This article will teach you the steps to create quickly and effortlessly an excellent character reference letter you will be satisfied with.
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to write the character reference letter you’re aware of the stress this request can cause. The first thought usually is “how in the world do you even write one?” This thought is followed by questions like “what do I say?” as well as “what if I say the wrong things and make the person look bad?”
Unanswered questions and fears are often very worrying. However, be assured that If you know who you’ll write about and make use of the information within this piece, you’ll never be worried about anything.
Character Reference Letter
However, you must be aware of this. If someone you’re uncomfortable with requests you to write an official character reference letter or if you are unable to come up with enough positive things to say about them and the person isn’t a good fit, it’s best if you are able to come up with a way to get off writing it. But, if you cannot say no or you can’t stop yourself from writing it take the advice given here as well as you can.
Character Reference Letter Example
So What Is A Character Reference Letter?
The character reference letter (also often referred to as a personal recommendation or personal reference) will be utilized to suggest an individual for a job within the company or to be employed in a certain position within an company. The primary goal is to explain your opinion on whether someone you’re writing to is a person with the traits of character which make them suitable for the position they’re pursuing.
Character reference letters is distinct from a reference letter for employees or even a letter of recommendation.
Character Reference Letter Template
A character reference letter template is typically written by someone who you know outside of the workplace, and could be a family member, friend or a neighbor. It could even be written by someone who you’ve had a shared experience for example, a teammate or a volunteer. This is why your tone tends to be more informal than a recommendation letter.
Character Reference Letter Sample
Character reference letters typically describe positive characteristics of an individual. That is, all of the positive aspects are mentioned about them, while omitting any negatives. It is important to present your subject in the most positive image possible without going overboard.
Steps To Organizing and Writing Your Character Reference Letter
The letters with the most impact are those that are those that are genuine and sincere. Therefore the more you are able to express yourself in yourself, in the more effective your letter will appear. However, be aware that even though the character reference letter may be more informal, you shouldn’t simply randomly insert words into the letter.
An official character reference is a representation about your relationship with the person you’re writing to and your evaluation of the person’s capabilities. It provides evidence based on your own experience that the individual meets certain standards and is focused on certain characteristics to demonstrate its value. To create personal testimony for the person you are writing for, your letter should be structured in a professional manner.
The letter must be small, and usually not longer than one typed page. The paragraphs should be between 2 and 4 sentences.
Follow the steps and you’ll be able to create a successful personal reference letters in the blink of an eye!
First Things First – Get Prepared
The first thing you need to do when you’ve decided to write the note of character is conduct some preparation work. It is important to collect details about the individual who been requesting you to compose the character reference letter.
If you can, obtain the name and/or the title of the person who the letter is to be addressed.
Get the address of where and who you can mail your letter.
Based on the type of job you’re writing the letter to Get the job description and qualifications required for the job they’re in search of.
Make sure you are aware the exact date by which they must have the letter completed or sent.
You should think of at the very least 3 distinct positive characteristics that they possess in relation to the job they’re pursuing.
Start Writing The Letter
STEP 1: Date & Address
The person who reads the letter needs to be sure that the information was made today and not five or 10 or more years back,, so be sure you include the day of the month. Include your complete address.
STEP 2: Salutation
Begin with a salutation. If you are aware of the full name of the individual to whom the letter is addressed make use of the full name. The use of their first and last name will enhance the professionalism and your letter’s credibility.
If the person who is being addressed isn’t identified or you’re not sure of the name or when the letter is utilized for general purposes then simply write “To Whom It May Concern”. If you are aware of the name of the person who is being addressed, you could compose, for instance, “Dear Human Resources Director” to personalize the message more.
Do not use “Dear Sir or Madam” along with Miss Mrs. Ms. or Mr.
What credibility would your letter be in the event that you write an email to “Mrs. Sydney Smith” and then discover the fact that “Sydney Smith” is a man? !
STEP 3: The Opening
The opening paragraph is typically one paragraph, which is usually one or two sentences. The opening paragraph describes your identity as well as how long you’ve known the person to whom you’re referring and the way you’ve come to know them.
STEP 4: The Body
Body is considered to be the biggest portion in the alphabet. It could be a number of paragraphs. In this section, you present the case for the individual to whom you’re writing about by sharing your interactions with them as well as giving examples of their extraordinary qualities or skills.
It’s recommended that you build the letter around one to three of the person’s greatest attributes. Try to keep the qualities similar.
As an example, suppose that your subject has a good personality, is honest, smart and creative, as well as responsible and diligent. Imagine also that they are looking for a supervisory position. The ideal supervisor will be, amongst other things, polite (able to easily get along with colleagues) as well as honest and accountable. It is therefore advisable to construct your letters around these characteristics.
The examples are to be clear and concise, making them easy to understand for the reader. In general, a paragraph of less than three sentences for each quality will suffice.
Two words of extremely strong advice: When you write an individual character reference letter, do not go too far in describing the positive traits of the person and also be sincere.
You must be aware of something. Anyone who is reading your letter is already assuming that the person writing the letter will be “pumping up” the person they’re referring to. Therefore, in order to make your letter more trustworthy and credible, you must prove that your opinion about the individual is genuine. This can be done by providing specific details about the person you’re talking to.
An effective method to ensure your letter’s credibility without appearing like a lot of bluster is to share one or two brief real-life stories that you personally know about the individual. When you do this, your stories should show the person’s strengths. They should serve as an example of how the person acts.
If you are mentioning more than one instance, break the paragraphs into two separate ones and finish the paragraph with the specific quality that is identified with each incident.
STEP 5: The Closing
It’s the closing final portion and doesn’t need to be lengthy. It summaries and demonstrates your faith about the person you’re talking to and the reasons why you think they have the right qualifications and contains the actual recommendation.
This is the time to make a statement about yourself, providing your credibility in relation to the factors that allow you to assess the ability of the individual by virtue of the kind and length of your relationship with them.
STEP 6: The Valediction
The letter should be closed by a salutation or a nice closing for example “Sincerely”.
Make sure you leave three spaces, and then write your name. Include your name if it helps the person whom you’re writing your letter.
Send the letter to the addressee with your signature.
As a note, include contact details so that the person who reads the letter has contact information to contact you in the event that additional information is needed. However, including the contact information may be a judgement call.
Final Comments
The main point is that an official character reference letter needs to be current, brief and concise, and presented professionally.
If you’re a master of penmanship you can write your letter handwritten, but it is best to use an application for word processing.
It might not be the most appropriate choice to present your character reference letter in its entirety to the person you’re writing to. The reason is that they might request for changes or add some additional details. Perhaps, they be upset that you did not “pump them up” enough.
