Writing a letter of recommendation is a tedious task. But more and more organizations these days appreciate that candidates applying for a job, have recommendation letters; at least three of them. It saves time for the organization to do a reference check.
When someone takes time out to write a recommendation for you, you must show gratitude by writing a thank you note. Everyone likes appreciation and it can be helpful to get recommendations from the same person for different reasons. For example, if you got a recommendation letter from an ex-boss and you learn that he is a member of a club you wanted to enroll yourself in, he will be happy to write a club membership recommendation letter for you if you have sent a thank you note for the earlier recommendation.
A thank you note can be sent by e-mail or you can merely call the person and thank him. But it is preferred that you send a handwritten note. An e-mail or a telephone call can be easily forgotten, whereas a self-written thank you note is more personalized and can be easily recollected. Writing a thank you letter of recommendation is easy. The important point is to keep it short and assure the person that you will keep him updated about future developments. Here is a sample of thank you letter for the recommendation.
Sample Thank You Letter for Recommendation
Subject: Thank You For Your Recommendation
Dear Mr. Fernando Alonso,
I am thankful to you for writing a job recommendation letter for me. I have applied for a job in XYZ Company and I sent the recommendation letter along with my application.
I had my telephonic interview last Friday and the person at the other end said that your recommendation letter should be an advantage when I have my personal round with the manager this week.
It has been an enriching journey of five years when we were working together and I thank you for the wonderful recommendation you have written for me. I shall keep you updated on further developments.
Regards,
Steve Waugh
stevew@somedomain.com
718-1155-654
After you write a thank you letter of recommendation it is important that you actually inform the person about the progress in the proceedings later on. Personalize the letter by using salutations like “Dear” and the person’s complete name.
When I was seeking admission to a business school I requested one of my professors in my grad school to write a recommendation letter for me and he really appreciated that I sent a thank you note for the letter. When I wanted a professional letter of recommendation for my first job I requested him again and he was more than happy to write one.
He got all the required information from me about my business school education and specializations I undertook along with the projects I had done during the course. He also asked me about the job profile I was looking for and put together all the required information in the professional letter of recommendation. Such is the impact and importance of a thank you letter of recommendation. And yes, I ensured that I wrote him a thank you note again. I narrated this experience to some friends of mine and they soon followed suit; the results were as good as expected. One friend even got a voluntary recommendation letter from one of his ex-boss when he was contesting in local elections.
All of you who request recommendation letters should understand the importance of a thank you note as they always land you in good stead in the future. We have given a sample of thank you for writing a recommendation letter here to clear any doubts you may have.
