At some point in your life, one of your friends comes to you and asks you to write a character reference. It's the point where you start wondering how to write a character reference letter.

For adding some comfort to your life, I have created this comprehensive blogpost that would give you a clear idea of composing a character reference. You can give an idea from the examples mentioned below or simply use a template of a character reference letter from a friend.

What is a Character Reference?

Many recruiters and employers ask the Candidate to furnish a character reference. It means to get help from your friends and acquaintances and ask them to write a letter where they need to vouch for your character personally.

Does it seem a bit complicated?

Okay, Take it this way. A hiring manager has your resume in his hand. He wants to know more about your character like:

How trustworthy are you?

How do you handle a problem in your life?

How good are you with other people?

Are you reliable?

Are you a workaholic?

Are you a team player?

You might have written job-related skills like problem-solving, creativity, dedication, etc., in your resume. However, your words are not good enough. The hiring manager wants to know what others say about you. Therefore, he asks you to furnish a character reference from someone who has known you for years.

• This someone can be your best friend - he is there with you all those years.
• This someone can be your coach or mentor- who has seen you grow over the years.
• This someone can be your current or past employer- who knows how well you handled your work.
• This someone can be your teacher or professor - who knows how good you are at your school or university - this reference is useful for an entry-level job.
• This someone can be your colleagues- who knows how you treat others and how well you manage a project.
•  

In simple words, your character reference can come from a person who knows you. Don't pick a stranger or casual friend- they won't be able to define your character in a way you want them to be.

Character Reference Letter Writing Tips

If your friend asks you to write his character reference from a particular job, it's a big responsibility. You need to choose words carefully because any wrong word choice would make your friend lose this job opportunity.

I will share some tips that help you create the best character reference letter for any person who asked for it.

Focus on Personal Traits- The purpose of writing this letter is to vouch for someone. You will have to focus on those personal traits that make him a right candidate for this job. 

Read Job Description- In case it's hard to mention some specific traits. The trick here is to read job descriptions and try to get an idea of skills that an employer is looking for in an employee. Highlight key skills and mention only two of them in the letter. 

Keep it Short- You don't need to share your friendship life with the employer. The primary purpose is to use a few words to describe the best traits and skills of a person you have known for years. Avoid sharing long stories, and you might bore a hiring manager. The to-the-point, concise letter will help your friend win a job through your good recommendations- and that's the primary purpose of writing this character reference letter.

Stay in Context- You need to keep your character reference relevant to the job. If an employer is looking for a candidate who can work with kids, then keep your letter all around this thing. An Irrelevant and out-of-the-context letter won't bring any good for your friend or anyone for whom you are writing this. 

Give an example - You can make your character reference letter engaging by putting an example where that person did well for you or the community by using his strength, skills, and talent.

Ask the Candidate- letter. If you are not sure what to write, use a simple template or ask for your friends- they would be there to guide you. Sometimes, you are confused about what would work and what won't. It's better to get help from the person who is asking for it. He would highlight key points and how you can highly speak for him.

Follow Business Letter Format- You can type an email and give a reference, but a hand-written letter would always make a good impact. Always follow a business letter format- that I'm going to mention below in examples and templates.

Use Professional Tone- Try not to crack jokes while writing this character reference. You might have a funny story about your friend's skills, but it's not the place to share it. Never use a conversational or casual tone.

Know:How to Keep Professional Tone

How to Write a Character Reference Letter

Here is a format you can follow to create a Character reference for anyone.

Header: You will mention the employer name, company name, contact details, and email id.

If you don't have specific information, make a call to a person whose reference you will write. It's okay to send a reference without header information, but it would look more professional. Alternatively, call the company's receptionist to gather all these details.

Salutation:

Employer likes to get addressed by his name. In case you don't know his name, use Sir or To Whom It May Concern as Salutation. You won't use casual salutations like Hey, Hello or Hi, etc.

First Paragraph:

 You will tell you who you are and your connection with the person whose character you will define. It's good to say to the recruiter how long you have known each other, so he would get an idea of whether he can rely on you or not. After the introduction, you can mention a crucial skill.

Second Paragraph: 

You will validate the first critical skills while explaining some other skills he has. It's good to give an example like where he worked or a quick story that can describe his skills, good traits, and talent. No more than four lines for this paragraph. 

You must focus on his personal characters and positive things in the second paragraph. Try to tell how others perceive him.

Third Paragraph: 

You will tell how his skill makes him a good fit for the job. In one line, try to create his skills connected with his current job and then recommend him.

