The write way: Recommendation letters from peers should be professional and personal

The right letter of recommendation can open up new job opportunities, confirm a potential employer’s positive thoughts and help a former colleague score a new job. But who cares what you have to say, right? You’re just a grunt like your jobseeking friend. Despite what you may think, name recognition and title aren’t always the biggest benefit of a great letter of recommendation. “Sure, it’s helpful to have a letter from a prominent CEO or someone in a specific industry but in most of those instances, the person writing the letter has a relationship with the subject that’s not based on work,” says Michael Ryan, a career consultant in New York. “Instead, it’s usually a neighbor or parent’s friend who can say great things about a job candidate’s character but almost nothing about their experience, their capacity for innovation or their work ethic.”

In comparison, Ryan says letters of recommendation from a former co-worker that’s light on “touchy-feely stuff” and heavy on substance can make believers out of some of the most skeptical HR specialists. “I’ve read some amazing letters of recommendation from former or present co-workers — people who outline the exact way that these particular job candidates have helped them and helped their business,” Ryan says. “The real content — real examples, real solutions — helps potential hirees bridge that gap from being a faceless name on a resume to a real person.”

If you’re asked — or if you offer — to write a letter of recommendation, here are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:

• Do be specific. No “To whom it may concern,” if possible. Try to find out who will be reading the letter and address that person.

• Don’t be too informal. Since you’re writing this in a professional capacity, you should use a formal tone. Don’t make your reader think less of you because of your informal approach.

• Do tell a story. Your letter should include at least one anecdote about something this person did that sets them apart from others. Whether that’s how they handled a complex situation at the office or how their consistent contribution to a cause helped make a difference, you want to leave the reader with a tangible example of why this candidate is the person for the job.

• Don’t put the focus on you. You’re not the subject of the letter so don’t feel compelled to spend more than one sentence explaining who you are and what you do.

• Do explain your relationship to the job candidate. Make sure you explain how you know each other. If you’ve worked together, mention where and in what capacity. If you know each other from outside the workplace, explain why that relationship is relevant.

• Don’t focus entirely on character. While it’s important to talk about the inherent qualities of your subject, it’s a better idea to use their character as the foundation for specifics about how they dealt with a difficult situation or produced stellar results.

• Do include contact information and an invitation to connect should the reader have any questions.

• Don’t forget the recommendation. Your final paragraph should be your actual recommendation, the part where you go beyond their work or character and recommend them for the job. Be as specific as possible. Tell your reader why this person would make an excellent employee.

• Do be original. It’s tempting to use a cut-and-paste approach to letters of recommendation but the most effective ones are written to specifically address the subject of the letter and their preparedness for the job.