Recommendation letters

Peer assessment Sample résumés from 2 studentsample résumés from

Recommendation letter Also known as reference letter To unknown prospective employers or the admission officers. A recommendation is an endorsement( 赞同 ; 支持 ) —”Yes, this person would be an excellent candidate for your program.” It is also a sort of verification—” Yes, I have known this person for some time”

Process of writing a recommendation letter 1. Purpose of writing. Begin your recommendation by giving the full name of the recommended person （ e.g. Mr. Zhang Jianjun) 2. State your connection with the recommended and how long you have known him/her. (former student, current employer, colleague, supervisor / advisor / tutor / instructor / mentor, neighbor )

3. Focus on the person’s experience and skills and support your statement with facts or examples. ( special abilities and accomplishments, your sense of the person as a prospective employee or a student). 4. State generally the person’s character (trustworthy, optimistic, cautious, industrious, considerate, with a strong team spirit, etc.)

5. Close your letter with a summary statement, reaffirming your recommendation of or confidence in the person. 6. Offer to provide further information if necessary. (Give your name, occupational title, address and phone number.) Keep it within one page if possible..

Some useful expressions for recommendation letters:

I deem it my honor to recommend Li Zhelin to you. I have known Mr. Li for the past two years and have the distinct pleasure of having him in my United States History class during his second and third year. Miss Wang’s academic achievements are truly exceptional. She earned straight A in almost all her subjects

Her intelligence combined with her diligence is a recipe for her success in the years to come. Frankly, Mr. Li is not a genius, but I promise his great intelligence, commitment to work and his kind nature will impress you deeply. Thus I recommend him without reservation for his admission and financial aid to your program. Please feel free to contact me if you need. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to Miss Kong, please feel free to contact me at Thank you for your attention.

Two more samples Sample1: Recommendation for a studentRecommendation Sample2 : Recommendation for an employee

Notes on writing: = avoid being too casual and brief; Proper in length (1 page) =give the person’s full name at the beginning, later refer to the person as Mr., Ms, Miss, or Dr. plus the last name for the first reference in each para. And “he” or “she” after that. Never use the first name alone. =be specific: =avoid colloquial expressions: nice, good, fair, fairly

use some power words: honest, significant, expressive, creative, sophisticated, efficient, cooperative, imaginative, dependable, reliable, mature, innovative, imagination flexibility; interpersonal skills; ability to handle conflict; competitiveness; abstract thinking style, a high level of commitment; ability to be a “self-starter”; the potential ability to lead;

Assignment You are applying for studying abroad. Supposing you are one of your teachers, write a letter of recommendation.