Character reference letter serves multiple purposes and you can request for these letters from many people. Character reference letters can be written by long-time friends, neighbors, a local priest, professors or business acquaintances.
These letters can fulfill requirements like background checks for a job, a recommendation for a club membership or community service, etc. Sometimes when you are found guilty in a criminal case, an attorney can ask you to get as many recommendation letters as possible to prove that your general character has a good reputation in the society. A character letter of recommendation will be of more value if the letter is written by a respected person. It will help if the author can mention that you have always been a person who is responsible and trustworthy. Character letters can be advantageous for political candidates contesting elections.
Just like any recommendation letter, a character reference letter is a community responsibility; in fact, accountability is even higher. Write character letters only for people you know really well and for a long period of time; it will emphasize that the person has been consistently reliable and for a long time.
Whenever you use a character reference letter make sure it is a recent one. Don’t use even a year old character letter as it loses value. The letter should be written professionally with a proper salutation, should be error-free and with a proper ending. A character letter should be short but should cover all the important points and must serve the purpose properly.
Maintain authority if you are writing on behalf of any organization and if you are using the official document such as a letterhead to write a recommendation. If you are a manager you may be allowed to write only professional recommendation letters officially. But if you still have an urge to write a character letter of recommendation toy can do it personally.
Below is a sample character reference letter you can refer to as a guideline to draft such letters.
Sample Character Reference Letter
Subject: Character reference letter for Mr. David Boon.
I am a Head Priest at the St. Mary’s Cathedral downtown. I am writing in for a recommendation for Mr. David Boon. I have known him since his middle school days when he started visiting our Sunday church and began community service at a young age. He is a qualified and experienced candidate for the position of Manager in your advertising firm.
When I recently met David he was working with an organization in some administrative position. He has been involved in many activities carried out by our church but has been extremely successful in raising funds. It shows that he has the ability to sell.
David is a responsible, dynamic and trustworthy person. He has a knack of bonding with people and is good at giving presentations. He has built a great reputation in the society. I think all these qualities make him an ideal person for the position in your organization.
I recommend Mr. David Boon strongly for this job and I am sure he will prove to be an asset to your company. If you need any other information about him, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Fr. Benjamin
St. Mary’s Cathedral,
Smithtown, Los Angeles, CA
frbenjamin@anydomain.com
415-669-883 (Church)
January 31st, 2012
This is a character reference letter written by a local priest, someone who is respected by the whole community, thus this letter has value. Many companies prefer having two or three recommendation letters, so if you have not worked for more than one company or if you are a fresher a character letter of recommendation can be helpful.
