Sample Reference Letter Template (Page 4 of 13) in pdf

Advice to potential referees

A student, employee or colleague has asked you to write a reference letter but you have never written one

before or you are not sure what the appropriate content is for a reference letter. What should you write for

that person?

First, you should feel free to decline the request if you do not know the person well, have little positive to

say or simply do not have the time to write an effective letter. A poorly written letter is as troubling as a

letter describing mediocre performance.

If you decide to accept the request, you should take the time to read through the requirements of the

position, program or award the person is applying for. Next you should consider how the person’s

previous behaviour and actions relate to the position, program or award and how his or her work will

benefit the organization that he or she is applying to.

In general the reference should:

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Include dates to indicate how long you have known the person or when worked with or supervised the

person. If you have worked with this person repeatedly indicate this in letter since working more than

once with a person answers the all-important question “Would you hire/collaborate with this person

again?” In the case of a student, if she or he took several classes with you, indicate how he or she

developed as a student or professional in your field.

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Summarize the work that the person provided for you. You can indicate the title of the work or

project, the results and if the results the person produced were new or outstanding in any way. You

may also comment on any software or research techniques the person used to attain these results.

•

Explain clearly what tasks the person performed and use plain English to describe the student’s

performance.

If you are asked to write a reference letter for a person who is applying for work outside of academia, or a

field that you are unfamiliar with, what should you write? Ask to see the criteria that the person must

meet so you can write a targetted letter that uses some of the language, terms and skills from the criteria.

You can also ask to see the person’s c.v. or resume so you can comment on his or her experience in

relation to the criteria.

Some professors decline to write a reference letter for a student who would like to use the letter to find

employment because they are not sure how to convey what the student did in class in relation to the

position. Focus on relevant transferable skills that the position requires. Transferable skills are abilities

that are usable in different areas. Examples include:

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A student who delivers assignments on time and according to the criteria will also be asked to hand in

work materials on a deadline and meeting the standards of the workplace.

•

Using research techniques and software programs, as well as demonstrating analytical, numeracy and

communication skills are valued not only in university but also in the workplace.

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If you are a language professor, you can comment on the student’s linguistic ability, oral fluency and

confidence communicating in the language, since the student should be able to apply the language in

classroom as well as in the workplace.

Sample Reference Letter Template Page 4