A letter of recommendation says who you are recommending and for what, how you know them, and what they did that proves they are a good fit, with one real example. Choose employee or student below, answer a few questions and the letter is written for you, ready as a free PDF.
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What to include in a letter of recommendation
A good recommendation is specific. The reader already has the candidate’s CV; your letter adds what a CV cannot:
how they work, seen by someone who was there.
A clear recommendation in the first line. Name the person and the exact job, course or award. Readers skim, so the point comes first.
How you know them. Your role, their role and how long you worked or studied together. This tells the reader how much weight to give your view.
Two or three strengths that fit the opportunity. Pick the qualities this job or course needs, not a list of every good trait.
One specific example. A real moment with a result. "She reorganised the rota and overtime fell by a third" beats "she is a great organiser".
Why they will do well next. Link what you saw to what they are applying for.
Your contact details. Offer to talk. Admissions teams and employers do sometimes call.
Recommending an employee or colleague
Employers want to know two things: can this person do the job, and are they good to work with? Pick strengths that
match the job advert. If they are applying to be a supervisor, talk about how they handled people and pressure, not
only how fast they worked.
Say how you worked together. A line manager can speak to results and reliability. A peer can speak to teamwork and
how they share knowledge. Both are useful, as long as you are clear which one you are.
Ask the person for the job advert and a copy of their CV before you write. It takes five minutes and stops you
repeating what is already there.
Recommending a student
For a university place, a master’s or a scholarship, the panel wants evidence of academic ability and the habits
that make someone succeed: curiosity, persistence, organisation and honesty about their own work. Name the module,
project or result you are talking about, and compare with other students you have taught if you can do so fairly
("one of the strongest dissertations I marked this year").
Many universities collect letters through an online portal and ask set questions. If so, answer those questions
directly; you can still use the tool to draft and organise your thoughts, then copy the text across with "Copy as
text".
Keep it honest
A recommendation is only valuable if readers trust it. Write only what you saw yourself, avoid superlatives you
cannot back up, and leave out personal details such as health, family or age. If you do not know the person well
enough to be specific, it is kinder to say so and suggest they ask someone else.
Some employers have a policy on who may write recommendations in the company’s name. Check before you use your work
title or letterhead. This is general information, not legal advice.
Recommendation letter examples
Three for employees and three for students, each written with the tool above. Click "Use this example" to load
one into the form, then replace the details with your own.
Employee
Manager recommending an employee for a new job
A line manager backs a warehouse team member for a supervisor role elsewhere.
Letter of recommendation: Daniel Mwangi
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am delighted to recommend Daniel Mwangi for the position of Operations Supervisor at Swift Freight Ltd. He is one of the most capable people I have worked with, and I give this recommendation without reservation.
I have known Daniel for three years as his line manager in our Nairobi warehouse.
What stands out most is his calm judgement under pressure and the patient way he trains new staff.
When our scanner system failed during the December peak, Daniel moved his shift onto paper picking lists within an hour, and we still shipped every order on time.
I am confident he will bring the same skill and commitment to Swift Freight Ltd, and that he would be an asset from his first week.
I recommend Daniel with enthusiasm. Please contact me if you would like to discuss his application further.
Yours faithfully, Rachel Okafor
Why it works: The story is specific (a system failure in peak season) and shows exactly the skill a supervisor needs.
Student
Professor recommending a student for a master’s
For a postgraduate application, focused on academic ability and research.
Letter of recommendation: Ayesha Malik
Dear Admissions Committee,
I am delighted to recommend Ayesha Malik for a place on the MSc in Development Economics. She is one of the most capable students I have worked with, and I give this recommendation without reservation.
I have known Ayesha for two years, as her lecturer for Econometrics and as supervisor of her final-year dissertation.
What stands out most is her rigour with data and her willingness to question her own results before anyone else does.
Her dissertation on mobile money and household savings in Pakistan used a dataset she cleaned herself, and it was the strongest piece of undergraduate research I marked this year.
I am confident she has the ability, curiosity and work habits to do well on this course, and that she will contribute a great deal to the London School of Economics.
I recommend Ayesha with enthusiasm. Please contact me if you would like to discuss her application further.
Yours faithfully, Dr Helen Marsh
Why it works: It names the module and the project, so the admissions team can see the evidence for "strong analytical skills".
Student
Teacher recommending a student for a scholarship
A school teacher supports a sixth-form student applying for a funded place.
Letter of recommendation: Chiamaka Eze
Dear Selection Committee,
I am delighted to recommend Chiamaka Eze for the Women in Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship. She is one of the most capable students I have worked with, and I give this recommendation without reservation.
