Letter of Recommendation Generator

The generator assembles a standard six-part letter from fixed templates: a salutation matched to the purpose (Hiring Manager, Admissions Committee, Scholarship Committee or To Whom It May Concern), an opening that names the role or program, a paragraph describing how you know the candidate and for how long, a strengths paragraph built from up to three strengths you pick plus one in your own words, a closing endorsement at the level you choose, and a signature block with your contact details.

Pronouns are handled grammatically, so choosing they/them produces "they are" and "they have" rather than "they is." Any field you leave blank is dropped from the sentence instead of leaving a gap. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

The paragraph order follows the structure university career offices and graduate admissions guidance recommend (see the APA guidance cited below): establish who the writer is, establish the relationship, give evidence, then endorse. Putting the relationship before the praise matters because a reader cannot judge an endorsement until they know how closely the writer observed the candidate.

Dana Whitfield, an Engineering Manager at Northwind Analytics, supervised Jordan Lee for three years. Jordan is applying for a Senior Data Analyst job. Dana picks the manager relationship, job purpose, they/them pronouns, a strong (not highest) recommendation, and three strengths: problem solving, communication and reliability. In the example field Dana describes the week the reporting pipeline failed before a board meeting.

The generator returns, in part:

• Salutation: Dear Hiring Manager,
• Opening: I am writing to recommend Jordan Lee for the Senior Data Analyst position. As Engineering Manager at Northwind Analytics, I have seen firsthand the qualities that make Jordan Lee stand out.
• Relationship: I supervised Jordan Lee directly at Northwind Analytics for three years. In that role I reviewed their work closely, set their goals, and watched how they handle pressure.
• Strengths: Jordan Lee stands out for their sharp problem-solving skills, clear written and spoken communication, and reliability under deadlines. One example stands out: when our reporting pipeline failed a week before the quarterly board meeting, Jordan rebuilt the key dashboards over a weekend...
• Closing: I recommend Jordan Lee without reservation. Please feel free to contact me at dana.whitfield@example.com or (555) 010-2233 if you would like more information.

Two edits make this draft Dana's own: replace the second opening sentence with one line about the size or type of team Jordan worked on, and add a measurable result to the example if one exists, such as how many dashboards were restored or who relied on them.

Each setting changes specific sentences. Use the table to pick the combination that matches your real situation rather than the one that sounds most impressive.

• One concrete story beats five adjectives. Readers discount words like "hardworking" because every letter uses them. A two-sentence example with a situation, what the candidate did and the result ("rebuilt the dashboards over a weekend before the board meeting") is what an admissions reader or hiring manager remembers.
• Say how you know them. Your title, how long you worked together and in what capacity tell the reader how much weight to give your opinion. A direct supervisor of three years is more credible than a senior executive who met the candidate twice.
• Match the purpose. Hiring managers want evidence of on-the-job results and reliability. Graduate committees look for research potential, independent thinking and preparation for advanced coursework. Scholarship committees look for character, need and commitment.
• Compare when you honestly can. A line such as "among the top five analysts I have managed in ten years" carries far more weight than general praise, but only use it if it is true.
• Keep it to one page. Three to five short paragraphs is typical.

If you are the candidate rather than the writer, ask at least three to four weeks before the deadline, and ask directly whether the person can write a strong letter; a lukewarm letter can hurt more than no letter.

Make the job easy: send the job posting or program description, your resume, the deadline, how the letter should be submitted, and two or three accomplishments you would like them to mention.

Many writers will ask you to draft a starting version, and this tool is a quick way to do that.

Send a polite reminder about a week before the deadline and a thank-you note afterward, and let them know the outcome.