FREE 9+ Sample Reference Letters in PDF | MS Word

A reference letter plays a major role in business and applications. Reference Letters act as substantial proof and support for an individual’s skills, character, and achievements. Most employers, universities, and even landlords require reference letters to validate a person’s information.

Reference Letters are typically required when applying for schools, universities, and job applications. Employers, supervisors, former colleagues, professors, friends, or previous landlords are typically the ones who are asked to provide Letters of Reference.

General Reference Letter in PDF

Character Reference Letter

Business Reference Letter Example

Character References

A Character Reference can only be provided by a person who can attest to an individual’s character, work habits, skills, or personality. If the Reference Letter is meant for an Employment Application, having your supervisor or manager write it for you is the best route to go. If you are applying for a lease, your previous landlord should be the best person to act as a referral.

What’s in a Reference Letter?

State the Purpose of the Letter

A Reference Letter should indicate its purpose to provide clarity. For example,

“I am writing the letter as a reference for Linda Taylor’s application to your company”

State the Connection Between You and the Applicant

Make sure that you are able to establish the connection that you have with the applicant or the person who has requested for the letter and indicate the length or the period of time that you got to know this person. For example,

“Linda has been my tenant for over 5 years now and she has always managed to pay her monthly dues on time and abide by the house rules.”

Reference Letter for Adoption

Letter of Reference from Employer

Landlord Reference Letter

Reference for Immigration Letter

Specifying Personal Abilities

When the person requesting for a Reference Letter is using it for employment purposes, it is best to specify the skills and abilities of the person and indicate specific instances or examples to support. For example,

“Randy has been part of Global West for over 10 years now. He was initially a part of the Sales and Marketing team and worked under me as a Sales Representative. After a year of working with us, Randy proved to be efficient and dedicated to his job and was able to increase our monthly sales by a whopping 60% and was awarded as a top agent 3 times. Since he yielded such excellent results, Randy was promoted to Sales Manager within a year and a half.”

Provide Contact Information

The last part of your Reference Letter should indicate your name, your title, and your contact number so that the recipient of the letter may easily contact you for follow-up questions.

Also see:

Letter of Reference Samples

Character Reference Letters

Professional Reference Letters

Sample Letters