Ever heard of the same, old and boring, Letter of Recommendation (LoR). I guess you do have. For the unknown, A letter of recommendation is an appreciation from your employer, wherein your professional traits, skills, and abilities, related and confined to your workplace are put on display. Now, there is another form of recommendation, which is known as a Character Reference Letter. Goosebumps, mention not, we are here for the help.
What Is A Character Reference Letter?
Okay, so I have got the recommendation from my employer and he has quoted me as a skilled, masterful, and ambitious employee, who is dedicated and committed towards his or her work. Isn’t that enough, Do I have to now get a recommendation from the President of America? Stress is bad, and we are totally against it.
A character reference letter, unlike a letter of recommendation, does not talk about your professional abilities, rather, it focuses entirely upon your personal qualities. In this letter, you tend to have better control over its content as it is written by a person, whom you know closely.
This person could be anybody, say a distant relative, a close friend whom you have known for a considerable period of time, your neighbors, or maybe the owner of any social organization with whom you engage in social welfare-related activities. Your immediate family members and close relatives must be avoided for this purpose, any sort of reference letter from them would lose credibility.
Why Is It Needed?
Well, in the first place you must think, why do you need a resume then. A character reference letter, like every other character document, reflects your true state of personality, behavior, and approach. By using and analyzing this letter, an employer is able to understand whether or not you will be a perfect match for their vacancy.
Your employer can demand a character reference letter whenever he or she feels like doing so, but it is a vital document and can be used for crucial situations, such as:
- Can be used for promotional purposes, when your professional network or performance is weak.
- Can be used when your letter of recommendation is not too encouraging or does not truly reflect your true capabilities.
- Can be used when, either you are a fresher or your work experience is too mere to be considered.
In all the scenarios mentioned above, a character reference letter can surely boost your chances and can also give you a competitive advantage over the other candidates.
Contents Of A Character Reference Letter
A character reference letter, despite being an important document, is not that prevalent and lacks the charm associated with a letter of recommendation. Many candidates are simply not aware of the same, and if they know something about it, they just don’t know what to tell your referencer to write about. Hence, below is the list of content/items that must be included in a character reference letter:
1. Your Relationship With The Referencer
To start off with, the first thing to be written in a character reference letter is about, How does your reference know you? That is, in the opening stanza your reference must write about his relationship with you.
For example:
- Mr. ABC has been a long-term business friend of mine, and we know each other for the past 6 years.
- I have known Mr. ABC since childhood, as he is my neighbor of 30 years. Not a single day passed when I hadn’t had a conversation with him.
2. Ask Your Referencer To Mention Some Of Your True Personal Qualities
A character reference letter is nothing a display of our own personality and attitude, which is written on a piece of paper. Some of the best qualities that can be included in a character reference letter are:
| Name of the personal quality | Reason for inclusion |
| Empathy | It is a strong personality trait in which you are able to think from another person’s perspective by stepping in his or her shoes. |
| Fluent Speech | Effective communication skills are one of the most desired capabilities and must be included in a character reference letter. |
| Active Listening | Working in an organization is all about active listening. You got to take orders from your boss and understand your customer’s issues and grievances, both need excellent active listening skills. |
| Critical Reasoning | This quality displays your intelligence and the ability to make quick business decisions, which are effective as well as productive. |
| Prioritization Skills | Being in an organization you will be required to execute several business tasks in a single working day. Thus, you got to have an effective prioritization technique. |
| Flexibility | Change is a part of life. There are constant changes that take place in a business organization, such as changes in software technologies, procedures, rules, guidelines, etc. An employee, who is adaptable to changes and is flexible is always preferred. |
3. Mention A Line Of Recommendation
After all, the purpose of a character reference letter is to boost the employability of the candidate. Hence, it is necessary to mention a statement of recommendation, towards the end of a character reference letter.
For Example,
Post compiling, considering, and analyzing all the above-mentioned facts, I sincerely recommend Mr. ABC for the designation of (mention the name of the position). I believe, he can be an asset to the company and have the ability to execute all the tasks in the most sincere and dedicated manner.
4. Mention Contact Details (Of Referencer)
Close your character reference letter, by mentioning the name, address, and contact details of your referencer along with a line, “Feel free to contact me in case you need any further information”.
How To Enhance The Efficiency Of A Character Reference Letter?
Anything done in life with a proper direction has the ability to yield maximum results. The same fundamental applies to a character reference letter. In order to increase the power or, we can say the magic of this wonderful document, you would have to:
Customize As Per The Job Requirement
A character reference letter in order to give maximum benefits and frame a positive opinion must be partially inspired by the job description, which is officially issued by an employer or a hiring manager. For example, say if the job is of an accountant then your referencer must write in the reference letter about your critical thinking ability and sharp intelligence.
Understand The Details
In order to ensure mission success, it is necessary to understand each and every itsy-bitsy of it. Before even starting with a character reference letter, you must be clear about the following aspects:
- When is the last date for the submission of the character reference letter?
- Where does a character reference letter need to be sent?
- How does a character reference letter is to be sent? (That is, whether through an email or a hard copy is needed to be posted)
- What is the true nature of your job?
- What are the specific qualities, that must be included in a character reference letter?
References
- https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780429327209/modern-labor-economics-ronald-ehrenberg-robert-smith-kevin-hallock
- https://academic.oup.com/ijl/article-abstract/34/2/206/6007986
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Sandeep Bhandari is the founder of PrepMyCareer.com website.
I am a full-time professional blogger, a digital marketer, and a trainer. I love anything related to the Web, and I try to learn new technologies every day.
All the team management, content creation, and monetization tasks are handled by me. Together with the team at PrepMyCareer, the aim is to provide useful and engaging content to our readers.