|
Personal
Letters of Recommendation
Information,
tips & examples of personal character reference letters for all occasions
Character reference
letters is really a catch-all term for letters of recommendation that are
not related to the most common applications: job searches and school admission.
There are a vast number of different types of character reference letters,
these include:
- Child
Custody
- Apartment
/ Rental / Coop
- Loan Approval
- Award
Nomination
- Join Club
/ Organization
- Join Sorority
/ Fraternity
- Recognize
or Document Contribution / Volunteerism
- Enlist
in Armed Services
While different
examples of miscellaneous character reference letters abound, resources
for writing personal character reference letters do not. Most of the information
you will find on writing reference letters - particularly the information
you will find on the web - pertains specifically to job searches and school
admission, the most common types.
While some
sources may provide a few generic tips that are helpful, most deal with
the particulars of employment strategies, teacher / student relationships,
and the like. The following list of letter-writing tips summarizes most
of what you will find, once you boil it all down:
Credential
Yourself
Your personal character reference letters must establish three things
before it will carry any weight:
Top / Bottom
- You
are in a position to know the candidate well.
Explain the nature and duration of your relationship with the candidate.
- You
are qualified to make an accurate assessment.
The qualifications that are most relevant change from one situation
to the next. For example, if you are recommending someone as the parent
of an adoptive child, then you should make it clear that you understand
what it takes to raise a child. In this case, your own experience as
a parent is very relevant; it qualifies you as an expert. If, however,
you are writing personal character reference letters that the candidate
will use to try to make parole, then your parenting skills are of little
relevance.
- You
are the kind of person whose opinion can be trusted and respected.
You don't have to be a captain of industry to provide an opinion that
people can respect. However, impressive education credentials and a
high social standing do count - so if there is something about you that
is particularly imposing, then you should mention it.
Be Specific
General recommendations and overall evaluations carry little weight. The
reader wants to know what it is specifically that makes the candidate worth
recommending. Mention two to four key traits.
Be Customer
Focused
Always concentrate on the things that will be of the most interest to
the reader first and foremost. Your candidate may have a wonderful sense
of humor, but if the reader isn't looking for that, then write about something
else.
Top / Bottom
Provide
Evidence Don't just say your candidate is intelligent; give proof.
What did he do that demonstrated intelligence to you? Is your candidate
honest? Give an example in his personal
character reference letters of when that honesty was tested and came
shining through.
A good example
of a personal letter of recommendation is available on this web site;
go to Example Letter of
Recommendation
Next Steps...
|
