Character Recommendation Letter

People require a character certifying letter to secure a position in a particular organization or to gain a scholarship or admission in a reputed college. Though while switching jobs, the employee is entitled to receive an employment recommendation letter, people who are freshers or have not attended college may face a problem. Here, the character certifying letter comes as a savior. Other than this, character certifying letters are also necessary for non employment related cases like court hearing, awards, memberships, adoption, foster care, nominations, etc. This type of letter, which is also known as personal recommendation letter, is slightly informal and is written by a neighbor, friend or perhaps a relative. Sometimes personal recommendation letters from family members are also accepted.

The main purpose of the character certifying letter is to tell someone about the positive attributes of an individual's character. The focus should be on the person's good qualities and the negative traits should be completely avoided. However, one important thing that everyone must remember is that the character recommendation that you give, should be genuine and should not be written just for the sake of it. Hence, it is important to know about the exact way of writing a character certifying letter.

Letter Format
As I said earlier, personal touch and genuineness are the key factors of this type of letter. Make sure that your language is good and there are no spelling or grammatical errors in the letter. The character recommendation letter format is no different from other types of letters i.e. it should be made of three parts including the introduction, body and concluding or closing paragraph.

You have to begin the letter with proper salutation like addressing the person with Mr. or Ms. However, if this letter will be sent to more than one person, it will be a good idea to start the letter by saying, 'To Whom it May Concern'. The first paragraph should be used to inform about the reason for writing the letter. In a line or two tell how you know the concerned person and for how many years. In the main body of the letter you have to focus on describing the positive qualities of the person for whom you are writing the letter for. You have to give examples about the person's positive attributes from your experiences with that person. Anecdotes or short stories highlighting that particular attribute can also be included. The concluding paragraph is where you have to reemphasize on the good qualities of the person and how he/she will be perfect for the position or some other reason he/she needs this letter for. Close the letter by writing sincerely, followed by your name and title.

Letter Template

Dear (insert name) or to whom it may concern, I have known (insert XYZ's name) for ten years. She has been babysitting my three children since my eldest one was two years old. The best thing about (insert XYZ) is that she is enthusiastic as well as very patient. Unlike the usual babysitters who made the kids sit before the television the whole time, (XYZ) would make her time as a babysitter fun and entertaining for the kids. She played with them and introduced games through which they could learn different things. She is good at arts and crafts and had a lot of patience to teach some of them to my little ones. By the time, my youngest one started going to play school, he could say the alphabets and recognize certain words perfectly. (XYZ) is also a very disciplined person as she perfectly balanced between her studies and her responsibilities as a baby sitter. Apart from being a active baby sitter, (XYZ) is also a caring and loving person and the kids really loved her company. With all these good qualities, I will surely recommend that (XYZ) will be the perfect teacher for your kindergarten school. Sincerely, (Insert your name).

Letter Samples
If you are still confused to write character certifying letter, here is a character recommendation example that you can refer to. This sample letter is a letter of character recommendation for a neighbor who is applying for scholarship at a reputed college.

To whom it may concern, Keith Roberts has been my neighbor for 18 years, since the age of two. Also, he and my son have been friends for a long time since they went to the same school. The best thing about Keith is that he is a very hardworking person, both in his studies or whatever job he takes up. As the financial condition of his family has not been very good, Keith started working from the age of thirteen doing errands for his neighbors. Though he washes cars, cleans houses and offices, he is always dedicated to his studies and gains good scores in his exams and projects. Another thing that I will like tell about Keith is that he is an honest person too. Once while cleaning our neighbor, Ms. Parker's house, he found a $100 bill under the sofa. As Ms. Parker was at her workplace, Keith left the bill on the table with a note about where he found it. I would definitely recommend Keith Roberts for the scholarship at your college because he truly deserves it for all his hard work and sincerity. Sincerely, Gwen Rogers.

Though you can refer to these samples and templates, make sure that you write in your own words, so that the letter seems to be an earnest and truthful effort from your side.