Recently, I had a good friend ask me to write a letter of reference for him. Of course I said yes, and I told him that I’d have it ready for him in a couple of days. But, when I sat down to my computer to quickly flesh out a  top-notch letter, something happened.

Obviously I knew some things about him. For example, I knew that he was a great guy, very professional, and I knew some of his personal accomplishments, but I couldn’t quite put it all together so that it sounded good and flowed smoothly. As a matter of fact, I have to admit that even though I’ve written a few letters of recommendation in the past, I didn’t know quite how to begin! 

I mean, I’m a professional, a college graduate, and I think I’m smart (though my wife might beg to differ). I should be able to put a simple letter together given the things that I knew about him, right? “Should” is the operative word here.

Ok, yes, I could’ve slapped a letter together. But there were a couple of factors at work here. One, I knew he was counting on me to write a letter that would put him in the best light possibe in order to help him get the job he was seeking. And two, my personality is such that I wanted to write a good letter because the quality of the letter would also reflect on me. And personally, I just didn’t want to let him down.

You see, all too often, we are caught off guard when we have to write some type of formal business or personal letter. But you know, this wouldn’t necessarily be so bad, but since writing a letter of recommendation, a character reference letter, a formal invitation, etc. isn’t something that the vast majority of us do on a daily or even a monthly basis, we can, quite frankly, get stuck and be at a loss for words in just getting it started.

Well, this blog was created to possibly help you to get “unstuck” and maybe not get blindsided again when you need to write one of the kinds of letters I have here on this blog.

I confess. When I was trying to write his recommendation letter, I turned to the internet to help me get started. I found a site or two that kind of helped me, but I had to do a little digging to get what I really wanted.

I have to tell you that not having a real, helpful, “all-in-one” source that had the type of letter I was looking for and perhaps another type of letter that I might need in the future was a little problematic for me.

So I set up this blog as a one-stop-shop, so to speak, for helping those of us who don’t have to write business and personal letters that often, but have a place we can go to when we need them.

With the collection of letters I have here, you can have the right words for your letters. But the best part is that you can have a letter that sounds professional in just a few short minutes! And, the letter you write will be a letter that you can be proud of — which is very important to me personally when I have to write one.

One last thing. I basically put one sample letter for each type of letter you see here. But never fear, you can get many of the letters you see on this blog PLUS different versions — so you can mix and match parts from different letters.

All you need do is sign up for the Quick & Easy Letters templates. These letter templates are MSWord documents. Just add your personal information to them, and just like that, your quality letter is ready to go. This is the kind of resource I wish I had a short time ago. So sign up for the Quick & Easy Letters today. You’ll be glad you did!

There may be a time when someone wants you to just vouch for they’re character instead of providing them with a recommendation. Basically, you’re just discussing some of the powerful positive intagibles of who they are as a person, like honesty, integrity, compassion, etc. A character reference letter, of course, is much different than a letter of recommendation. Although, at the end of the letter, you can slip in a plug for recommendation because of they’re strong character.

This template is just a guide. Copy & paste it into your text editor (like MSWord or notepad) and edit it however you like with your personal information.

To Whom it May Concern:

In the four years I have known Jane Doe, I have been impressed with her dedication to any endeavor she has been involved with.

Jane demonstrates a giving and generous nature in her free time. Last year she participated in a community outreach with her church to provide food, shelter, and clothing for the homeless. I watched her work tirelessly in her efforts giving so much of her time and money even.

She also demonstrated honesty recently when she found a wallet in the parking lot with a large amount of money in it. This wallet was not only turned in to the store manager, but Jane went above and beyond by calling the owner to make certain they were aware of where to locate it.

I hope you will give serious consideration to selecting Jane for the position she is seeking. I feel she would be a good addition to any organization. Please feel free to contact me at 555-1234 if you have any questions about this letter.

Sincerely,
John Smith

If you sign up now for the Quick & Easy Letters, you can get this examples of a character reference letter plus 2 more! They’re FREE!

Whether you’re retiring from a company or moving on for other reasons, it can be a bitter-sweet time. Let’s face it. When you’re leaving a company, there will be probably be at least one person who’s happy to see you go. And, there will be at least one person that you will be glad to never see again. But that’s not what this letter is about.

It’s a classy move to let your co-workers, especially those that you’ve developed a strong relationship or friendship with, know how much you’ve appreciated working with them. Even though you may see or communicate with some of them again, it’s still an opportunity for people to get some closure to this particular phase of your relationship.

This template is just a guide. Copy & paste it into your text editor (like MSWord or notepad) and edit it however you like with your personal information.

Dear Co-workers,

I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I am leaving my position at ABC Corporation, because I will be starting a new position at XYZ Company next month.

I have enjoyed my time here and I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with you. Thank you for the support, guidance, and encouragement you have provided me during my time here at ABC. And even though I will miss all of you and the company, I am looking forward to this new challenge and to starting a new phase of my career.

Please keep in touch, I can be reached at my personal email address (john@myemail.com) or at home, 555-1234.

Thanks again for everything.

Yours truly,
John Smith

If you sign up now for the Quick & Easy Letters, you can get this goodbye letter for co workers plus 5 more! They’re FREE!

There will come a time, for good or bad reasons, you will need to cancel your service with a business in writing.

This template is just a guide. Copy & paste it into your text editor (like MSWord or notepad) and edit it however you like with your personal information.

To Whom It May Concern:

Though your service has been excellent, I regret to tell you that I am not renewing my service contract this year. My account number 12345 is under the name of John Smith. Again, your service has always been excellent. I am sure you will have no problem replacing us. In fact, I will inform friends and family of your service.

Sincerely,
John Smith
555-1234

If you sign up now for the Quick & Easy Letters, you can get this sample cancel service letter plus 4 more! They’re FREE!

Depending on how things work where you work, you may have to provide your boss or management with a letter to explain or excuse your absence.

This template is just a guide. Copy & paste it into your text editor (like MSWord or notepad) and edit it however you like with your personal information.

Dear Mr./Mrs. Boss,

Please excuse my absence. I’m sorry I was unable to make it to work on Friday, and was also unable to provide you with advanced notice, due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances. When I awoke Friday morning, I felt very ill. I had my wife drive me to the emergency room where I was diagnosed with a stomach virus. I was informed by the doctor that I should stay on 48 hours bed rest. With all of the commotion and getting home very late, I’m sorry for neglecting to call. Please forgive my absent-mindedness.

Sincerely,
John Smith

If you sign up now for the Quick & Easy Letters, you can get this excuse absent letter plus 3 more (two related to work and one related to excusing your child from school)! They’re FREE!