If you have been asked to recommend someone for a job or school then you will benefit from tips for writing a good recommendation memo. Basically you can do this with ease. The idea behind writing a recommendation memo is that it will be the cornerstone for an applicant. This simply means that the recommendation memo is either a deal maker or a deal breaker. That is not to put any extra added pressure on you, but it is to say that the standard form of a recommendation memo is more or less likened to a sales pitch. You should be well aware of the individuals strengths, weaknesses, competence and credibility way before you start writing. A few good tips for writing a good recommendation memo include keeping it short, sweet and professional.
With the recommendation memo, you wield a certain amount of power, in that you are in the position of creating a perception of the individual in which you are writing about. You would not normally begin a recommendation memo with “XYZ is a good person,” because that absolutely says nothing about the experience or credibility of the individual and it is an open ended generalization which is everything that a recommendation memo is not.
A good recommendation memo will testify to the skills and abilities of an individual. If you are writing just a general letter of recommendation then you will find that you can keep things relatively simple. Nine time out of ten the individual that you are writing the recommendation memo for will want to use the letter over and over again so it is probably a good idea to keep it simple and general. The only difference between writing a recommendation based on employment as opposed to academics is that you will focus on the individual’s job performance when the memo is slated to help get the person a job.
Here are a few good tips for pumping out a recommendation memo.
Here is a brief sample of a recommendation letter for a person who is seeking to get a position with a reputable company. Only the body of the letter will be included for purposes of illustration of how the main part of the letter should be.
Mr. XYZ has asked me to write a memo of recommendation, and it is my pleasure to do so. I first encountered Mr. XYZ while supervising him at Company B in Washington, DC. At the time of his employ, Mr. XYZ was working as a Management Analyst in the Logistics Department of Company B. In that capacity Mr. XYZ was forced to confront an array of problems with staff support. I am pleased to say that Mr. XYZ solved each problem with integrity and professionalism. It seems that whenever Mr. XYZ was confronted with an obstacle, he adjusted his swing and not only solved the problem but created a work environment that was proactive to productivity. All and all, I highly recommend Mr. XYZ for your company. He will prove to be a most valuable asset.
If you look at the above passage, you will notice how the writer of the recommendation stayed in line with the tips for writing a good recommendation memo. The memo verified the individual’s experience, it further confirmed the skills, performance and accomplishments of the individual and at the same time it build on the already established credibility of the individual who was applying for the position. This is what a good recommendation memo does and if you keep it general then the individual who requested it can reuse it at any time should they need to.