How to write a personal recommendation letter (with examples)

Personal recommendations are an important request and require special attention to make them suitable. If you’ve been asked to write a personal letter of recommendation for a friend, you may have questions, including how to tackle the job professionally. This article will make sure you know how to write personal recommendation letters that help out by impressing.

What is a personal recommendation letter?

A personal recommendation letter is similar to a personal reference that some people do over the phone. However, yours will be in writing. Your letter will offer your knowledge of the individual and why you think they would be suited for the position or situation for which you are recommending them.

What are personal recommendation letters used for?

There are various reasons someone may ask you for a personal recommendation letter. The most common is that they are applying for a job. Some people will ask for a personal recommendation to support entrance into a college, or a special program within the college; others may ask for a letter in support of a mortgage or other loan. In this post, we will focus on a personal recommendation letter for a job.

The request may come from someone who does not have many business recommendations due to limited work experience, or the potential employers have requested that they obtain business and personal recommendation letters.

Whatever the reason, the request is important to the person who asks, so here’s how you can do your best to help, should you decide to.

Components of a recommendation letter

The components of a recommendation letter are similar to those of a business letter. To the recipient, that’s essentially what it is. Those components are as follows:

• Header
• Opening
• Body of letter
• Conclusion
• Signature

Each component requires specific steps, which are explored below.

Steps to writing your letter

The steps to writing a personal recommendation letter include:

Header

The header includes your identifying information followed by the date, then the other person’s information. Identifying information for you is:

• Name
• Address
• City, state zip
• Phone number
• Email address

The other person’s identifying information won’t need the phone number or email address.

Opening

The opening begins with the proper salutation. If you know the recipient’s name, you can use “Dear.” If not, use, “To whomever it may concern.”

Next up is your introductory paragraph. This first brief paragraph will offer a positive statement of purpose, indicating for whom you are writing and why. 

Body of your letter

In the body of your letter, explain how you know the individual, where you met, and how long you’ve known them. Make sure you are clear about why you are qualified to comment on their personal and/or professional qualities.

You want to demonstrate to the potential employer why the individual is suited for the position. Bring out their personal characteristics and skills. From there, you should highlight the specific reasons the person is qualified for the job.

Conclusion

Make a brief statement summarizing that you recommend the person without hesitation. Next, offer to provide more information if needed. Your contact information is in the heading, so the person will know how to reach you.

Signature

Use a polite closing before you type your name. For example, you can use “Sincerely.” Make sure to leave four lines to hand sign the letter before the typed signature.

Personal recommendation letter example

Nancy Jones
22 Juniper Street
Anytown, CA 99999
321-555-6789
nancy.jones@email.com

April 10, 2022

Linda Kellen
Human Resources
New Corp.
15 Main Street
Anytown, CA 99999

Dear Ms. Kellen,

I am thrilled to write this letter of recommendation for Karen Brown, in support of her candidature for the position of writing intern at New Corp.

I’ve known Karen for over 15 years. She has lived in my neighborhood since she was a child. In that time, she’s consistently demonstrated a dependable, entrepreneurial, and creative spirit. When she was a teenager, she had a babysitting business in our neighborhood and would create her own stories and craft ideas to entertain the kids. It was a real joy for the parents to have her watching the children, and the children loved her.

Since then, she has blossomed into an educated young lady, taking English and creative writing classes. Her transcripts indicate she has made the honor roll during her educational pursuits. She also has several professional recommendations from the school that show her ability to achieve whatever she puts her mind to. Since I’ve known her on a personal level, I’m not surprised that she is flourishing in these endeavors. She is determined, hardworking, and loyal.

Karen would benefit your company, and I am happy to recommend her for the position. You can contact me with any questions you may have. I would be happy to discuss my recommendation further. Please feel free to call me at 321-555-6789.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

Nancy Jones

Guide for your letter

Before writing a personal recommendation letter for a job, take time to review the following tips:

• Decide if you want to write the letter. You are under no obligation to write a personal recommendation letter; and, in fact, you should only do so if you can write one from the heart. You want the letter to be believable. Whatever you decide, let the person know right away that you accept or decline the offer.
• Review the job position. This will ensure that you match the person’s skills with the position. You want to tie those together for a stronger recommendation.
• Write from a positive perspective. This is a recommendation letter, so you want it to shine with positive attributes.
• Don’t write about everything you know about the person, even if it is all positive. You don’t want to overwhelm the person with irrelevant characteristics. Focus on traits that will be essential for the job.
• Use a business letter format. This includes a plain font size 12, left-justified, and on plain white heavyweight paper.
• Make sure to submit it promptly. Check to see if there is a timeframe for submitting, and be sure to follow it.

Writing a personal recommendation letter is a privilege. You can have a hand in helping someone else climb their career ladder and succeed in life.