Writing references is time-consuming and difficult for many people. If you need a personal or character reference always ask the writer if it would help to provide them with a draft.In these cases, the same principles mentioned above should be followed: For a position in non-business organisations such as councils, trusts, clubs, or societies.Character testimonials or references relating to court proceedings.Please change the spellings in your own references letters to suit your preferences.Ĭertain situations require character reference letters of a more personal nature, such as: Other words ending with 'our/or' - such as endeavour/endeavor, favour/favor - also vary in UK-English and US-English. Spelling note: These reference letter tips and references letters samples generally use spellings based on UK-English common form, for example, 'recognise', 'organise', 'specialise', whereas US-English uses the 'ize' spelling. ![]() ![]() It's a matter for your own discretion how much praise and positive information to include in the letter, hence the optional items.īelow you will find specific templates for employment, character, personal and trade reference letters. Yours faithfully (or 'Yours sincerely' if writing to a named addressee).Offer to provide more information if required (optional).State that you would willingly re-employ the person if the opportunity arose (optional, and very reassuring for the reader).Briefly describe their skills/qualifications/strengths/characteristics (optional).Briefly explain the person's responsibilities (optional).Confirm that the person's performance and attitude was (at all times) satisfactory/exceeded expectations or standards.Confirm dates, job title(s) capacity, and salary and benefits details if required/appropriate.Salutation ('To whom it may concern', or 'Dear Sir or Madam', or 'Dear ').The general structure for a reference letter is as follows: This is essential for employers, and very useful, too, for individuals, in terms of rights of access to references. See the section dealing with Data Protection and 'Subject Access Rights' in relation to references below. Data protection: In the UK, the 1988 Data Protection Act has important implications for employment and education references.There are also implications for verbal and written references stemming from Age Discrimination Laws and Equality Legislation and related best practice. The same applies to giving references over the phone-if they are verbally negative, they could be deemed slanderous. 'If you can't say anything good, don't say anything': When writing a reference letter never include any negative criticism or defamatory comments, as this could constitute libel.If, as a manager, you wish to give a reference but are not permitted to do so by your organisation-which would be very unusual-you might consider providing one in a personal capacity on your own private letterhead. Ensure you are acting within your authority if you are writing on behalf of an organisation using the official letterhead. Check company policy: Your organisation may have policies for managers writing reference letters for employees or ex-employees (for instance requiring letters to be approved by HR department).The overall quality of the letter reflects directly on the person who is its subject. Poorly presented, two-year-old, 5th generation photo-copied letters full of spelling mistakes and coffee stains will almost certainly do more harm than good. Keep it professional: Reference letters should be recently dated, short, to the point and professionally presented.If the addressee is known, then use the full name and address as this will increase the professionalism, and therefore the credibility, of the letter. If the addressee is not known or the letter is required for general purposes, use 'To whom it may concern', instead of 'Dear Sir or Madam'. Format: Below are some examples and templates for reference letters which cover most situations."Do it yourself": If you require a reference from your employer, it sometimes helps to draft one yourself for your manager or HR department-many managers do not have the time or are unsure about what to write, so ask if a draft letter would be helpful. ![]() Useful Tips on Making the Most out of a Job Reference
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |