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Personal Recommendation Letter (For a Friend)
Sometimes, our friends know us better than our family ever will. They have become our confidants outside our families have become our witnesses to our happiness and silent battles. In short, they make perfect witnesses for our morals, values, and everything that makes us unique. A personal recommendation letter is a perfect instrument to vouch for your friend’s character. To know more about this letter, continue reading below. Read More
Personal Recommendation Letter (For a Friend)
What Is a Personal Recommendation Letter?
A personal recommendation letter is a letter used to bolster one’s application to an institution, a job, an organization, or a community position. This letter talks about a person’s morals, values, and unique characteristics—in short, it delves into the personal relationship instead of a professional one. According to Indeed, this letter is perfect for candidates whom you have a personal relationship with: current or former classmate or friend, fellow volunteer, long-time neighbor, a fellow member of an organization, current or former client, mentor, and close family friend.
When writing this letter, the content should be kept short and concise for the recipient’s easy reading. In some cases, the recipient may demand to have the letter mailed—so, mail the letter and address it properly to get to its designated recipient.
How to Write a Personal Recommendation Letter?
Your personal recommendation letter should give justice to your friend’s credentials and traits. To write a strong personal recommendation letter, read our tips below:
1. Make Sure You Know the Person Well Enough
One of the main reasons for writing a personal recommendation letter is to vouch for your friend’s morals, values, and unique characteristics. And you cannot do so if you only know them at surface value. Weigh the quality of friendship that you share with your friend and only then can you start crafting a personal recommendation letter.
2. Ask for the Details Regarding Their Application
Talk with your friend regarding the details of their application so, you can align the content of your letter with their skills and background. You can use this to point out your friend’s qualities that make them qualified for the job position. You can sit down with them and talk about said details. Take notes while you’re at it to ensure you have everything correct. Once you have every important detail, you can start drafting your letter.
3. Introduce Yourself and the Person You Are Recommending
Introduce yourself, your relationship, and where and how you met your friend. This will give certify the reader that you are qualified to write a recommendation letter for your friend. Detail how you have witnessed the growth of your friend over the past years and how it has greatly affected your friendship. Slowly transition from introducing your friend to how your relationship has evolved over the past years.
4. List Down Their Best Traits, Morals, and Values
List down your friend’s best traits, morals, and values that will surely make them the perfect candidate for the organization or institution. You can also associate these said traits with the company’s branding and charity works (if any). When holding a friend in such high regard, we tend to exaggerate or lie. As much as possible, be honest with what you write.
5. Finish the Letter Politely
Once you are done with the body of the letter, thank the reader for their time. Include your contact number with the days and time you are available, in case they have questions regarding your friend’s personal and professional affiliations. Finish the letter with a closing statement and signature.
Once done, see to it that you have proofread your letter. Check the dates, the recipient’s name, address, and title. These are the things that the reader sees first—so, ensure that everything is error-free. Look out for contextual errors such as grammatical and spelling errors, as well. Furthermore, your contact details should also be accurate. Or better yet, you can ask someone to read the whole letter for you to spot the errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you start a personal recommendation letter?
Start by addressing the recipient. You can start with To Whom It May Concern if you do not know the recipient or, start it by addressing the recipient with the appropriate title. Give at least 2-3 sentences of praise before writing the body of your letter.
How long should my personal recommendation letter be?
Your personal letter of recommendation should be 1-2 paragraphs long and should be as concise as possible. Focus on the main points only and it should all fit on one page.
Why is it called a personal recommendation letter?
Unlike other recommendation letters, this letter focuses on the personal relationship of the applicant with the writer. It discusses the morals, values, unique characteristics, and background of the applicant. To be able to do so, the writer must know the applicant personally to vouch for said qualities. It delves more into the personal relationship instead of the professional one.
What should I include in the recommendation letter?
According to Thought Co., you should include anecdotes that pertain to the applicant’s consistency, persistence, character, accomplishments, potential, motivation, character, contributions, dependability, skills, abilities, and strengths. However, these things should only be added if it fits the recommendation letter.
What should I avoid when writing a personal recommendation letter?
Avoid giving too detailed personal information and experiences. Avoid exaggerating information and keep everything truthful. Focus on their skills, abilities, values, morals, and unique characteristics.
It’s no doubt that friends make the best witnesses when it comes to our hidden personalities. Being with them through the hard times makes them the best candidates to vouch for our personalities. And it would be an ultimate bolster if they can vouch for us for our professional endeavors. This letter is the perfect tool for that. By having our friend’s unbiased, supportive, and positive opinions of us, it’s no doubt that we have a big chance of getting accepted. Start writing a recommendation letter seamlessly for your friend by making use of a template.