Writing Prompts

Make Writing A Habit

  • Home
  • Writing Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Education Applications / How To Write a Letter of Reference

How To Write a Letter of Reference


Although I have written a number of articles that deal with various aspects of writing letters of reference, I have never before itemized in one place the important steps you need to follow when writing a reference letter. Following is a list of those key points:

Make Sure It IS A Reference Letter
As I have detailed at length elsewhere, there is a lot of confusion between reference and recommendation letters letters. So make sure that the letter you are about to write is actually a letter of reference and not a letter of recommendation.

Determine Your Approach and Strategy
Depending on the specific situation you are dealing with, your approach and strategy to drafting the reference letter will vary. First and foremost, are you the best person to be writing this letter of reference? Then there will be questions as to how direct and forthcoming do you need to be? Also, is it appropriate to write something negative about the person being recommended?

Structure Your Letter Appropriately
Letters of reference will normally follow a three-part structure: 1.) opening statement, 2.) assessment statements, and 3.) closing statement.


Review Your Letter Carefully
Whether you are writing a reference for yourself or for someone else, it is likely to be among the most important letters you will ever write. Letters of reference have the power to change people’s lives. That’s why it is imperative that you carefully review the letter of reference that you have drafted and make sure it is phrased appropriately and is absolutely correct in terms of spelling and grammar. For obvious reasons, a reference letter is one that needs to be as close to perfect as possible.

Related

Filed Under: Education Applications, Job Applications, Letter Writing

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Free Writing Prompts

In your email right now!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Follow Us!

Categories

  • Academic Writing
  • Blogging
  • Books and Creative Writing
  • Business
  • Citations
  • Communication
  • Content Writing
  • Creative Writing Prompts
  • Definitions
  • Downloads
  • Editing and Proofreading
  • Education
  • Education Applications
  • External Resources
  • Finance
  • Formatting
  • Forms
  • Freelance Writing
  • General
  • Grammar
  • Guest Post
  • Job Applications
  • Letter Writing
  • Marketing
  • Personal
  • Proposals
  • Publishing
  • Quotes About Writing
  • Resumes
  • Software
  • Templates
  • Uncategorised
  • Writing Advice
  • Writing Books

Recent Posts

  • The Crownless Princess
  • The Chosen One
  • Ghost Signal
  • How to Use Collective Nouns
  • Augment Riots
  • The Last Organic
  • Corporate Resurrection
  • Neon Warlords
  • Bio-Upgrade Addiction
  • Memory Black Market
Terms
Privacy

test2

Copyright © 2025 WritingPrompts.com