Letter of Recommendation
Reference letter for a current or former employee, student, or colleague.
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May 4, 2026 To Whom It May Concern It is with my highest recommendation that I write on behalf of Jordan Taylor, who is in the process of pursuing new opportunities. I have known Jordan Taylor as their Direct manager from January 2023 to April 2026, working closely with them for three years. In that capacity I had a direct line of sight into their work, their judgement, and their character — and it is on the basis of that direct experience that I write this letter. PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS During our time working together, Jordan Taylor consistently delivered work of exceptional quality. Specific examples that stand out: - Led the migration of our billing system to a new architecture, completed two weeks ahead of an aggressive schedule. - Mentored two junior engineers, both of whom were promoted within their first year. - Reduced the company's dashboard load time by 40% through caching improvements that became a model for other teams. - Authored our internal API design guide, which is now mandatory reading for all new engineering hires. PERSONAL QUALITIES Beyond technical skill, Jordan brings rare combination of intellectual rigour and genuine humility. They are willing to argue strongly for the right answer in a design discussion and equally willing to change their mind in the face of new evidence. Colleagues consistently describe them as the engineer they most want to work with on a hard problem. CONCLUSION Jordan Taylor is exactly the kind of person any organisation should hope to hire. They will not only execute on what is asked of them — they will raise the standard of the people around them. I have no hesitation in recommending them for any role that calls on the qualities described above. I would be delighted to discuss Jordan Taylor's qualifications further. Please feel free to reach me at priya@acmecorp.example. Sincerely, Priya Patel VP of Engineering, Acme Corporation priya@acmecorp.example
About this template
A letter of recommendation is a high-leverage favour with reputational stakes for both writer and subject. The best recommendations share three traits: they come from someone with direct, recent knowledge of the subject's work; they include specific accomplishments rather than generic praise; and they answer the implicit question "would you hire this person again?" with a clear yes. Generic letters ("hard worker, team player, eager to learn") are the kiss of death — they signal that the writer either does not know the subject well or is hedging. The strongest letters use a "strength → specific example" pattern in every paragraph, and end with a willingness to discuss further. Companies sometimes adopt a no-letter-of-recommendation policy, requiring all reference requests to go through HR; in those cases, individual managers can write personal letters on personal time but should be careful not to imply they speak for the company.
When to use it
- Departing employee asks for a written reference.
- Promotion or graduate-school application.
- Award or fellowship application.
- Long-time colleague asks for a reference (with their permission).
What to include
- How you know the subject (relationship + duration).
- 3–5 specific accomplishments with measurable outcomes.
- Personal qualities with examples.
- Strength of recommendation (clear yes / strong yes).
- Offer to discuss further (with contact info).
- Your name and title.