Student Letter of Recommendation : Useful templates and tips

What’s a letter of recommendation ?

Letters of recommendation are most often written by people in a superior position, who are able to evaluate and testify to your work. The referee may come from an academic environment (professor, dissertation director, lecturer) or a professional environment (manager, internship tutor, project manager), provided he or she has worked with you in a significant way.

The purpose of the letter of recommendation is to praise your human qualities and your technical or organizational skills, observed in a real-life context. In other words, it reinforces the points you make in your cover letter. Where a cover letter is written by you, setting out your aspirations and career path, a letter of recommendation brings an outside perspective and validates your words with a certain authority.

In short, it’s an invaluable document that consolidates your profile, reinforces your credibility, highlights your skills and really boosts your application in the eyes of recruiters or selection panels.

What is the purpose of a letter of recommendation ?

A letter of recommendation lends real credibility to your application, whether for training, an internship or your first job. Written by your internship supervisor, work-study tutor, dissertation supervisor or any other relevant referee, it is designed to reassure your future employer or educational institution and build confidence. It can make all the difference, especially if you’re applying for a position with a demanding company or one of France’s top universities.

Whatever its form or model, a letter of recommendation establishes a bond of trust between three key players in your professional or academic project. It enables someone who has worked with you – your teacher, tutor or former manager – to indirectly address your future recruiter or an admissions panel. This testimonial, both personalized and based on facts, adds substance to your application.

In short, the letter of recommendation acts as an intermediary: it expresses the recognition of your qualities by a trusted third party, and facilitates dialogue between your professional or academic past and your future prospects.

Who can write a letter of recommendation?

To request a letter of recommendation, you need to speak to a hierarchical reference, i.e. someone who has managed, supervised or evaluated your work in a formal setting. This reference may come from professional experience, such as a manager, internship tutor or team leader. But you can also ask a teacher, professor, dissertation supervisor or professional speaker you met during a workshop or pedagogical project.

All you need to bear in mind when canvassing your entourage for a letter of recommendation is that the person you choose must meet certain essential criteria. First and foremost, he or she must be credible, i.e. recognized as legitimate to speak about you in a professional or academic context. He or she must also be able to provide concrete evidence of your qualities, skills and behavior in a given context.

Finally, this person must be in a position to vouch for the added value you can represent for the position you’re applying for, or for the training organization you’re targeting. A recommendation is all the more effective when it is based on direct observation of your work and on a relationship of trust founded on facts.

A teacher can write a letter of recommendation.

A lecturer from a core module of your course can also be very interesting to put forward as a referee. This is particularly relevant if you wish to apply for a selective master’s degree, doctoral studies or an international mobility project to complete your academic career. Indeed, professors at universities or Grandes écoles are often recognized in their field, both in the academic and professional spheres, and enjoy a certain prestige due to their expertise.

Their recommendation can therefore add weight to your application, attesting not only to your academic skills, but also to your seriousness and your potential for research or disciplinary deepening.

And if you’re looking for your first internship or work-study placement, a letter of recommendation from a respected teacher can also be a real asset. It can help you stand out from other applicants, especially if you’re still lacking concrete professional experience. It shows your commitment, your skills and the confidence you inspire in someone who is recognized in his or her field.

A former employer can write a letter of recommendation.

Did you have a student job last summer, and was it a very satisfying experience for both you and your employer? Then there’s no need to hesitate: you can contact your former employer to ask for a letter of recommendation, even if it was just a student job.

Even if we’re talking about “odd jobs”, it’s still a successful first professional experience. These missions, often underestimated, are an opportunity to demonstrate valuable qualities in the world of work: punctuality, diligence, a sense of service, the ability to work as part of a team, stress management and autonomy.

Your former employer will be able to attest to your seriousness, motivation, regularity or simply your good humor and desire to learn. These are all elements that can make all the difference in an application, especially when you’re just starting out in the world of work.

An internship or work-study tutor can write a letter of recommendation.

