Finding a decent, well-paid job is not an easy task. This is understandable: today competition in the labor market is quite high, so the employer has the opportunity to choose the employee he needs among many applicants for a vacant position.
Currently, the labor market in our country is extremely unbalanced. The craze in the recent past for the humanities has led to the fact that there is a shortage of blue-collar professions and an overabundance of managers, economists, lawyers, various types of managers, etc. This state of affairs cannot but affect the criteria for selecting specialists by employers.
However, the document must be purely businesslike and not contain artistic expressions, colloquialisms or slang expressions.
You can often encounter a situation where an employee is asked to write a letter of recommendation himself, citing a lack of time from responsible comrades.
This approach can hardly be described as anything other than unprincipled and irresponsible. Moreover, not everyone likes to write laudatory odes about themselves. But if there is no other way out, you will have to show your abilities in the field of the epistolary genre.
What is an application for time off for previously worked time and how to draw up such a document correctly - find out
The structure of a letter of recommendation for an employee and its content
Upper right corner – here you can indicate either a specific employer from whom the applicant expects to get a job, or indicate the purpose of the letter, for example: “for presentation at the place of request”, “to an interested organization”, etc. There is no fundamental difference here.
In the center The title of the document itself is: “Letter of Recommendation.”
The main space is occupied by the body of the document. It can be roughly divided into three parts:
- Introduction. Here the recommender introduces himself, i.e. indicates his last name, first name, patronymic, and position. It also indicates who he is in relation to the recommended person (manager, mentor, etc.) and how long he has known him.
- Main part. It must reflect, first of all, the professional qualities of the employee. It is necessary to indicate the position he holds, the range of duties he performs, what tasks he performed, what projects he participated in, what successes were achieved during his working life. It would not be amiss to mention how the professionalism of the recommended person affected the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. At the same time, an important component is the characteristics of the employee’s moral qualities.
Such qualities include responsibility for the assigned work, the ability to work in a team, initiative, communication skills, stress resistance, and leadership abilities. Despite the fact that such an assessment may contain elements of subjectivity, it will most likely help the interested party judge whether the future employee will be able to fit into the existing team.
- Conclusion. Here, the former employer can summarize the information portion of the letter and express a personal opinion on why he considers his former employee a worthy candidate for a similar or higher position in another organization. It is not necessary to indicate the reason for the employee’s departure from his previous place of work - this is his personal matter.
It is better to use the streamlined formulation “at your own request” - it eliminates unnecessary speculation.
This can be the head of the organization, his deputy, the head of a unit (department, section), the project manager, the rector of the university, the dean of the faculty, etc. The date must be indicated.
What's the result?
- for the applicant it serves as an additional tool to increase his competitiveness in the labor market;
- for the employer it serves as an additional guarantee that the applicant is indeed the specialist who will bring maximum benefit to the organization.
A letter of recommendation to an employee is an assessment of the employee’s professional qualities, skills and abilities by his former boss or colleague. This document is usually used when looking for a new job and is attached to the resume. Having good recommendations makes a resume more attractive and increases the applicant's chances of getting hired.
How to compose
The text should fit on one sheet of paper. You should avoid general and “standard” phrases – executive, reliable employee, etc. (such a letter will still not be remembered and will not make the right impression). It’s better to just list the facts - participated in the project..., increased sales... by 20%, successfully negotiated... etc. (see sample letter of recommendation).
It should be written on an official letterhead, unless it is a personal recommendation from a specific person.
The document must contain information: in what period and where (specific company name) the employee worked, his achievements - what specific duties he performed (should give an idea of his professional level). At the same time, strive to characterize the result of your work in numbers (maybe as a percentage). This is the most significant part of a letter of recommendation - look at the example given to see how you can be creative in the writing process.
The letter of recommendation is usually signed by the immediate superior (head of a structural unit) or the head of the company where the employee worked. People who know him and, if necessary, are ready to confirm all the information contained in the letter of recommendation.
The information must be as truthful as possible - very often people contact us to clarify and verify information by calling the telephone numbers indicated in the letter.
Accountant
It contains not only the employee’s achievements, but also his psychological qualities. The more accurately the former employer painted the portrait, the higher the applicant’s chances of getting the new desired job.
In some cases, its presence in the applicant plays a decisive role.
Positive feedback from former superiors complements the interview result and the information provided in the resume. If the choice is between candidates of equal professional qualities, the choice will be made in favor of the employee who has recommendations.
Before moving on to how to write a letter of recommendation, you need to understand what types of documents exist. Conventionally, letters of recommendation can be divided into several types:
A letter from a representative of an organization is a typical description in the form established by the enterprise. It is used in large companies with a large staff, where the director is not personally acquainted with all his subordinates.
As a rule, when composing such a letter, they do not use its specific type. They are usually given by the following persons:
- scientific supervisor;
- supervisor of internship or practice;
- project coordinator;
- heads of different levels;
- partners.
Where and how to send?
Recruiters do not advise sending letters of recommendation immediately along with your resume.. Leave the “dessert” for the employer for later, and only on the condition that he “orders” it. Otherwise, the impression will be created that the applicant is confident in advance that he will be invited to an interview, and he will pass it brilliantly.
No need to show all your trump cards in advance. It is best to indicate in your resume that you are ready, if necessary, to provide a recommendation from a former employer.
The time to submit the letter is after a successful interview with a recruiter or at the next stage of negotiations. The document will strengthen the competitive position of the applicant.
The document can be sent by email or courier. Can also be delivered in person.
ATTENTION! It would be a big mistake to send references if the job description says not to. Sometimes for a company a review is not as important as a portfolio or experience. In this case, the recruiter may decide that the applicant is inattentive or does not know how to follow instructions.
