A letter of recommendation or the recommendation letter is also known as the reference letter that is considered as the document in which the writer assesses the characteristics, qualities, and capabilities of the person being recommended in terms of the individual’s ability in order to perform a particular function or task. The letter of recommendation is typically related to employment, admission to the institutions of higher education or scholarship eligibility. Having a letter of recommendation is usually important when the student wants to go abroad for further studies or wishes to take up a foreign job position. Besides the requirement for a foreign company or college, the immigration authorities usually ask to see such as the recommendation letters.
A letter of recommendation provided by the teacher can help the student stand out from the other candidates when they apply to the university or a job. The teacher can write a positive recommendation letter and can attest to the student’s qualifications and character. Knowing how to write an effective letter in different situations can help the student in a lot of situations during professional life.
In this article, we are providing some of the ideas to write a recommendation letter for a student. The student can gain knowledge after thoroughly reading this article.
1. Start with a Personal Introduction
The teacher must start the letter of recommendation by providing the introduction and explaining why you are qualified to enroll for the student. You can provide the details of the job title, the course or subject you teach, the years of teaching experience and the timeframe you have taught to the students. The teacher must clearly state the fact that they have never taught anyone but are associated with the organization for extracurricular activities that include music, sports, theatre or so on.
2. Try to Write a Customized Letter
Drafting a new letter every time for each of the recommendations. The teacher can customize each letter with the specific details about the student you are recommending. You can use some of the student’s qualifications and other skills that are relevant for the role they are applying to. To ease out your work, you can also use a template if you want to. But you must make sure that you customize the letter every single time.
3. Review the Student’s Educational and Other Related Details
For the college application, you can ask for the course requirements and other details. After reviewing the student’s performance in other activities and other academic records, read the personal essay and the college application letter. You must review the cover letter and resume if the student is applying for a particular job. You must compare the student’s information with the job requirement and the college course and consider how you must write the recommendation letter for the college or the job. Do not forget to ask the student why they are applying for the particular job or course. This can assist you in framing the perspective for the recommendation letter.
4. Know Whom to Address
Ask the student for the title or the name of the person you will write the letter to and the role in the particular college or the job application process. Knowing whom you are addressing in the recommendation letter will help you to enable and personalize the letter in a way that they will appreciate. College recommendation letters are typically written for the program director, the college admission office or to the admission counselor. If you are recommending the student for the job profile, the letter of recommendation is written to the department head, the company’s HR or the hiring manager. If the student is applying for multiple colleges or multiple roles, then you must write a generalized letter and must include the relevant attributes that will work anywhere.
5. Provide the Qualification of the Student
The letter recipient will use the recommendation letter to decide whether the student will be favourable for the company or college. For example, a college counsellor is interested in knowing how the applicants score in academics, have a great outlook and participate in extracurricular activities. Such students have more chances to sign up for the college clubs, activities and organizations and be academically and socially orientated. The company must want that the student must be reliable, ethical and hard-working.
6. End the Letter with a Positive Note
At the end of the letter, you can reiterate your confidence in the student’s abilities and character and assure the letter recipient that they will be a valuable addition to the company or the college. Also, inform them that you are ready to answer any questions the recipient might have about the student. Try to include the contact details such as the email, hours in which you are available and most importantly, your phone number. Such personal information will show the recipient that you support the student, and they will consider that when they make the selection decision.
