General Employment Recommendation Letter

What Are Recommendation Letters?

Recommendation letters are letters that are written with the intent of convincing someone that an applicant is deserving of the position, slot, or grant that he/she is applying for. Recommendation letters are extremely helpful in both the professional and academic arena. In the professional setting, especially in big corporations, hiring the perfect and most fitting individual for each specific job position in their companies is of utmost priority. This is because the manpower or employees of any company are the ones who make the business operations run smoothly. From the utility workers, to office clerks, and managers, these people are all equally vital links in the organizational structure; the absence or incompetence of any could affect the business a whole.

On the other hand, schools and universities serve as the primary building blocks of society. These are the places where children and even adults continue to learn their craft and explore their capabilities more. By doing so, they can become more self-actualized individuals who can contribute to the overall welfare of the society. In reverse therefore, if a student is of bad character or if a professor is unworthy of taking up mentoring, then it would be better if they go to places or institutions that fits them more.

In the case of delinquents, they might not be ready for university life and they would be better benefited if they are given the necessary behavioral intervention for them to become more prepared for university life. Meanwhile, if someone whose character does not fit that which is required of a professor or teacher, then necessarily, he/she would do a crappy job at being one.

It is based on the abovementioned points that the imposition of high standards in the educational setting has become essential. One of the ways to assess if a prospective student or a prospective teacher is qualified is to refer to the recommendation letters made in favor of them.

Who Are the People Who Will Write This Letter?

A recommendation letter is a type of letter that not just anyone can make. There are circumstances that require more authoritative writers and there are circumstances that a character reference from a friend would suffice.

For your convenience, here are the most common individuals who usually possess sufficient authority to write most recommendation letters.

• The applicant’s previous post-graduate professor
• The applicant’s previous college professor
• The applicant’s previous or current employer
• The applicant’s previous or current manager
• The applicant’s previous internship adviser
• The applicant’s previous landlord or landlady

 

Meanwhile, here are some individuals who may be asked to write a recommendation letter in special circumstances or when the purpose of writing a recommendation letter allows for more subjective references.

• The applicant’s neighbor
• The applicant’s friend
• The applicant’s parents
• The applicant’s siblings
• The applicant’s relatives
• The applicant’s previous or current colleagues
• The applicant’s previous vendor or buyer
• The applicant’s previous customer/patient/client
• The head of the organization that the applicant is currently or previously a part of

 

Circumstances That Necessitates the Submission of a Recommendation Letter

There are various circumstances that require the submission of a recommendation letter and some of those are the following:

• when someone is applying for a job;
• when someone wants to apply for a scholarship grant;
• when someone wants a slot in the degree program that he/she is applying for (this is especially applicable in top-notch universities);
• when someone wants to borrow money from a person, a charitable institution, or any money-lending institution; and
• when someone wishes to be a tenant of an apartment, a land, or any establishment owned by someone else.

School Recommendation Letter

Graduate School Recommendation Letter

High School Recommendation Letter

Student Recommendation Letter

PHD Student Recommendation Letter

Student Information Form of Recommendation Letter

Academic Recommendation Letter

Academic Program Recommendation Letter

Recommendation Letter for Academic Scholarship

Letter of Recommendation Example

Nursing Letter of Recommendation

Letter of Recommendation for Friend

Business Recommendation Letter

Business  Recommendation Letter in PDF

Business School Recommendation Letter Sample

How to Make a Stellar Recommendation Letter

Recommendation letters can be difficult to make. To help guide you in your recommendation letter-writing, here are some guidelines for you to observe:

1. Assess the purpose of the letter.

Before you can create an outline of your letter, you need to first examine the intent of the recommendation letter. Get a pen and paper and try to answer the following questions:

• What is the purpose of this recommendation letter?
• Who am I writing it for?
• Who am I sending this letter to?
• Does the person who asked me write this letter possess the qualifications that are needed for what he/she is applying for?

