Reference Letter Sample

When you ask people to write a job recommendation for you, it's a good idea to provide them with a reference letter sample to help them get started. While it's not acceptable to dictate what people who are willing to speak up on your behalf say about you, it is a good idea to give them a document they can use as a guideline for creating the style of letter that prospective employers expect to receive when requesting letters of reference.

The idea behind providing sample documents to individuals who are being kind enough to provide you with formal letters of recommendation is to make it as simple as possible for them to create well written and properly formatted letters that are likely to convince hiring managers that you are worthy of employment.

Many people find the idea of writing a letter without a sample form to follow to be very intimidating. When people are drafting letters designed to pitch your qualifications to prospective employers, you want to take the stress out of formatting the document and deciding what to include. By sharing a sample letter with those who agree to help you, you are being proactive in making it as simple as possible for them and allowing them to concentrate on the content of the letter rather than the format.

There are a few ways to approach finding sample letters of reference. Select the option that is most appealing to you.

You could write an example letter yourself to share with the individuals you are asking to write letters on your behalf. If you do this, make certain to use an appropriate format and writing style and verify that everything in the letter is grammatically correct and that the spelling and punctuation are accurate.

If you opt to create your own sample document, consider providing it to the people who will be writing letters of recommendation for you in an editable electronic format, such as via email or on a jump drive. They may choose simply to add their contact information and signatures to the document without making many –or even any—changes to what you have written.

Of course, don't request that the final letters be written exactly as the sample letter. If the individuals choose to use what you provide (and many will), you'll have letters that include the exact information you'd like to share with potential employers.

Keep in mind that you do not want employers to receive identical recommendation letters on your behalf from several different people, or documents that are too much alike. You may want to create different versions of a reference letter sample for each person you are asking to write a letter. That way, even if everyone does follow your sample letter very closely, the documents that employers receive will not be too similar.

If you'd rather provide examples that other people have written, consider sharing reference letter samples that are published online, in business writing books, or that you find through other resources with the individuals who are writing letters to help support your job search.

Keep in mind that the fact that a letter is published does not mean that it is a quality document. Look closely at the format and content of any prewritten letters that you share with your references so you can be certain that they reflect the level of professionalism necessary to help you secure employment.

A few books where you can find example letters of reference include:

• How to Write Powerful Letters of Recommendation
• Instant Recommendation Letter Kit - How to Write Winning Letters of Recommendation
• Perfect Phrases for Letters of Recommendation

Websites that offer sample reference letters include:

• BusinessBalls.com
• DocStoc.com
• EnglishClub.com

In addition to making sure that the people who are providing references for you have sample documents that can make it easy for them to create quality letters, it's also important for you to be careful when choosing individuals to ask to write employment reference letters for you.

Remember that most employers want professional references, so select people who can speak about your skills from that perspective. Choose co-workers, former employers, teachers, and people you know through professional organizations who are reliable and who are likely to say positive things on your behalf. Even though your best friend and your aunt may say good things about you, an employer isn't likely to be as impressed by their comments as those made by someone who has worked with you in a professional capacity.

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