I have known Chiamaka for four years as her physics teacher and form tutor.
What stands out most is her determination, her top marks in physics and further maths, and the way she helps classmates who are struggling.
Last year she started a weekly after-school physics club for younger students, which now has more than 30 regular members.
This award would allow Chiamaka to make the most of her ability, and I am confident she would make excellent use of it.
I recommend Chiamaka with enthusiasm. Please contact me if you would like to discuss her application further.
Yours faithfully, Mr Samuel Adeyemi
Why it works: Scholarship panels look for character as well as grades. The example shows both in a single sentence.
Employee
Colleague recommending a peer
Written by a co-worker rather than a manager, for a role in another company.
Letter of recommendation: Priya Nair
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am delighted to recommend Priya Nair for the position of Lead Front-End Developer at Kite Learning. She is one of the most capable people I have worked with, and I give this recommendation without reservation.
I have worked alongside Priya on the same product team for two and a half years, and we shared on-call duties for most of that time.
What stands out most is her clear code reviews, which taught me more than any course, and her habit of writing things down so the whole team can follow.
She rebuilt our appointment booking screens for screen-reader users, and complaints about accessibility dropped to zero in the following quarter.
I am confident she will bring the same skill and commitment to Kite Learning, and that she would be an asset from her first week.
I recommend Priya with enthusiasm. Please contact me if you would like to discuss her application further.
Yours faithfully, Tom Reynolds
Why it works: A peer can speak to teamwork in a way a manager cannot. It stays honest about the writer’s role.
Employee
Internship supervisor for a graduate job
A shorter, measured recommendation based on a summer placement.
Letter of recommendation: Jordan Ellis
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am pleased to recommend Jordan Ellis for the position of Graduate Marketing Assistant at Harbour & Pine.
I supervised Jordan’s marketing internship for ten weeks last summer.
What stands out most is their quick grasp of our customer data and their tidy, well-organised reports.
They analysed six months of social media results and found that our recipe videos drove twice as many website visits as our product posts, which changed our plan for the autumn.
I am confident they will bring the same skill and commitment to Harbour & Pine, and that they would be an asset from their first week.
Please contact me if you would like to discuss their application further.
Yours faithfully, Sarah Whitfield
Why it works: It uses the plainer "Recommend" strength because the writer knew the candidate for ten weeks, which reads as honest.
Student
Lecturer recommending a student for a study-abroad place
For an exchange or study-abroad programme with limited places.
Letter of recommendation: Rohan Iyer
Dear Dr de Vries,
I am delighted to recommend Rohan Iyer for a semester exchange at TU Delft. He is one of the most capable students I have worked with, and I give this recommendation without reservation.
I have known Rohan since his first year, as his academic adviser and his lecturer for Structural Analysis.
What stands out most is his independence, his steady results, and the confidence he shows working in mixed teams.
He led our student team in a national bridge design competition, organising six students across three departments, and the team finished second out of 40.
I am confident he would make the most of this opportunity.
I recommend Rohan with enthusiasm. Please contact me if you would like to discuss his application further.
Yours sincerely, Prof. Anil Mehta
Why it works: It explains why this student will cope well abroad, not just that they get good marks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a recommendation letter and a reference? +
A recommendation letter argues for one person for one opportunity, such as a specific job, master’s course or scholarship, and is usually written by someone who knows their work well. A reference is more general: it confirms facts such as job title and dates, and may give a short view of their work. If you need the second kind, use our reference letter tool.
Who should write my letter of recommendation? +
Someone who knows your work or study first-hand and can give specific examples: a manager, supervisor, senior colleague, lecturer or teacher. A detailed letter from a direct supervisor is usually worth more than a vague one from someone very senior.
Can I write my own recommendation letter for someone to sign? +
Some writers ask for a draft to save time. If they do, write it honestly, give them the examples you would like mentioned and let them change anything. The letter must reflect their real view, and many universities do not allow candidates to draft their own letters, so check the rules first.
How long should a letter of recommendation be? +
One page is usual for jobs and most scholarships: four to six short paragraphs. University and graduate programmes sometimes expect a little more detail on academic ability. Follow any word limit or questions the application gives you.
What if I cannot recommend the person strongly? +
It is fine to decline politely, or to write a shorter, measured letter that only says what you know to be true. Use the "Recommend" strength in the tool rather than "Without reservation". Never overstate what you saw.
Is this recommendation letter template free? +
Yes. Fill in the form, then download a free PDF or copy the text into an email or upload form. There is no watermark (you just need a free account to download), and your draft is kept in your own browser (or in your free account, if you choose to save it there).