Write a recommendation letter that actually helps them get in
Someone you managed or taught asked for a recommendation letter, and the deadline is close. Generic praise does not help them. This prompt has your todo.is agent read their resume and the role or program, then write a one-page letter built on two or three real stories, with your title and how you know them up front.
The prompt
- Write a recommendation letter for [PERSON'S NAME], who is applying for [ROLE OR PROGRAM]. I am [YOUR NAME AND TITLE] and I have known them for [HOW LONG AND IN WHAT CAPACITY]. Read their resume (attached) and the posting at [LINK TO POSTING OR PROGRAM]. Build the letter around these examples: [2-3 SPECIFIC THINGS THEY DID]. Match their strengths to what the role or program asks for. Keep it to one page, about 350-450 words, warm but credible, with a clear closing line that I recommend them without reservation. Give me a Word file on plain letterhead layout and a PDF, plus a 2-line note I can send them confirming it is done.
What to change
- [PERSON'S NAME]: The full name of the person you recommend, e.g. "Priya Natarajan".
- [ROLE OR PROGRAM]: What they are applying for, e.g. "MSc Data Science at a university" or "Senior Product Designer at a startup".
- [YOUR NAME AND TITLE]: Your name and current title, e.g. "Daniel Reyes, Engineering Manager at Northline".
- [HOW LONG AND IN WHAT CAPACITY]: E.g. "3 years as her direct manager" or "taught her in two courses".
- [LINK TO POSTING OR PROGRAM]: Paste the job ad or program page link, or write "none" if there is no posting.
- [2-3 SPECIFIC THINGS THEY DID]: Real details with numbers if you have them, e.g. "led the billing migration, cut support tickets 40%". Or attach your notes.
Example result
- Recommendation letter
- Daniel Reyes
- Engineering Manager, Northline Software
- 12 October 2026
- To the Admissions Committee,
- I am pleased to recommend Priya Natarajan for the MSc in Data Science. I managed Priya directly for three years at Northline, where she worked as a backend engineer on our billing team. In that time she became the person colleagues went to when a problem involved data no one else could explain.
- She turns messy data into decisions. In 2025 our churn reports disagreed across three dashboards. Priya traced the gap to duplicate customer records, wrote the cleanup scripts, and built a single churn model the sales team still uses every week.
- She leads without a title. Priya ran the migration of our billing system to a new provider. She planned the cutover, wrote the test plan and briefed support. The move finished on schedule, and support tickets about invoices fell by about 40% in the next quarter.
- She explains hard things simply. Priya started a monthly lunch session where engineers showed product managers how to read our data. Attendance grew from five people to most of the product team.
- Priya is curious, organized and honest about what she does not yet know. She is ready for graduate study, and I expect her to contribute to group work from the first week.
- I recommend Priya without reservation. Please contact me at daniel.reyes@northline.example or +1 555 0142 if I can add anything.
- Sincerely,
- Daniel Reyes
- What makes this letter strong
- • The writer says who they are and how they know her in the first paragraph
- • Each strength is backed by one concrete story with a result
- • It ends with a clear, unqualified recommendation and contact details
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in each [bracket] with the person, the role and your examples.
- Paste it on the Today screen in todo.is and attach their resume, or send both to your agent on WhatsApp.
- Your agent writes a one-page letter and gives you a Word file and a PDF.
- Read it, reply with changes like "add her teamwork on the audit", then sign and send it.
Tips for a better result
- Ask the person for their resume, the posting and 3 things they want you to mention. It saves you time and keeps the letter accurate.
- Use numbers where you can: team size, results, how long. Specific facts are more believable than adjectives.
- Say how strong your recommendation is. Phrases like "top 5% of people I have managed" carry weight if they are true.
- Do not stretch the truth. If you only know part of their work, focus on that part and say so.
- Tell your agent "remember my title and contact details" so the next letter you write starts ready.
recommendation letter: FAQ
- How long should a recommendation letter be? One page is standard, usually 300 to 500 words. Admissions and hiring teams read many letters, so a focused page with real examples works best.
- Who should write a recommendation letter? Someone who knows the person's work well and recently, like a manager, professor or client. A detailed letter from a direct manager beats a vague one from a senior name.
- Can the person write their own recommendation letter for me to sign? Some people do this, but the letter should still be your honest view. Use their draft as notes and rewrite it in your own words.
- Should a recommendation letter be signed? Yes, sign it by hand or with a scanned signature on the PDF, and include your email or phone so the reader can verify it.
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