Need to write a recommendation letter for a person or a business? Review the sample letters provided here for inspiration. Choose the one most closely related to your situation, or review them all. To access any of the documents, simply click the corresponding image. The letter will open as a PDF file that you can edit to tailor to your needs, then save and print. See this guide for printables if you need assistance.
5 Example Recommendation Letters for Employees
Managers are often asked to write recommendation letters for current or former employees who may be seeking a new job, award, or appointment to a leadership position with a professional association. While these letters are written from the perspective of the employee's manager, they could easily be adjusted to be written from the perspective of a co-worker or other colleague.
Recommendation Letter for an Administrative Employee
This sample letter illustrates how to write a recommendation for an employee that you have supervised in the past.
Recommendation Letter for a Sales Representative
The language in this letter focuses on key points to cover when writing a recommendation letter for a professional salesperson.
Recommendation for an Employee Climbing the Career Ladder
This letter provides sample language that can be helpful when crafting a recommendation letter for someone who was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility during the time the two of you worked together.
Recommendation Letter for an Intern Seeking Employment
Use this sample letter for inspiration when writing a recommendation for someone who worked with your organization as an intern. Keep in mind that a former intern may need an employment reference letter or a scholarship recommendation.
Mentor Recommendation
The text in this sample letter is a good example of what you might want to say when recommending an employee or co-worker be considered for a volunteer role working as a mentor.
3 Sample Recommendation Letters for a Company
Not all recommendation letter requests come from individuals. If you are asked to write a letter of recommendation fo a supplier that has provided products or services to your company, these sample letters can help you get started.
Vendor Recommendation Letter Sample
Have you had a terrific experience with a supplier? Help that firm attract additional customers by providing a letter of recommendation that highlights your positive experiences with the company.
Business Recommendation Letter for a Service Provider
Does your company work with a service provider that delivers outstanding results? Consider providing their organization with a recommendation letter that conveys your high level of satisfaction with their service.
Contractor Recommendation Letter
If your company has had a positive experience with a contractor that provided construction or renovation services, you may want to send a letter of recommendation or appreciation.
Letter of Recommendation Writing
Of course, the above sample documents represent just a few types of recommendations that you may need to provide for individuals or companies. For example, you may be asked to pen a character reference, employment reference, or other type of recommendation letter. Fortunately, the principles of writing an effective letter of recommendation are the same regardless of the reason the document is needed. The basic concepts outlined in these sample documents are applicable in any situation. You'll just need to customize what you say based on the nature of the request you are fulfilling.
Key points to remember when drafting a letter include:
- Customize any recommendation letter that you write to the particular person and situation.
- Clarify how you know the person or business for which you are providing a recommendation.
- Detail positive accomplishments, contributions, or results.
- Be complimentary, but not overly complimentary to where it may seem insincere.
- Use an appropriate business letter format.
- Ensure that the finished document is professional-looking (appropriate font, properly folded, clean, etc.).
- Proofread carefully to be sure the letter is free from typographical errors, grammatical mistakes and inaccuracies.
A Big Responsibility
Agreeing to write a recommendation letter for a person or a business is a big responsibility. Once you make a commitment, it is very important that you honor your word by writing a quality letter that is submitted in advance of the deadline. Failing to follow-through could keep the person or business from being considered for an important opportunity. As a matter of courtesy, let the person who requested the letter know when it has been submitted.
