Reference Letter Examples: Five Letters and the Rules
By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published · Updated
7 min read
A reference letter is worth reading only if it says how well the writer knows you, for how long, and one thing you did that somebody else could not have done. The constraint is honesty: a reference is legally risky to exaggerate and legally risky to poison, so the strongest letters are specific rather than warm. The University of California, Berkeley's teaching center publishes a model that ranks the candidate and then evidences the ranking. Five complete letters follow, checked in September 2026: an employment reference, a character reference, a teacher writing for a student, a neutral policy letter, and one for someone with little experience. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.
The employment reference first, which is the one most people are asked to write.
Employment reference from a line manager, four years' service (163 words)
March 3, 2026
To the Hiring Manager,
I am writing in support of Nadia Haddad's application for the Operations Supervisor position at Kingsbury Foods.
Nadia reported to me for four years, from February 2022 until January 2026, as a Shift Coordinator at Verdant Fresh Produce, where I am the Site Manager. I supervised her directly and completed her reviews throughout that period.
Two things stand out. She rebuilt our chilled dispatch schedule in 2024 after we lost a driver, and on-time departures went from 86 percent to 97 percent the following quarter, measured on our own gate log. She also trained eleven new starters, nine of whom were still with us a year later.
She is the person I would call on a bad morning, because she tells me about a problem while it is still small.
I would rehire her without hesitation and am happy to answer questions by phone.
Sincerely,
Owen Brightwell Site Manager, Verdant Fresh Produce [email protected] (614) 555 0142
What makes a letter credible
A credible letter reads as evidence rather than affection. It opens with the relationship and its length, then places the candidate against a group. Berkeley's model does it in one sentence: "I would rank her in the top 2% of students that I have taught in the past five years in respect of her writing ability and research skills." Each claim after that is proved with a named piece of work.
So: name your role and how long you have known the person in the first two sentences, use one number the reader can check, and say plainly whether you would work with them again. That last sentence is the one the reader is hunting for.
The character reference
A character reference comes from someone who knows you outside work, usually for a tenancy, a court matter or a volunteer role. Do not claim professional knowledge you do not have.
Character reference from a community contact, for a tenancy (138 words)
March 3, 2026
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing in support of Marcus Ntaba's tenancy application.
I have known Marcus for six years through St Aidan's community center in Columbus, where I chair the trustees and he has volunteered in the Saturday food program since 2020. He is not a relative and I am not his employer.
In those six years he has held keys to the building, locked up alone most Saturdays, and handled the cash float for the produce table without a discrepancy at our monthly count.
When our freezer failed in 2023 he drove the stock to another site the same night rather than waiting for the trustees to meet.
I am glad to be contacted about any of this.
Sincerely,
Helen Ward Chair of Trustees, St Aidan's Community Center (614) 555 0187
A teacher writing for a student
The teacher version needs the course, the grade or rank, and one piece of work described closely enough to picture. The same shape works for a college application or a first job.
Academic reference for a student, written by a teacher (138 words)
March 3, 2026
Dear Admissions Committee,
I am pleased to recommend Sofia Okafor for admission to your nursing program.
I taught Sofia in AP Biology at Eastvale High School in 2025 and 2026, in a class of 28, and supervised her as a peer tutor on the school's science help desk.
Sofia finished the year with the second highest grade in the class, but the reason I am writing is the help desk. She logged the misconceptions she met most often and turned them into a one-page sheet on cell respiration that I now use with my own classes. Twelve students used her Wednesday sessions regularly.
She asks the question behind the question, which is the habit that makes a good clinician.
I recommend her without reservation.
Sincerely,
Daniel Reyes Science Teacher, Eastvale High School (614) 555 0163
The neutral policy letter
Many US employers confirm dates and job title only, as policy. The letter is still worth requesting, because it proves employment for background checks, and some states compel it: Missouri's service letter statute obliges a corporation with seven or more employees to provide one on written request by certified mail.
Neutral reference confirming dates and title, company policy (112 words)
March 3, 2026
To Whom It May Concern,
This letter confirms the employment of Daniel Osei at Lowmoor Engineering, Inc.
