FREE 7+ Letters of Recommendation in PDF | MS Word

A letter of recommendation is a type of document made to deliver a message to an organization or an institution about an individual’s capability and eligibility for a specific position. The letter must highlight the abilities and the achievements of the individual, along with the justification of the sender’s relationship to the recommended individual. Furthermore, the layout of the letter should also meet the requirements of the requesting institution or organization to ensure that the letter will be accepted.

Types of Letters of Recommendations

There are different types of letters of recommendation, and each differs on the subject discussed in the letter. The letters below are the types which are free, downloadable, and printable:

College Letter of Recommendation – The purpose of a college letter of recommendation is to present facts and encouragement about the abilities, skills, and interests of an individual planning to be enrolled in a college institution. The sender of the letter or the recommender must incorporate the college’s letterhead. Additionally, other content or parts of the college letter of recommendation would be the sender’s and the recipient’s names, and addresses, the reason for the recommendation, the specific skills of the recommended individual which will be useful for the course and program he is targetting, and the signature of recommending party. Oftentimes, recommenders for college letters of recommendation would be the former professors, teachers, and employers of the recommended individual or the enrollee.

College Letter of Recommendation

Eagle Scout Letter of Recommendation – This is a type of letter template which can be filled out by the reference persons or the chosen recommenders of an eagle scout candidate. In an eagle scout letter of recommendation, the name of the candidate being recommended, the relationship of the recommender to the scout candidate, and the length of time both parties have known each other will be documented in the first section. The larger part of the letter template is intended for the details of the recommendation while the last part is for the name, signature, and the contact information of the recommender along with the date when the letter was completed.

Eagle Scout Letter of Recommendation

Graduate School Letter of Recommendation – An undergraduate student who will be proceeding to a graduate course must present a graduate school letter of recommendation from his reference persons. The letter must have the observations of the reference person about the undergraduate student and the course that he will take for him to acquire a specific degree. Moreover, the potential of the undergraduate student to contribute to society, the industry, and the school itself can also be included in the letter along with the name and the profession, or the job position of the reference person should be stated in the letter.

Graduate School Letter of Recommendation

Job Letter of Recommendation – This letter is often required to be submitted by job application candidates as part of their requirements and proof of their work experiences. Additionally, the recommender should also specify the number of years he worked or how long he was able to know and observe firsthand the works of the candidate. It is a good idea to include the contact information of the recommender who can be reached by the recipient of the letter for further verifications and clarifications of the claims stated in the letter.

Job Letter of Recommendation

Letter of Recommendation FAQs

Who can give or send a letter of recommendation?

It is essential that a letter of recommendation is given only by strong reference persons who have worked with and supervised the individual to be recommended such as former employers, managers, team leaders, teachers, and advisors.

How can one get a letter of recommendation?

A letter of recommendation can be acquired by simply asking the reference person to send a letter to the recipient or the receiving institution. Furthermore, if there are instructions and requirements to be followed by the recommender or the reference person, then the list of requirements should be handed to the recommender when requesting to have a formal letter of recommendation.

How many letters of recommendation should be sent to support an individual?

The number of letters will depend on the number of reference persons the institution will be requiring. Often, a minimum of three to four letters of recommendation can be an acceptable or sufficient number to support an individual for as long as the reference persons are eligible and have strong and compelling backgrounds individually.

Scholarship Letter of Recommendation

Student Recommendation Letter Request to Teacher

Teacher Letter of Recommendation Instructions Sheet

Letters of Request Recommendation

Letter of Recommendation Tips

When writing or creating a letter of recommendation, the tips below must be noted:

Tip #1: Gather documents and proof about the individual to be recommended.

This tip is relevant to follow, especially if the individual to be recommended was a former employee or a student of the institution. The documents can serve as a guide and a supplemental form to prove any claim to be stated in the letter. Some of the documents to prepare would be the student report forms for recommending a student or the evaluation results of the employee during his employment in the company.

Tip #2: Proofread the letter.

Before sending the letter, proofreading its contents should be done, specifically to ensure that the grammar and spelling in each part of the letter are all correct and accurate. Besides, the statements in the letter should also deliver the right message to the recipient.

Tip #3: Incorporate the requirements of the recipient.

Headers, banners, customized signature blocks, preferred text colors, etc. are some of the requirements to note when making a letter of recommendation since there are some companies and institutions that are strict in terms of complying with the rules and their preferences.

And lastly, a copy of the letter of recommendation should also be kept or be saved in a device. The duplicate will be proof that a letter was made on a specific date for the individual to be recommended. Furthermore, the softcopy of the letter can also be used as a future reference or as a template for recommendation letters in the future to be made for other individuals and companies.