Closing line:

 You can ask the employer to approach you if he needs to know more about the person.

Thank him:

Yes, you need to write thanks, or Thank you- as a courtesy and show your good manners.

Closing salutation: 

it can be Yours truly, Yours Sincerely, etc. After closing the salutation, you can sign your name or just write your name. The most important thing is to mention your address, your contact details, and email id- so that if an employer needs clarification of some points or more information, he can approach you effortlessly.

Character Reference Letter from Neighbor Example

Alex Smith,

XYZ company

Block-10, St-4,

Texas, USA

Respected Sir,

This is the reference to Mr.Karam, who has been my neighbor for the past three years. This kind person has become my friend from the very first day he shifted into this house. Our families spend time together. I like the way he is ready to support his society and community.

 Karam has taken part in many volunteer work where he aimed to make a difference in someone's life. 

He is known in our society for showing a positive attitude in every situation. Whenever we have a problem, he is the one who comes up with a brilliant solution. His problem-solving nature makes him a widespread resident in our society.https://us.fratres.net/career-advice/most-appropriate-salutations-and-greetings-for-business-emails-and-letters

His friendly and positive nature helped him earn a special place in our society. He also won an award for the most empathetic person in our informal gatherings. 

It is with great pleasure and pride, and I recommend Mr.Karam for this job position. He would be a friendly asset to your customer-care department.

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Hannah John

Street123

Phone number:222-222-222

Email:[email protected]

Character Reference Letter From Current Employer 

Alex Smith,

XYZ company

Block-10, St-4,

London, United Kingdom.

Dear Sir, 

This is a reference to Mr.Karam, who has applied for a marketing manager position in your company. I want to let you know that Karam has started his career at my company as an internee in the marketing field. His dedication to work helped him get the role of the junior marketer in less than a year. After two years, he got promoted as a senior marketer for our firm and boosted our company's sales volume to 150 percent in less than a year.

I am personally referring to Mr.Karam for the marketing manager position in your firm. I would like to be in this top-management position. I'm sure that if you give Karam a chance, he will live up to your expectations.

Yours Truly,

Tom Hank,

ABC Firm, 

Block 10-st-4

contact number:111-111-111

email: [email protected]

Character Reference Letter From a Friend Template

Alex Smith,

XYZ company

Block-10, St-4,

Texas, USA

To Whom It May Concern,

I highly recommend (name of Candidate) for the job position (mention job). I know him for fast (mention years). He has ample experience in the field (mention his field like management/marketing/accounting).

Personally, he is a person who likes to motivate others and help them achieve their dreams and goals. His excellent communication and listening skills make him a valuable asset to your society. He enjoys learning about new things and takes on challenges. He believes in giving back to society whatever he earns.

I can confirm that he is a man of great principles and quick to assist its colleagues in various areas. He always stands by my side, and he would stand by your company's side in its daily operation.

If you wish to know more about him, feel free to contact me at the given contact number.

Thank you

Yours Truly,

Tom Johnny

ABC Firm

Block 10-st-4

contact number:111-111-111

email: [email protected]

Character Reference Letter from a Colleague

To: Hannah Hopkins

Technician Associate

13-Street Plaza B

Los Angeles, CA 901

Dear Mr. Hopkins,

I am writing this letter to provide a personal reference to Ms.Sara, my teammate for the last three years in Digital Origin. I can personally attest to her organizational and management skills. She is such a good team player with her sophisticated work ethics, interpersonal and communication skills. I believe that she would be a great addition to your Marketing team at Technisa Associate.

Sara is a kind person who likes to communicate with her teammates at personal and professional levels. She is always ready to offer a helping hand as and when required. Her caring nature makes her an adorable person at our office. Recently, when one of our teammates got significant surgery and resumed his phased to work routine, she was the one who showed him continuous support through which he recovered fast. Her thoughtfulness and kindness are matchless.

As far as communication skills are concerned, it's hard to find someone like Sara. She is friendly and upbeat but knows how to communicate well from top to lower-level management without keeping professionalism intact.

I always admire her ability to see the positive light in every scenario. She keeps a positive outlook even when she is dealing with a frustrating and pressure-oriented work task. She helps other teammates to bring improvement in their functions. Her presence set the standards of excellence for others. I am quite confident that she would get the same level of enthusiasm and motivation for your team.

Although it's sad that I won't work with her any longer, I firmly believe that Technisia associates would get benefits by hiring her for a team manager position.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested to know more about her.

Thank you.

Yours Truly,

Anna Hashim

5th Street, Block B

Digital Origin

Los Angeles, CA 110