Sample Letter of Recommendation

To Whom It May Concern:

I am delighted to write this letter in recommendation of Jane Smith, who is applying to the postgraduate
program at your institution. Due to her strong work ethic and professionalism, I feel confident in
recommending her to your school.

I have known Ms. Smith for two and a half years. She worked as a Patent Filing Specialist at the
International Patent Law Office, where I was her direct supervisor. I assigned cases to Ms. Smith and
monitored her progress. She was very efficient and completed tasks on time with professionalism. She
was active in asking questions and seeking solutions to problems, and if she encountered problems or
made an error, she had the courage to admit the mistake, take responsibility, and immediately seek to
rectify the situation. Throughout her time in this position, Ms. Smith consistently strove for excellence.

I was particularly impressed by her strong communication skills. Part of her job involved contacting high-
profile companies, mostly in Japan, and addressing their needs and meeting their demands. She showed
very strong organizational and management abilities, and she was very orderly, with the ability to learn
quickly. If anything, Ms. Smith was at times too eager to complete tasks successfully and quickly, which
ultimately serves as proof of her dedicated ambition to succeed and excel.

Based on my firsthand observation of her performance over the past few years, I believe that Ms. JaTo
Whom It May Concern:

I am delighted to have this opportunity to recommend Mr. John Smith to your esteemed master’s
program. I have observed Mr. Smith’s work performance over the past several years, and as such, I can
personally attest to his diligent working attitude and great potential.

As the Senior Vice President at ABHS Bank, I was Mr. Smith’s Supervisor from 2008 to 2010. Mr. Smith
worked in ABHS Bank during his summer vacations in the university, and from his very first day in this
company, it was immediately evident that he would be a positive addition to the company.
Initially, Mr. Smith worked as a part-time sales assistant, in charge of credit card promotions and various
internal affairs. He proved to be a quick learner and someone who was able to take direction and eager
to learn more to advance his abilities. With the guidance and support of myself and my colleagues, Mr.
Smith was able to meet sales quotas and perform quite effectively in this role.

Due to his performance, Mr. Smith was given more responsibility in tasks that more directly involved
finance and investment, as this was the area in which he was most interested. Mr. Smith was clearly
highly motivated to learn more and successfully accomplish his tasks. Although this was a part-time
position, Mr. Smith showed great dedication and proved that he is very certain of his goals and very
dedicated to achieving them.

In sum, I found Mr. Smith to be an especially professional employee who stood out aTo Whom It May
Concern:

I am glad to have this opportunity to recommend Jane Smith to your school. Miss Smith has worked as
an Engineering Assistant at Goodwell Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for the past year and a
half, and as her supervisor and Vice Manager, I can attest to her diligence and capability to set goals and
achieve them.

As an Engineering Assistant, Miss Smith assisted in the conduct of engineering design as well as
managing small projects and collaborating with her colleagues to prepare statements and monitor
project schedules. Her role as Engineering Assistant demanded that she work harmoniously with a wide
range of people while commanding respect. Due to her personality, she was able to accomplish this with
relative ease. She had a positive attitude when dealing with both her superiors and her colleagues, and
she demonstrated the ability to manage multiple tasks and accomplish goals efficiently and according to
schedule.

After spending a year and a half in this company, she has become a valued member of our company.
Although I would be pleased to have her remain in our company, I feel that she is well-prepared to
undertake graduate study overseas, and I am proud to see her challenging herself further. Based on my
personal observation of her professional work ethic and her engaging personality, I believe that she will
be a valuable addition to your institution. I therefore recommend her for admission without
recommendation.
If you should require fuTo Whom It May Concern:

It is my great pleasure to write this letter in support of Jane Smith’s application for admission into your
master’s program. As the owner of the Goodwell Factory, I have seen her develop into a dedicated
worker with a mind well-adapted to the demands of the business world.

Miss Smith served as a Trainee and General Secretary of the Goodwell Factory from September of 2008
until March of 2010. In her capacity at my company, Miss Smith was responsible for purchasing supplies
and communicating with customers regarding their requirements. Her overall responsibility was to
enable smooth and efficient operations, and I’m pleased to say that she performed this task with the
utmost competence.

My company is involved in screw manufacturing and export. Miss Smith has already displayed her ability
to apply what she learned in school by communicating with customers from different cultures and
backgrounds. Her language abilities and her overall drive and spirit have been an asset to my business,
and I am proud and fortunate that she is so eager to take the reins and help our business evolve through
this century.

The demands of the industry necessitate leaders who understand the international marketplace and are
able to do business around the globe. By pursuing a master’s degree in your university, Miss Smith is
seeking to gain the skills and experience that will enable her to do this well. I have much confidence in
her as a leader, and I offer my recommendati