Job Recommendation Letter: What are They for and How to Write Them?

Maybe it’s the first time you’ve been asked this question or you’ve already faced it at some point in your life, but you still don’t know why companies ask for it.

The biggest challenge is when someone who has worked with you comes to you for support and you write a document like this. How do you do it? We tell you everything you need to know.

What is a Job Recommendation Letter?

This document is generally one page long, written by a manager, coordinator, boss, supervisor or area manager of a company where the person seeking employment has worked.

It usually describes what the working relationship was like, what qualities the candidate demonstrated at that time, and his or her achievements and skills, among other details.

Its objective is to provide the hiring company with one more tool to evaluate whether or not the candidate is suitable for the position and to work in the organization.

Once the company has requested the letter, it is time for you to ask for it from one of your former supervisors.

To do this, think about the ideal person to write it. It can be superior, but one suggestion is to ensure you have maintained a good relationship so that the document is honest and works in your favor.

Still, the person writing the letter must be extremely objective.

How do you Write a Job Recommendation Letter?

There are currently several templates for writing a document like this; however, you should mainly consider two models: addressed letters and open letters.

Basically, the difference between each one is that the targeted ones are written for a specific person, for example, the person in charge of the area to which the applicant is applying.

Open-ended IDs usually include the phrase “to whom it may concern ” because they are intended to work for any company that requests them.

The structure that we will recommend to you below is the following one based on the Doctorate in Management of Organizations from the Autonomous University of Nayarit.

Date and place of writing the letter

Recipient (to whom it is addressed)

The first paragraph mentions the recommended person, from and until when they were worked with, the position they held and the company’s name.

In the second and/or third paragraph you should describe the functions performed, as well as your qualities, skills, and achievements, among other details.

Final paragraph with a conclusion and farewell that confirms the recommendation.

Personal data of the issuer such as current position, organization, address, telephone number and email.

Name and signature of the grantor.

Very briefly, it should look like this:

CDMX as of June 1, 2024

To whom it may concern, 

Through this letter, I am pleased to recommend (full name of the person recommended), with whom I had the honor of working from (month and year) to (month and year) at (name of company).

Among his functions were… (mention them)

In addition, he was able to… (mention achievements and skills)

Thus, I confirm that (name of the recommended person) is suitable for assuming the position of interest.

Sincerely,

Current position:

Organization:

Address, telephone, email:

Name and signature of the issuer

Why do Companies Ask for Letters of Recommendation?

It should be noted that these documents are only some of the important parts of a hiring process, as a job interview or your CV itself undoubtedly has more weight. Even so, it would be best if you strived to give your best because as they say, everything counts.

With this tool, human resources departments can analyze candidates in-depth and only choose people who might fit in or be a potential problem for the organization.

Having a job recommendation letter is of course, helpful, even before starting the process. For example, there are currently platforms such as LinkedIn where you can attach or add comments, which gives you extra value in the eyes of recruiters.

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