How to Write A Character Reference for A Friend
When a friend comes to you to ask you to write a character reference for him/her, you might at first feel pretty overwhelmed at the task. After all, there's a lot of pressure involved when you're partially responsible for someone's employment, admission to college, etc.
But don't panic. If this person is your friend, you already know plenty about him/her, and that means you know why you like him/her, right? So your only job in writing this letter is making sure you convey why you like your friend, and why the recipient should like him/her, too.
If that still doesn't sound all that simple to you, then consider these questions: What qualities attracted you to your friend in the first place? Is your friend kind, generous, funny, full of enthusiasm about life? Does your friend have the respect of his/her peers? Does he/she work hard in school and/or at a job? Why would you recommend your friend for this job, school, etc.?
Remember that this is a personal letter, so it's okay to write in a fairly casual tone. This may help to alleviate some of the pressure you're feeling. Now, that doesn't mean you should use a lot of slang and/or curse words, but it does mean that you don't have to worry about knowing that "beneficent" is another word for "kind," or that "jocular" is another word for "funny."
Speak from the heart. Tell the recipient what you think about your friend, and that affection is bound to shine through in your writing. If it does, then you've accomplished exactly what your friend wanted.
Now it's just time to figure out what he/she will owe you for doing this favor.
Index of Character Reference Letter Examples
