There are many important situations where you’ll have to give your opinion on somebody else’s character to help others make a choice. In this post, we’ll look at five of these recommendations and how to guarantee the ones you write win people over.
1. Immigration Character Reference
Someone wanting to gain permanent residence in the US typically needs to prove they’ve spent their time here well. If they call upon your help, here’s how to write a character reference for US immigration courts:
- Begin with an outline of your relationship to the person applying for residence
- Discuss how long you’ve known them; this should ideally be at least a few years
- Share genuine stories of when the person in question helped you/the community
- If there are any problems with their application, try to explain them in context
- Say directly that they’re of good moral character and would benefit the country
Tone-wise, you should be respectfully formal yet still earnest. This is a tricky balance to strike — just don’t try too hard to tug on a court’s heartstrings. They’ll see through this, and you might just jeopardize the application.
2. Court Character Reference
If someone you know is in court for a criminal offense, you might need to argue their side of the story. However, you can’t just say they’re a good person deep down.
First and foremost, don’t ignore the offense — the defendant has likely already pleaded guilty. Your reference is instead about encouraging a judge to show leniency, so be honest about what they’ve done.
Give examples of how the defendant is usually a kind, hardworking, moral person. Show that the mistake they made doesn’t have to define them, and that they can be rehabilitated. If they’ve already taken steps towards this (such as counselling or volunteering), mention them.
Ideally, the judge should feel compelled to give the defendant a lighter sentence. Regardless, a display like this shows the defendant that they have a support network, already lowering the risk of them reoffending.
3. Landlord Reference
As a landlord, you might have past tenants asking you for a reference. This could make or break them getting a new place, so consider showing leniency even if the tenancy wasn’t perfect. With this in mind, here’s how to write a landlord reference:
- Confirm that the tenant paid their rent on time and in full
- If there were rent issues, explain that these were resolved
- Highlight how well the tenant treated your property
- Specifically mention the property’s state when they left
- If applicable, praise their behavior and respect for neighbors
- Confirm how well they abided by the lease’s terms
- Say if you’d happily rent to the tenant again — be direct
You should be honest about major issues with the tenancy; this serves as a fair warning to their next landlord. However, explain if the tenant had any reasons for these.
4. Employment Reference
Someone you worked with or managed might come to you for a job reference. Your goal here is to highlight their suitability for the position they’re going for.
Make sure you learn about this role before you write the reference, including specific duties and the skills they’ll need. This helps you tailor your reference to them and give specific examples of how their skills fit the job.
Summarize the duties they had while working for or with you, while giving examples of how they went above and beyond. This can include:
- Consistently meeting targets during peak season
- Finding ways to streamline existing processes
- Helping team members with their duties
- Similarly, mentoring new hires or junior colleagues
- How they helped build a good workplace culture
- Their ability to handle high-pressure environments
Ultimately, everything you say should help convince the company to hire them.
5. College Recommendation Letter
Your first time being asked to recommend someone to a good college is always special, though it’s also a lot of pressure. With an online template, however, you’ll know exactly where to start.
You don’t have to be a teacher to write this letter. You could be somebody else who works at the school (such as a coach), a private tutor, or even an employer. Regardless, your letter should go beyond the student’s grades, especially since the college likely already knows these.
If you do discuss their academic performance, focus on skills that grades alone won’t show. For example, give specific examples of their problem-solving abilities or creativity.
However, you must also emphasize the kind of person this student is. A college is a community, and talking about the student’s personality and contributions to school clubs can really help.
Final Thoughts
Whatever the type of recommendation you write, you have to be honest while understanding the person’s situation. With your help, they could get into the college of their dreams, stay in the US permanently, or even avoid jail time.