2. Research.

After answering the abovementioned questions, it is time for you to do supplementary research. For example, if you have no knowledge of the qualifications needed for the position or grant applied for, then it is best to use the Internet or by asking people in order to get the information you are looking for. For example, if you are writing in behalf of a job applicant, then you need to know the job description, not the job position that he/she is applying for. To do this, you can ask the employees of the company that he/she is applying for or you can simply scour the Internet for samples of job descriptions for such a position. Indeed, there are various methods in conducting pre-writing research, and it is up to you to decide which works for you best.

3. Formally start your letter.

Just like all formal letters, use legitimate ways of addressing your letter recipients by using any of the following:

• Dear Ms.
• Dear Mr.
• Dear Ma’am
• Dear Professor
• Other formal titles

 

In this part, it is would make your letter more effective if you also address them with their full name or their family name.

4. State your intent of recommendation.

The individuals who will read your recommendation letter are usually burdened with thousands of tasks per day, that is why it is best to make things easier for them by stating right away that your letter’s intent is to recommend some for a certain position, slot, or grant.

You can do this by stating it in any of the following manners:

• I am writing this letter in order to recommend ________ for the _________ position/grant/slot.
• The purpose of this letter is to recommend __________ for the position/slot/grant of ________.
• Mr./Ms. _____________ is the perfect candidate you are looking for in the ________ position/slot/grant.
• I am the _________ of Mr./Ms. (applicant’s name) _________, and I am writing to recommend him/her for the ______________ position/slot/grant.

 

5. Clearly state the traits which the applicant possessed.

In this part, make sure that the traits you enumerate are directly or somewhat related to the qualifications or traits that are required of the position/grant applied for. Otherwise, your recommendation letter would be pointless.

6. Support your claims with specific instances in the past.

Of course, in order for your recommendation to be believable, you need to be able to narrate specific instances in the past that portrays the skills, characteristics, or traits that you’ve mentioned in the applicant’s favor.

7. Professionally close your letter.

You may use the standard formal closings such as the following:

• Sincerely yours,
• Your truly,
• Warmest regards, or
• Best regards.

Thesis Recommendation Letter

Master Thesis Recommendation Letter

Thesis Supervisor Recommendation Letter Sample

Recommendation Letter Format

Recommendation Letter Format

Request for Letter of Recommendation Format

Eagle Scout Letter of Recommendation

Eagle Scout Letter of Recommendation Sample

Confidential Letter of Recommendation Eagle Scout Award

Teacher Recommendation Letter

Teacher Recommendation Letter for Student Format

Substitute Teacher Recommendation Letter

Application Recommendation Letter

Job Application Recommendation Letter

Application for Letter of Recommendation

Types of Recommendation Letters

There are several types of recommendation letters. On this page, we have made our examples as varied as possible in order to cater to disparate recommending needs. Here are some of the most notable types of recommendation letters:

• Academic Recommendation Letters

There are several types of recommendation letters that are used or needed in the educational setting depending on its purpose. The following are examples of academic recommendation letters:

1. College Recommendation Letter

2. Post-Graduate Recommendation Letter

3. Nursing Recommendation Letter

4. Law School Recommendation Letter

5. PhD Recommendation Letter

6. Medical School Recommendation Letter

7. Recommendation Letters for Other Degree Courses

• Scholarship Grant Recommendation Letters

This letter is written in favor of someone who needs financial aid in his/her educational undertaking. The most important facts that must be mentioned in this letter are the following:

1. the student applicant’s high intellectual capacity;

2. the student applicant’s perseverance in achieving his/her academic goals; and

3. the student applicant’s self-reliance, sense of responsibility, and good moral character.

• Employment Recommendation Letters

This letter is otherwise known as job recommendation letters. As the name implies, this letter is sent with the purpose of increasing a job applicant’s chances of getting hired for the job position that he/she is applying for. This letter is usually sent by the following persons:

1. previous manager,

2. previous employer,

3. previous colleague, or

4. previous professor.

• Business Reommendation Letters

Business recommendation letters are usually sent in favor of a business. Usually, a business recommendation letter is addressed to target clients or vendors whom the business owner wishes to engage in business with. This letter usually states the reliablity of the company, the good quality of their products and/or services, or their ability to deal with business partners professionally and honestly.