Character Reference Letter

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved. ~ Helen Keller

While a person’s conscious is the best judge of his/her own self, often at times,people need references and guarantees from others to prove the positive attributes of their own character. That is when people need to submit a character reference letter.

What is a Character Reference Letter?

A character reference letter is similar to a letter of recommendation, however someone who is concerned with the candidate outside work writes the letter. A character reference letter is a more personal recommendation letter that talks about the overall abilities of a candidate.

How is a Character Reference Letter Different from a Formal Recommendation Letter ?

As mentioned earlier, a character reference letter is far more personal and informal as compared to a formal recommendation letter. The character reference letter is straightforward and hence far more candid than a formal letter of recommendation. The character reference certificate is not focused on an economical (employment –based) or academic (student-teacher) experience. The character reference letter has the personal opinions of the writer and hence is more subjective as compared to the formal recommendation letter. In addition to this, a character reference certificate can be really lengthy and a person can write as much as he/she wants to.

Who can write a Character Reference Letter for a Candidate?

Anyone who is close to the candidate for example friends, family members, close relatives, neighbors or even roommates can write a character reference letter. Any one who has been acquainted with the candidate for a sufficient time and is in a position to describe certain positive attributes of the candidate can be eligible to write a character reference letter. In case you are looking for someone who can write a character reference certificate for you, then you need to choose a person who is loyal to you and has had a healthy association with you since a considerable amount of time.

When is a Character Reference Letter used?

A character reference letter can be used for various purposes in addition to employment. Although there are very instances where an employer demands for a character reference letter. A character reference letter is useful for people who do not have an employment history or people who haven’t got enough positive references from their employers. In addition, a character reference letter can also be asked in case of parents who have applied for adoption, candidates who have been nominated for certain awards or scholarships, court hearings, or parole hearings.

Points to Remember while writing a Character Reference Letter

While writing a character reference letter there are certain points that you should keep in mind which are as follows:

• The first thing to remember that although a character reference letter might be slightly informal, you cannot just include random words in it. The letter needs to have a proper structure with a proper beginning, a substantial body and a polite ending.
• In case you are not sure about what salutation to use, you can simple address it as ‘ To whomsoever it may concern’ and for the closing line, you can use ‘yours sincerely’.
• In the beginning, after the salutation, make sure to mention exactly how you are related to the candidate and the duration for which you have known him/her.
• Having mentioned that in the opening, move on to describe the positive attributes of the candidate, with reference to specific incidents.
• In case you are mentioning more than one incident, make sure to divide them in two different paragraphs and end the paragraph with the qualities that should be highlighted with every example.