Request for Letter of Reference

References by Pamela Rice Hahn

Similar to a recommendation request, a reference is usually a request for somebody to provide information about character as well as work habits. Take a look at the following samples.

Requesting Permission to Use as a Reference

Dear Ms. Cornelius:

I plan to send copies of my resume to a number of local businesses with the intent of soliciting more writing assignments. Should I receive any positive responses from that effort, I'm wondering if I could have your permission to use you as a reference.

[If there is any chance the recipient of this letter may not recall on which projects you've worked together in the past, list some examples here.]

Regardless of your decision, I thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Reference Permission Granted Letter

Dear Mr. Hebert:

By all means, feel free to use me as a reference. I am more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Good luck in your search for more work.

Sincerely,

Reference Permission Denial Letter

Dear Mr. Hebert,

It is with regret that I need to inform you that I am unable to grant permission for you to use me as a reference at this time. You may recall that the work you did for this company was done under a confidentiality agreement; company officials advise that any mention of that work would violate that agreement.

Good luck in your search for more work.

Sincerely,

Letters of Recommendation and Reference by Pamela Rice Hahn

Whether you need to write a letter of recommendation or provide a reference, or your purpose is to write to request one or the other, it's essential that you make things as easy as possible for the letter recipient.

· Be as direct and truthful as possible; only give a glowing recommendation if that's truly how you feel.

· State the purpose of the letter up front.

· Give enough details so the letter recipient can make a connection between you and the requested or included information.

· If you can — and are willing to — offer to provide additional information, and then include an invitation for the letter recipient to contact you if that information is needed or wanted.

Now take a look at some samples.

Request for Letter of Recommendation

Dear Ms. Sutton:

I plan to submit an application for one of Mendon University's five leadership scholarships. I'm hoping you'll be willing to write one of the letters of reference I need to submit with my application.

The scholarships are to be awarded to those who best exhibit academic excellence and leadership skills. As both my political science professor and faculty advisor for my work as intern in Senator Hahn's office, you're someone I believe can offer an objective perspective on my abilities in those areas.

The deadline for submission of my scholarship application is May 15. I've included a self-addressed, stamped envelope for you to use to send the requested letter to me; however, if you feel we should discuss this in person first, please contact me so we can set up a time for me to stop by your office.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Request for Letter of Reference

Dear Mr. Cornelius:

I'm under consideration as a technical writer for Bradford Electronics. Because I've completed several similar (but noncompeting) writing projects for your company, I'm hoping that you'll be willing to provide me with a reference.

I'll give you a call at the end of the week so that we can discuss how you prefer to proceed with my request.

With thanks,

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29