Ok, your co-worker has requested that you write him/her a letter of reference. You panic! You don't know how to write a reference letter! You have never written one in your life. Where do you start? What do you say?

Hold on there a minute. Relax. Take a deep breath. Breathe into this paper bag.......lol.

Even though you may hate writing, to say nothing about the fact that you really do not have the time, you can do this! It is not that difficult and it is not that time consuming.

Where to Start:

Ask the person to discuss and/or provide you with the following:

• Their greatest accomplishments while under their present employment
• Organizations they might belong to
• What outside activities/charity events they may participate in
• Any other relevant information
• A current resume

Copy of job posting person is applying for (match skills/strengths with requirements)

Ok, we are now ready to sit down and write. Let's look at this step-by-step:

Step 1. Title (Letter of Recommendation for {Name}

Step 2. State your relationship to the person.

Step 2. How long have you known and worked with the individual?

Step 3. State the persons Job Role:

Step 4. Describe the persons positive traits

Ask yourself how the requestor rates in the following attributes:

Attributes Score (1 to 5)

• ability to communicate
• intelligence
• self-confidence
• willingness to accept responsibility
• initiative
• leadership
• energy level
• imagination
• flexibility
• interpersonal skills
• self-knowledge
• ability to handle conflict
• goal achievement
• competitiveness
• appropriate vocational skills
• direction

Step 5. State that you can provide more details upon request.

Step 6. Give the reader your recommendation

Step 7. Supply your contact information and the best time and day to reach you.

Print the letter on good quality ink-jet paper....and your done! See, that wasn't so hard was it? And it only took a few minutes. Now you can say that you know how to write a reference letter and you can produce a letter of recommendation that the person can be proud to take to their future employer.

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