A letter of recommendation’s format is just like any formal letter you write. It has an introduction and an opening paragraph, a body, and a closing paragraph followed by your signature.
The Opening
Firstly, you start the letter by addressing the authority to which the letter will be sent.
Secondly, identify yourself and your job title, then proceed to explain the type and length of the relationship between you and the candidate.
‘Dear (Name of the recipient),
My name is John Smith, (your position) at (the company you’re working at), and I’m writing you this recommendation letter upon the request of John Doe, who’s applying for (the position) at (the company’s name).
John Doe and I worked together for (period of time) as (working relationship).’
The Body
In order to write a good recommendation letter that doesn’t feel like a template you copied, you should ask yourself, why was working with that person a good experience? And why would you recommend someone else to hire them?
Your answer is what you should write in this paragraph.
If you still find it a tough task, just use the following list to guide you through what you need to write:
Mention their skills and how much experience they have in their field
Mention any special projects or tasks he worked on
Describe his social skills and his relationship with his co-workers
Describe the points of strength in his character
Mention any problem he managed to overcome or solve
Bring up the applicant’s achievements throughout his career with you
It’s worth mentioning that you shouldn’t write more than two to three paragraphs, as it’s best to keep the letter limited to one page only.
Here’s an example of what the body should look like:
‘John Doe joined our team shortly after his graduation, and he hit the ground running. He made impressive progress in a short period of time, exceeding other co-workers who had been hired long before him and had more experience.
He was a team player; all his co-workers could vouch for that, and surprisingly, he was doing well on solo projects too. He was part of the team that built the (project name).
John Doe is a problem solver and a lifesaver. You can count on him in any tough situation. He’s a quick, organized thinker and he always found a way to fix any issue he faced.
We surely miss the positive attitude he had around the office. We all enjoyed working with him.’