Writing a recommendation sucks. Honestly, it’s one of those tasks that sounds easy until you’re staring at a blinking cursor on a Tuesday afternoon, wondering if "hardworking" is too cliché. It probably is. If someone asked you to vouch for them, they trust you with their career trajectory. That’s heavy. But here’s the thing—the format for a letter of recommendation for a job isn’t just about where you put the date or how you sign your name. It’s about building a logical argument for why this human deserves a paycheck.
I’ve seen hundreds of these. Most are fine. Some are terrible. The ones that actually work follow a specific rhythm that mimics a real conversation, even though it's sitting on a PDF.
Why structure actually matters more than adjectives
People think a recommendation is a list of traits. It’s not. It’s a story. If you mess up the layout, the recruiter’s eyes just glaze over. They spend maybe six seconds on this document. If they can't find the relationship context or the "big win" immediately, you’ve failed your friend.
A standard business letter layout is the baseline. You need the header, the formal greeting, and a clear sign-off. But inside those margins? That’s where the real work happens. You’re trying to prove a hypothesis. The hypothesis is: "This person will make your life easier."
The "Who are you?" phase
Start with the basics. It sounds boring, but if the hiring manager doesn't know why your opinion matters, the rest of the letter is noise. You need to establish your own authority and your relationship to the candidate. Did you manage them? Were you their peer? Did you watch them handle a literal dumpster fire of a project for six months? Say that.
Keep this part short. Two sentences. Maybe three if you have a really cool job title. "I’m the Director of Engineering at X Corp, and I supervised Sarah for three years." Done.
The actual format for a letter of recommendation for a job
Let’s get into the bones of it. You want a header with your contact info. Use a professional email, please. No one trusts a career recommendation from "coolcat99@gmail.com."
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The Introduction
State the name of the person and the specific role they’re eyeing. Be direct. "I am writing to enthusiastically recommend [Name] for the [Position] role." Use the word "enthusiastically" or "without reservation." If you can't say that honestly, you probably shouldn't be writing the letter.
The Context
This is where you explain the "how" and "how long." "During her time at [Company], Sarah reported directly to me while we scaled our user base by 40%." This tethers her performance to a real-world result. It’s better than saying she’s "good at growth."
The Core Evidence (The "Meat")
This section should be the longest. Don't use bullet points that all start with verbs. It looks like a resume copy-paste. Instead, tell a quick story. Focus on one or two specific accomplishments. Maybe it was the time they stayed late to fix a server, or how they navigated a difficult client negotiation that everyone else thought was dead.
The Character Check
Skills are great, but are they a jerk? Recruiters want to know about soft skills without you using the phrase "soft skills." Talk about their reliability or how they mentor others. It makes them feel like a real person.
The Closer
Reiterate your recommendation. Give them a way to contact you. "Feel free to reach out via phone if you want to chat more about his work ethic." It shows you’re willing to stand by your words.
Mistakes that make you look like an amateur
Sometimes people try too hard. They use words like "exemplary" or "multifaceted" six times in one paragraph. It feels fake. It feels like AI—even if it isn't.
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One of the biggest blunders is being too vague. "John is a great guy and did a good job." That is a death sentence for an application. It tells the recruiter that either John didn't do anything notable, or you don't actually know him. Specificity is your best friend here. If you can’t name a specific project, find one before you hit print.
Also, watch the length. One page. That’s the rule. Anything longer and you’re rambling; anything shorter and it looks like you’re doing a chore.
Real-world example: The "Project Save"
Imagine you’re writing for a Project Manager named Alex. Instead of saying "Alex is organized," you write:
"Last October, our main vendor pulled out two weeks before a product launch. While the rest of the team was spiraling, Alex mapped out a contingency plan in 48 hours, sourced a local replacement, and kept us under budget. That’s just how he operates."
That paragraph does more work than a thousand adjectives. It follows the format for a letter of recommendation for a job by moving from a situation to an action to a result. It’s the STAR method, but for a letter.
The technicalities: Fonts and Margins
Yeah, we have to talk about it. Use a standard font. Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Don't get fancy with some script font because you think it looks "creative." It just looks hard to read.
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- Margins: 1-inch all around.
- Alignment: Left-aligned. Don't justify the text; those weird gaps between words are distracting.
- Spacing: Single-spaced for the paragraphs, with a double space between them.
- File Type: Always save as a PDF. Word docs can get messy when opened on different devices, and you don't want your carefully formatted letter looking like a jumbled mess on a recruiter's iPhone.
Navigating the "Don't" list
There are legalities involved here too. Avoid talking about anything personal. No mention of age, religion, race, or health. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised what people slip in when they’re trying to be "friendly." Keep it strictly professional.
If you truly don't think the person is a good fit, say no. It’s better to decline writing the letter than to write a lukewarm one. A "meh" recommendation is often worse than no recommendation at all. It signals that the person is forgettable.
Actionable steps for your next draft
If you're sitting down to write this right now, do these four things in order:
- Ask the candidate for their current resume and the job description. You need to know which of their skills to highlight. If the job wants a "leader," don't spend the whole letter talking about how good they are at Excel.
- Pick your "Big Story." Identify one moment where this person truly impressed you. Write that down first. Everything else in the letter should support that story.
- Use the "He/She is the kind of person who..." test. Finish that sentence. "She is the kind of person who sees a problem and fixes it before being asked." Put that in the character section.
- Proofread for "Robot Speak." Read it out loud. If you wouldn't say a sentence to a colleague over coffee, rewrite it.
The best format for a letter of recommendation for a job is one that feels human. It’s a professional endorsement, sure, but it’s also a human being saying, "I trust this person, and you should too." Get the structure right so the message can actually get through.
Check the spelling of the hiring manager's name if you have it. There is nothing that kills a recommendation faster than misspelling the recipient's name in the first line. Double-check the company name too. If you’re reusing a template, make sure you didn't leave in the name of the last place you wrote a letter for. That’s an instant "no" from most HR departments.
Once the PDF is saved, send a copy to the candidate so they have it for their records, then send it off to the recruiter. You’ve done your part. If you followed the right structure, you’ve given them a massive advantage in a crowded market.