You open LinkedIn. A former colleague asks for a recommendation. You want to help, but when you stare at the blank box, nothing comes out. Sound familiar?
Writing a recommendation in English feels risky. You worry about sounding awkward or saying the wrong thing. But a good recommendation can make someone's day — and their career. Let me show you how.
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Deepen Your Learning
The Three-Part Structure That Always Works
Deepen Your Learning
Strong recommendations follow a simple pattern. Yours will too.
Part 1: How you know them. This builds credibility. "I worked with Sarah at TechCorp from 2020 to 2022, where she led our content team."
Part 2: What they did well. This is the heart of your recommendation. Pick 1-2 specific strengths. "She transformed our blog traffic by focusing on reader intent rather than just keywords."
Part 3: The result. Show the impact. "Because of her work, our organic traffic grew 40% in six months."
That's it. Three sentences can be enough. But if you want to write more, keep this rhythm going: context, strengths, results.
Words That Make Your Recommendation Stand Out
English learners often use safe words: "good worker," "nice person," "hardworking." Those are fine, but they don't help much. Try these instead:
- For skills: "analytical," "proactive," "resourceful," "detail-oriented"
- For results: "delivered," "improved," "streamlined," "accelerated"
- For character: "reliable," "collaborative," "supportive," "trustworthy"
Don't overdo it. One strong word in each sentence carries more weight than five weak ones.
A Real Example
Here's a recommendation I wrote recently for a former colleague. Notice the structure:
"I worked with Maria at GlobalTech for two years. She was our lead designer during a difficult product launch. Maria handled stakeholder feedback with patience and turned unclear requirements into beautiful, functional designs. The product launched on time, and users consistently praise its usability. Any team would be lucky to have her."
Common Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Mistake 1: Being too vague. "John is a good team player." That tells me nothing. Fix it: "John took over the weekly stand-ups when the manager was out. He kept everyone focused and resolved two blockers immediately."
Mistake 2: Writing a novel. Nobody reads long paragraphs on LinkedIn. Keep it to 3-5 sentences. Be generous, but be brief.
Mistake 3: Forgetting the relationship context. Don't write "I was her manager" if you were actually a peer. It's awkward if the reader finds out later.
Here's a simple breakdown of the process:
State your connection
Describe specific strengths
Show the impact
A Quick Before and After
Before (weak): "Emma was a great colleague. She worked hard and was nice to everyone."
After (strong): "Emma and I were on the same account team for three years. She consistently found creative solutions for our most demanding clients, which helped us retain two key accounts. She also mentored three junior team members who have since been promoted."
See the difference? The second version gives real evidence. That's what hiring managers want to see.
One More Tip: Make It Personal
The best recommendations don't sound like a form letter. Add one small, human detail. Maybe she always brought snacks to late meetings. Maybe he never missed a deadline, even during a crisis. These little things make your recommendation memorable.
When someone reads it, they should think: "This feels genuine."
Ready to Write Yours?
You've got the structure. You've got the words. Now go write that recommendation for someone who deserves it.
And if you want to make sure your English is sharp enough for professional writing, test your level for free on English Measure. It only takes a few minutes, and you'll know exactly where you stand.