If you’ve already had some internship experience, don’t underestimate it: make the most of it, in particular by writing a letter of recommendation from your internship supervisor. Any professional experience, however modest in appearance, deserves to be highlighted, especially if you’re looking for a work-study program or another internship to complete your training.

In some cases, this letter can also prove invaluable when applying for your first job. A six-month internship in a field directly related to your target job is a real springboard. It testifies to your practical involvement, your familiarity with the sector and your ability to integrate into a professional environment.

You can begin by highlighting this experience in your cover letter, highlighting the technical skills, interpersonal skills and responsibilities you have acquired. Your internship supervisor’s letter of recommendation will then support and legitimize your statements, providing an external, professional perspective on your career path. A letter of recommendation is a real asset in strengthening the credibility and impact of your application.

How do I request a letter of recommendation?

To obtain a letter of recommendation from your internship or work-study mentor, or from your former employer, you need to request one. You can request it spontaneously, or you can send it in writing, by e-mail for example, to keep a record and make it more official. The status of the person you are requesting, and the nature of your relationship with him or her, will largely determine how you formulate the request.

An e-mail request for a letter of recommendation is generally preferable if you have a cordial, professional relationship with the person. This will enable you to show your respect for the person and emphasize the thoughtful, structured nature of your approach. In writing, you can also briefly explain your project or the purpose of your request. In this way, your interviewer will know whether he or she should write a general letter of recommendation, or whether he or she should emphasize certain specific qualities linked to a particular position or sector.

Last but not least, an oral request is still perfectly feasible, especially if you have a special relationship with your superiors or if the context lends itself to it (end-of-course interview, informal exchange, etc.). That doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t put a minimum of form and consideration into your request: a letter of recommendation relies above all on the goodwill and goodwill of the person you’re asking. So it’s essential to remain respectful and grateful, whatever channel you use.

When is the best time to apply for a letter of recommendation?

The letter of recommendation should highlight your skills and qualities. Its purpose is to testify to your seriousness, professionalism and ability to evolve in a professional environment. To maximize the relevance and quality of this letter, we advise you to request it from your referee one or two weeks before the end of your internship or work-study program.

Ideally, you should do this while you’re still working in your company. This allows your manager to write the letter while he or she still has a memory of the projects you carried out, the qualities you demonstrated, and the progress you made. The freshness of these memories reinforces the credibility and accuracy of the testimonial.

However, it is advisable to wait until you have proven yourself before making your request. In other words, give your tutor or manager time to observe your involvement, your interpersonal skills and your ability to take initiative. This will give them every reason to write a letter that is sincere, rewarding and authentic.

Don’t be shy about making this request – it’s perfectly legitimate. There’s nothing more trivial in a professional career than asking for a letter of recommendation, and it’s part of standard business practice. In fact, as you progress in your career, you’ll find yourself writing them for other employees or trainees.

After you’ve left: request a letter of recommendation

As mentioned above, it’s entirely possible to request a letter of recommendation after you’ve left the company or school. This is common practice, especially if you didn’t anticipate the request during the period you were there. Keep in mind, however, that a letter of recommendation must demonstrate your quality as a candidate by highlighting your skills, your interpersonal skills and your involvement within the organization.

However, as time goes by, the precise memories of your work may fade in the mind of the person in charge of writing it. By way of analogy, imagine you were asked to write your internship report or dossier several months after leaving the company: it would no doubt be more difficult for you to remember the concrete details, the assignments carried out or even the context.

In short, it’s perfectly possible to make this request after you’ve left the company. However, if at all possible, doing so before the end of your internship – or just before you actually leave – is the best time to do so. This guarantees a more precise, more personal and therefore potentially more convincing letter.

Samples recommendation letters

Your referee can easily find examples and advice on how to write letters of recommendation on the Internet. Here are some sample letters to give you an idea of what to expect. However, these are only models, as the letters should remain authentic and not get lost in hyperbole and exaggeration.

Download the template for free: letter of recommendation

Letter of recommendation template from a professor for their student

Letter of recommendation template from an employer for their intern