The right introduction can open doors. If you ever felt like your resume doesn't properly portray your outstanding soft skills, let us introduce you to a character reference letter. While cover letters are the most popular additional document used in hiring processes, a good character letter can also be used to highlight your personal journey.
We will walk you through everything you need to know about writing a captivating character reference letter, including expert tips and an example to help you get started.
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A character reference letter is a document written to attest to a person's character, virtues, and abilities from a personal perspective—all attributes that potential employers value and want to know more about. When Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO and Founder of Lawn Love, is hiring for his company, he says, “it helps to get a sense of what a candidate is like as a human being beyond their qualifications.”
In the job market, character reference letters offer valuable insight into a prospective employee's cultural fit. Companies that prioritize cultural alignment may request these letters to ensure the candidate shares their values.
“Especially for companies that really value teamwork and a great workplace environment, the character qualities of a candidate matter quite a bit,” Yamaguchi says. “Sometimes this can be the deciding factor between two equally skilled candidates.”
This article focused on its use for job applications, but a character reference letter can also be useful and even requested for academic applications, volunteer positions, and pet adoption processes.
While character letters are a smart way to get ahead in the hiring process for any type of position you may be applying for, they’re most common in industries requiring high trust and interpersonal interaction, such as education, healthcare, or social services.
Character reference letters should carry information that can't be found on your resume. “It provides insight into a candidate's personality, values, and interpersonal skills, which are crucial but not always evident through resumes or interviews,” says Naomi Clarke, the head of HR at digital company Flingster. “It helps hiring managers understand the candidate's reliability, integrity, and compatibility with the company culture, providing a more holistic view of the individual.”
Impactful character reference letters are ones that tell a story. If you’re writing one, don't just spell out the person’s virtues—showcase them with examples, putting positive traits in a real-world context. “Always be honest and avoid generic statements; personalized anecdotes make the letter more compelling,” Clarke says.
Hiring managers want to know your journey, how you've grown, what your goals are, and how you act towards them. The letter should paint a vivid picture that shows why you're a great fit for the job you’re applying for.
The character statement is a mirror reflection of how you can perform in critical situations or have the emotional intelligence to deal with challenges. Though technical skills and experience are important, emotional intelligence can be the difference between average performance and exceptional adaptability, efficacy, and cooperation.
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