The objective of the lesson
By the end of the lesson, a learner
should be able
(1) to give the meaning of the
Recommendation letter.
(2) to mention people who may recommend
(3) to identify stages involved in
writing a recommendation letter
(4) to write a letter of recommendation.
BACKGROUND
One day, my friend who was applying for
a scholarship asked me to write him a recommendation letter but although I knew
what he meant, yet I did not know how to write it and what to include.
Therefore I decided to find books and search on the internet so that I could
learn more about them. Therefore it is my pleasure to share with you who wish
to know about it.
MEANING OF LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
A letter of Recommendation is the kind
of official letter written by a person to testify on one’s ability and
character. It is normally written for a person who is applying for a certain
job or even a college course. Therefore it is written to say or to prove that
the applicant is the right candidate depending on how the recommender knows the
applicant's ability and character.
WHO CAN RECOMMEND AN APPLICANT?
The following can be your recommenders
however some institutions would be specific on what kind of recommenders they
want.
1. Your supervisor. If
you work somewhere, your supervisors are good to give a testimony about your
working ability and your character. It is essential therefore to work hard
because one day, you may need your supervisor to say how much they think you
fit into a particular position.
2. Your co-workers. People
you work with can also bear witness to who you are, what you know and how you
are the right person to serve in a particular position.
3. Your teachers. Teachers
are always close to their students, so they know much about them and they are
good enough to recommend them.
4. Clients. This
is especially if you are a businessman or woman.
5. Neighbors and
friends. N.B It is crucial to find a person who may positively recommend you
because others would not want to and would not admit that they don't want to.
THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION
LETTER
(a) Introduce yourself and write your
relationship with the person you are recommending.
(b) Say why the candidate or the
applicant is qualified.
(c) Show specific skills they have.
(d) Say how did you know them and since
when.
PARTS OF THE RECOMMENDATION LETTER
1. SALUTATION
For example, Dear Sir/Madam. If you know their names you may say, Dear
Mr Godoni. Or use the sentence below if it is the general
letter.
TO
WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
(This is the most used).
2. MAIN BODY
This is where you say what you aim to
say. This part can have the following subparts Paragraph
1. Explain how you know the applicant or
candidate. Paragraph
2. Write the details about the person
you are recommending.
Say why he or she is qualified.
Say what you think they can do better or
contribute.
Summary. A brief summary of the
candidate or applicant.
Positively recommend him or her. For instance,
I strongly recommend him for he can.....
Or I recommend her without reservation due to her
academic potential in............
3. CONCLUSION
Show that you are ready to give more
information if you will be required to do so. In this part, provide your
contacts information such as phone number and an active email address. Then
close your letter as follows:
Sincerely
..............
(Signature: If you are writing a
hardcopy letter)
Title. (Examples: Teacher, Attorney
General etc).
NB.
Attached is the template showing the descriptions above. For more information
about the above article, check out the resources below:
REFERENCES
1. Kerry, M.(2018, Feb 13). Letter of recommendation samples for employment. Retrieved from https://resumegenius.com
***
The
writer of this article is an English and Literature teacher who teaches in
Mtwara region, Tanzania. He is also a blogger and a poet (Godonipoems).
