Table of Contents
- 6 Steps on How to Write a Reference Letter
- 8+ Reference Letter Templates
- 1. Reference Check Letter Template
- 2. Sample Educational Reference Check Letter Template
- 3. Letter of Reference Long Template
- 4. Personal Reference Check Letter Template
- 5. Restaurant Letter of Reference Short Template
- 6. Free Reference Letter for School Admission
- 7. Free Reference Letter for Apartment
- 8. Free Reference Letter for Administrative Officer
- 9. Example of Employment Reference Letter
8+ Reference Letter Templates
Think about it: your candidate had a great resume, the interview was great, and you were sure that he or she had convinced the recruiter that he or she is better than the others. So then what happened? Why didn’t he/she get the job? The answer is because the chosen candidate probably had a better reference letter than yours. That is why you need to know how to write a proper reference letter.
6 Steps on How to Write a Reference Letter
Step 1: Mention the Required Details
The first step to write the letter of reference is to tell the reader who you are. Mention your name, your official position, your company or institution name, and your contact information. This should be followed by the name, title and contact information of the receiver. In the case that you do not know the person, you may write ‘To whom it may concern.’
Step 2: Greet the Receiver
Just like in the format of any letter, you need to greet the receiver with a salutation. You can write ‘Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./’ and follow that by the person’s surname. As already established, there may be cases when you do not know the receiver. In such cases, you can write ‘Dear or Respected Hiring Manager’ or ‘Dear Recruiter’. If the letter is for an academic purpose then the letter should have the respective greeting.
Step 3: Write the Introduction
After the salutation, comes the introduction. Start by writing what the letter is about, why you are writing it, the position and the company you are referring to the person to and how you are related to the individual whom you are recommending. Include points such as how you came to know the person, the duration of your acquaintance, and other relevant details. Although make sure not to make it too lengthy.
Step 4: Provide the Reference Details
The introduction of the letter is of course followed by the body which is usually written in three paragraphs. Here is where you need to provide the specifics of the case. In the first paragraph, explain your link to the person you are writing the letter for, and why ‘you’ are writing the letter and not someone else. In the next paras, advertise the person you are recommending. Talk about his or her qualities, why he/she is the perfect fit and what he/she can contribute.
Step 5: Provide a Conclusion
You need to provide a proper conclusion to your letter before closing it. Tell the reader that you are available to provide more information on the person you are recommending. It is advisable to include that you can provide verbal recommendations too if needed. Convince the reader that you have written the letter without any pressure or hesitation.
Step 6: Give the Signature
The last step in writing the reference letter involves providing your signature. Since you are probably going to type the letter, write your full name at the end following the ending salutation and then provide space for putting your handwritten signature.
8+ Reference Letter Templates
1. Reference Check Letter Template
Need to know if the new employee you hired is perfect for the job or not? Just ask for a reference check letter. And with the help of this letter template, you can easily write the reference check letter for your needs. Just download this template in Google Docs, MS Word or Apple Pages format and you’re good to go.
2. Sample Educational Reference Check Letter Template
An educational reference letter and an employee reference differ from each other. If you wish to write an educational reference letter, then this letter template in Google Docs is perfect for you. The template can be easily used to write the reference check letter for anyone. Get this template now and customize it according to your needs.
3. Letter of Reference Long Template
Knowing how to write a reference letter is crucial. Everyone at some point or another in their lives have to write such a letter. If you are having trouble with writing a letter such as this, then you need to make use of this letter template in Apple Pages format. This template can be easily downloaded in any of the available file formats in any operating system.
4. Personal Reference Check Letter Template
A reference letter is written in such cases when you are required to refer a person to someone for academic or employment purposes. Use this letter sample to make the perfect recommendation letter for your purpose and ensure that it gets approved. You can also edit the given contents of this template.
5. Restaurant Letter of Reference Short Template
Sometimes you need the reference letter to be brief or short. In such cases, you can make use of this letter template to write a short but comprehensive formal reference letter. The template features original headings and content written by professional writers. The template is fully editable and printable and can be used in Google Docs, MS Word or Pages format.
6. Free Reference Letter for School Admission
Reference letters can be written for many purposes. If you want to write a reference letter solely for academic purposes, then you need to download this reference letter template. This template has been made with the exact purpose of helping to write professional academic reference letters. Hurry and download this template now!
7. Free Reference Letter for Apartment
You have a friend wanting to rent the old apartment you used to rent. Now you have to provide a reference letter for him or her to the landlord. Facing a similar situation? Don’t worry, with this letter template you can easily write an apartment reference letter that will surely get your friend the right to rent the place. You can also use the file to make an HR reference letter.
8. Free Reference Letter for Administrative Officer
A good reference letter is one which has all the important points included and is able to achieve the purpose it was written for. But why go through all this hassle? Just download our letter template and get access to a ready-made reference letter for an administrative officer. Don’t wait anymore, grab this opportunity and click on the download icon!
9. Example of Employment Reference Letter
Are you a rookie at writing work reference letters? Then we suggest that before starting to work on your own, take a look at our letter template. This template provides an example of a reference letter that can be used to write a customized one efficiently and quickly. You can download the template for use in PDF.