Recommendation Letter Templates: Samples for Employment

Writing a letter of recommendation for employment purposes can be both difficult and time-consuming. Not to mention, another person’s career could be riding on your words.

Our free downloadable recommendation letter templates can be quickly and easily customized to create a professional and persuasive letter. Or, use one of our many samples to find inspiration and write your own.

Trying to write a recommendation for a student or teacher? Check out our library of education related templates and samples.

See Also > How to Write a Letter of Recommendation – Samples, Templates, & Guide

Table of Contents:

1. Written by a Supervisor for an Employee
2. Written for a Coworker
3. Character Reference (Written for Friend)
4. LinkedIn Recommendation

1. Letter of Recommendation Written by a Supervisor

As a supervisor, a recommendation letter written by you for an employee holds a lot of weight. As such, it’s important that your letter is as convincing as possible. Our experts designed this template to hit all the most important parts needed to write a strong recommendation letter for employment.

Simply download the free template as a MS Word doc and customize it with your employee’s details.

Things to Focus on:

• Since companies take the word of management much more seriously than anyone else, you should emphasize your position as your employee’s supervisor, as well as how long you have managed them. In doing so, everything you say in your letter will be strengthened.
• Give detailed examples of how your employee used their skills and knowledge to benefit your company in an impressive way.
• Make sure that the skills and achievements you include are relevant to your past employee’s target company or job.
• When talking about a candidate’s personality traits, include those that not only help them contribute to a positive work environment, but also enable them to succeed professionally.

Download This MS Word | Template & Sample

Click below to read a completed example and get inspiration.

2. Recommendation Letter Written for a Coworker

When a colleague asks you to write a letter of recommendation letter for them, it can be a little daunting. You may feel like you aren’t really qualified to write such a letter. We’re here to tell you that that’s not true at all.

Our handcrafted template and sample will show you exactly the kind of points you can focus on to write a powerful and persuasive letter from your position as a coworker.

All you have to do is download the free template as a MS Word doc and customize it with the details of your colleague.

Things to Focus on:

• Create a strong base for your recommendation by outlining your working relationship. For example, perhaps you were on the same team or worked on certain projects together.
• Cite detailed examples of your colleague’s achievements and skills that you witnessed firsthand when working with them.
• If you worked closely with your coworker for a long time, highlight the positive aspects of their personality that make them a desirable person to work with.
• Emphasize the value of your colleague as an asset to their target company and maintain a positive and enthusiastic tone throughout the letter.

Download This MS Word | Template & Sample

Click below to read a completed example and get inspiration.

3. Sample Character Reference Letter & Template Written for a Friend

Writing a character reference (or personal letter of recommendation) for a friend can be a huge aid when it comes to helping them land a job. However, figuring out exactly what to write can often be difficult. Our expert’s template and sample letter will show you exactly what to include to write a professional and convincing personal reference.

Just download the free template as a MS Word doc and customize it with your friend’s details.

Things to Focus on:

• Although a character reference written by a friend will have a much less formal tone, you should still keep your letter as professional and polite as possible.
• Think of some of your friend’s skills and achievements outside of the workplace that would be useful when applied to their target job.
• As a friend, you are intimately familiar with the applicant’s personality, so your primary focus should be on highlighting their strength of character and positive personal traits.
• Mention how your friend’s positive personality traits would be of benefit in a professional setting.

Download This MS Word | Template & Sample

Click below to read a completed example and get inspiration.

4. LinkedIn Recommendation Sample & Template (For Colleague)

A lot of people get confused about exactly how to write a recommendation on LinkedIn. At first glance, they seem like a completely different animal from a regular recommendation letter, but they are essentially just a more concise version.

Our professionally crafted sample and template will give you the exact formula for writing a stellar LinkedIn recommendation. Download the free template as a MS word doc and fill in all the necessary details.

Things to Focus on:

• Keep it short and sweet. Potential employers browsing LinkedIn profiles want to be able to get a good idea of the strength of a candidate in as little time as possible.
• Think about what paragraphs you would include in a full letter, and then convert each one into 1-2 sentences. For example: how you know the candidate, their professional strengths, their positive personal traits.
• Make your recommendation personable. Try to tell a story that makes the potential employer feel like they are getting to know the candidate better.
• Although you want to keep your LinkedIn recommendation short, make sure you include an example or two that demonstrates the candidate has the abilities or traits you mention.

Download This MS Word | Template & Sample

Click below to read a completed example and get inspiration.

Conclusion

Regardless of your position, downloading and customizing these free templates and samples is a surefire way to quickly and easily write a compelling recommendation letter for employment. If you’d like some more details or want to write your own from scratch, our comprehensive list of letter of recommendation samples and writing guide has everything you need to know.