Mr. Osei was employed as a Senior Technician from August 14, 2017 to December 12, 2026. His employment ended when he resigned, and he worked his full notice period.
It is the policy of this company to confirm dates of employment, job title and reason for leaving, and not to comment on performance. This applies to all former employees and is not a reflection on Mr. Osei.
Written verification of the above can be provided to a background screening agency on request.
Sincerely,
Grace Milburn Human Resources Manager, Lowmoor Engineering, Inc. [email protected]
A reference for someone with little experience
With little history, write what you saw rather than stretching what you know. Six weeks described precisely beats two years described vaguely.
Reference for an intern or short-term worker, six weeks (145 words)
March 3, 2026
To the Hiring Manager,
I am writing in support of Liam Ferreira's application for a Customer Service Associate role.
Liam worked for me for six weeks, from June 30 to August 8, 2026, as a summer assistant at Marlowe Hardware, where I am the Store Owner. Six weeks is short, so I will stay with what I can vouch for.
He handled the returns counter alone from his second week, which I do not normally allow that early. He logged 114 returns in that time with two errors, both caught by him. He also rewrote our shelf labels for the plumbing aisle after customers kept asking for the same three fittings.
He was never late. I would take him back next summer and would hire him permanently if I had the hours.
Sincerely,
Priya Shah Store Owner, Marlowe Hardware (614) 555 0179
The rules a reference has to respect
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A negative reference can be retaliation | Retaliation includes "giving an unjustified, untruthful negative job reference" or "refusing to provide a job reference" | EEOC, retaliation guidance |
| Truth is a defense | An employer may answer such a claim with "truthfulness of the information in the reference" | EEOC, retaliation guidance |
| Some states compel a service letter | In Missouri, a corporation with seven or more employees must issue, within 45 days of a written request by certified mail, a letter "setting forth the nature and character of service rendered by such employee" | Missouri Revised Statutes 290.140 |
| Departing from policy is evidence | Pretext includes an employer that "routinely declines to offer information about its former employees' job performance but departed from that policy" | EEOC, retaliation guidance |
Nearby documents: references on a resume covers whether to list referees at all, referral letter the internal recommendation, and to whom it may concern letter the greeting when there is no name.
What not to write
- Anything you cannot evidence. "Hardest worker I have ever managed" with no example reads as a favor.
- Health, family, age, religion or immigration status. None of it belongs in the letter.
- A hint that you cannot say more. A meaningful pause does more damage than a plain policy sentence, and the EEOC treats departures from a stated policy as evidence.
- A rank with no basis. If you write top 5 percent, say of what group and over how long.
- A signature nobody can check. Title, organization, email and phone, every time.
Frequently asked questions
How to write a reference letter?
Open with your role and how long you have known the person, in what capacity. Give two specific examples with dates or numbers, placed against a group. Close with whether you would work with them again, and leave a phone number.
What's a reference letter?
A signed statement from someone who has worked with, taught or known you, describing the relationship and what you did well. An employment reference comes from a manager, a character reference from someone outside work, an academic reference from a teacher.
How to ask someone for a reference letter?
Ask in writing, at least two weeks ahead. Include the job or program, the deadline, the two or three things you would like mentioned, and your resume. Offer to send a draft of the facts, never of the opinions.
How to ask someone for a letter of reference?
Ask whoever supervised the work you want discussed, not the most senior person you know. Give the deadline and where it goes, and check whether their employer confirms dates only, which changes who you should ask.
More in this series: Resignation, notice and reference letters
- 2 Week Notice Letter: Five Templates and the US Rules
- Notice Letters Sample: Five Templates and the UK Rules
- Notice Period UK: The Rules and Five Notice Letters
- Thank You Letter Examples: Six Templates and the Rules
Related articles
- Reference Letter: What to Write, and What to Refuse
- Referral Letter: Six Complete Examples and the Rules
- To Whom It May Concern Letter: 7 Examples and the Rules
- Character Reference Letter: How to Write One That Is Taken Seriously
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