Reference Thank You Letter

A reference letter is very important in many situations, and can simplify many things. Acquiring admissions, getting a job interview call, getting a scholarship, etc., might become very easy when one gets a recommendation letter written for oneself from some very important person. It is difficult to get a recommendation, but when one gets it, he/she should not fail to thank the person who is writing the same for him/her. One can thank the person doing this favor, by writing a reference thank you letter. The title of the letter is self-explanatory. A letter written to thank someone for recommending you , is known as a reference thank you letter.

Why does one seek a recommendation/reference?

Life is not as simple as it seems to be. Only getting good grades, or being able to pay the fees for a particular college/school, might at times not work. Not only this, but situations like willing to meet someone for some important work, discussion, etc., might also need a reference letter to recommend you, and request the person to find some time to meet you. Thus, one needs a reference letter in different situations.

Why does one need to thank the person for the recommendation letter?

When you ask someone to recommend you, you actually ask for a favor from that particular person. It is not mandatory for him/her to write a letter for you, it is only out of concern or willingness to help someone, the person writes a reference letter for someone. Also, by writing a reference letter, the person adds a personal guarantee to your request or application.. In turn, you at least owe a thank you to that particular person. Thus, writing a reference thank you letter is very important.

When should one write this letter?

The thank you letter should be written soon after one gets a reference letter written from him/her. If one has to personally go and collect the letter, he/she must make sure that he/she carries a thank you letter to show your gratitude to that person. When one gets the letter via email, or when one comes to know that the person is ready to recommend you, you should immediately thank the person for this favor. Thus, this letter should be written soon after getting the reference letter. Any delay in sending this thank you letter, hampers the motive of the letter, and thus would not be much effective.

How to write a reference thank you letter?

This letter is a formal letter, and should not be more than two paragraphs of 2-3 lines each. The letter should be straightforward, and should directly put forth the motive of the letter. The letter should not be written in any kind of flowery or flattering language. It should follow the guidelines set for writing any formal letter like -

• The letter should bear your name, address, contact number, and date on the top left hand side of the page.
• Leave a tab's space, and write the name and address of the person to whom the letter is addressed to
• Proper salutations, minimal content, and ending the letter by thanking the reader once again for his/her efforts to draft a letter for you.

Thanking the person, not only expresses your gratitude, but it also opens up the scope for further communication. Not sending this letter, might pose you as a selfish person, who does not bother to appreciate someone's favor or help, and forgets the same on getting a reference letter, as per the requirement. Thus, make sure that you do not create a negative image of yourself, and put in a little effort to thank the person.

To help you do the same, we have given below a sample reference thank you letter. This letter would help you understand what and how the letter should be, and thus help you in drafting a similar letter.

Sample reference thank you letter

Rene W. Burdette
2416 Jerome Avenue
Harlingen, TX 78550
Phone: 956-230-9163
Email Address: ReneWBurdette@teleworm.com

Date: January 30, 2012

To,
Randy V. Jobe
3083 Abia Martin Drive
New York, NY 10011

Dear Mr. Jobe,

With this letter, I wish to thank you for the recommendation letter that you sent me. This letter will help increase the chances of me getting the scholarship.

It is very kind of you to spare some time from your busy schedule, and draft a letter for me on my request. I am highly obliged to you, and I assure that you will not be disappointed for the same.

Thank you once again.

Regards,

Rene W. Burdette

956-230-9163

ReneWBurdette@teleworm.com

The sample reference thank you letter expresses clearly that the person is thankful for the referral, and is responsible enough to thank the person for giving the reference. This symbolizes a formal way of communication, and is a good etiquette. Also, you can view Thank You Letter For Internship and Thank You Letter For Job Offer for more sample letters.