How to write a letter of recommendation for an employee: sample and detailed instructions
The review is printed on the organization’s letterhead and certified by its seal.. The signature of the official is a required element. There is no direct address to the addressee, since the document is universal and can be presented at the request of the employee.
Let's look at an example of how to write a letter of recommendation correctly. Traditionally, the letter consists of the following points:
Practice shows that most often the employee himself draws up a letter of recommendation and then has it certified by the personnel officer. But regardless of the authorship, its writing should be taken seriously.
REFERENCE! The ideal image of a job seeker always seems suspicious to the recruiter. There are no employees without flaws. The presence of even minor disadvantages will make the description more truthful. This will only work to your advantage.
It is important to describe specific facts and achievements. Of course, the ability to work in a team is important, but each employee has their own functionality. When describing project work, you should not forget about this - you must indicate your role in it.
The letter of recommendation ends with information about the author of the review. It is needed so that a potential employer can contact him. Therefore, it is necessary to indicate the correct contact information, otherwise an incident will not be avoided. It is also advisable that the writer of the recommendation be aware of its contents and be able to answer questions about your former employee.
Rules for writing a letter
A few simple rules will help you draw up a letter of recommendation in an attractive manner.:
- the purpose of the document is to “advertise” the employee. Therefore, the emphasis is on professional qualities and achievements in work.
- Business style - no “water” in the text. Excessive pathos or vague characteristics in general phrases will spoil the review.
- Limited volume - no more than 1 sheet (A4). The employee description is kept short and clear.
- A recommendation must be present - the employee is recommended for a specific position or type of work.
- The review is written on the organization’s letterhead.
- If it is possible to issue several letters of recommendation (also from colleagues or partners of the company), this will be useful.
- Date of preparation – the recommendation has its own “expiration date”. It is no more than a year from the beginning of the search for a new job.
- To make a recommendation “live”, negative qualities should also be indicated.
- When describing personal characteristics, it would be useful to support each of them with specific examples.
- After writing, check the text for errors and typos.
IMPORTANT! Practice shows that when moving from a small company to a large one, there is little faith in a letter of recommendation. Because there is a high probability that it was compiled out of great friendship.
Therefore, it is worth making sure in advance that the document is drawn up according to all the rules and does not raise suspicions about its objectivity. Below you can download a sample of how to write a letter of recommendation taking into account all the requirements.
Even with the most impressive resume, one mistake in a letter of recommendation can slow down your climb up the career ladder. Not everyone knows how to write a letter of recommendation to an employee correctly, and sometimes they make very different mistakes. Let's look at the most common of them:
When you quit your job, don't slam the door. Perhaps a letter of recommendation from a former employer will become a starting point for career growth in a new place.
The document is valued by recruiters even more than a resume. Therefore, you should take its preparation seriously and follow both the rules for drawing up a letter of recommendation and a resume as well. In times of crisis, extra “advertising” will not hurt even a highly qualified specialist.
A letter of recommendation from a company to an employee is a sample of an optional document when applying for a new job. However, according to the unspoken rules of many small and reputable organizations, its presence is an indispensable condition for inviting a candidate for an interview for a position. In any case, recommendations will be an additional advantage for the applicant over competitors.
Like a recommendation, the characteristic lists the business and personal qualities of the employee. The value of this information is that it comes from someone who has had actual (and often lengthy) experience working with the letter of recommendation bearer—his former employer.
Although these two documents are similar in content, their purpose is different. The purpose of the characterization is to objectively assess the employee. It can be both positive and negative, focusing on the negative aspects of the employee. Recommendations from a previous place of work, any sample of this document always has a positive connotation, presenting the candidate for a vacancy in a favorable light to a potential employer.
Typically, a letter of recommendation ends with a statement that the applicant meets the requirements for a certain position, that the former employer recommends him as a competent, responsible employee. Sometimes a company representative leaves coordinates where he can be contacted to confirm a positive opinion about the employee.
Letters of recommendation are prepared by employers if the employee requests it. They may refuse him this, for example, considering him an unskilled worker, an quarrelsome person, or for another reason that company representatives have the right not to explain. The Labor Code contains Article 62, which lists documents that must be issued at the request of an employee. There are no recommendations among them.
The letter is written in free form. The rules of business etiquette require that a letter of recommendation be drawn up on the organization's letterhead. In its absence, you need to print the main details of the enterprise “manually” - on an A4 sheet. A letter of recommendation from a company to another company can be targeted in nature, when its writer knows in advance where and for what purpose it will be submitted, and places emphasis taking into account this information. For example, it emphasizes the employee’s advantages that are most important for occupying a specific position. In other cases, the document is of a general nature, that is, it is not intended for a specific employer and can be used at the discretion of the employee.
A letter of recommendation for an employee is usually drawn up by his immediate superior (head of department, project, etc.), who had the opportunity to evaluate his qualifications, performance and other merits. At least, these are the recommendations that inspire the most confidence. Below is an example of the text of a letter of recommendation for a new employer of a company employee.
With this letter of recommendation I confirm that during my work Tsvetkov G.P. proved himself to be a competent specialist who knows how to achieve his goals. His responsibilities included expanding the company’s customer base, as well as resolving conflicts with customers of our cargo delivery services. Tsvetkov G.P. fulfilled monthly plans, had a lot of positive feedback from clients, treated his work responsibly, and readily attended training seminars organized for employees of our department.
Tsvetkov G.P. Possesses leadership qualities and the ability to organize team work. He maintained smooth, friendly relations with his colleagues.
To confirm the information presented, you can contact me by phone: +7 888 9999999.
