Character Reference Key Words and Phrases
The most important thing about a character reference letter is that you maintain an upbeat, positive tone to describe the candidate. You don't want to get too sappy ("I am weeping with a mixture of pride and loss because Marcus Cheng is leaving our company") or hyperbolic ("Jenna Harrington is the single best employee to ever work at ABC Industries"). Stuff that's too excitable will come across as inauthentic, but a truly neutral tone will set off alarm bells.
The best approach is to have a tone that is consistent, professional, and enthusiastic about the candidate. Feel free to draw from some of the key words and phrases below:
To describe the candidate:
To describe your feelings:
Remember that while these terms can be applied to many different people, you still have to follow them up with personal anecdotes and examples that back up your descriptions. Saying that someone is innovative and hardworking doesn't mean anything if you can't point to a specific incident where that was true.
Index of Character Reference Letter Examples
