Writing a letter of recommendation in German

We have previously spoken with you about how to write the perfect motivation letter for a job application and a perfect resume. Recall that your application should consist of a motivation letter (das Bewerbungsschreiben), which is the most important, a resume (der Lebenslauf) and letters of recommendation (das Referenzschreiben). Today we are talking about letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are an important part of an application for hiring. This is an amplifier of your resume, proof that you are not just listed, but worked and coped with your duties. If you are not in the habit of asking for recommendations, but you are planning to study or work in one of the German-speaking countries, we advise you to start receiving them. Do you study at the university and do you have a teacher with whom you performed well in class or wrote a job with him? Ask him to sign a letter of recommendation for you, you will not regret. Do not hesitate to take a letter of recommendation from your immediate superior at work, from the head of the practice, etc. In Europe, such letters are much appreciated. You will need reference letters not only in the case of an application for a vacancy, but also for admission to an educational institution, applications for a scholarship or for an internship. They need to be translated into German. If you have the opportunity to receive a recommendation in German – this is generally super, but be careful, if you contact the one who made the recommendation and it turns out that this person does not speak German, the question will immediately arise: “what did he sign at all?”. The same applies to letters of recommendation in English. This is better than in Russian, but again, a person should really speak the language. If this letter is from a university, then it can be translated into German at the Department of Foreign Languages, obtain the signature of a German teacher, print it on a university letterhead, and put a university seal. It is even better than a certified translation. A letter of recommendation should contain:     The “cap” of the reviewer; Name, surname, organization and post held in it.     Direct phone number; Most likely the person who will consider your candidacy will call the one who recommended you and will confirm the recommendation.     Date;     Name of the addressee of the recommendation (not yours); An ideal letter is written directly for a specific job or a certain educational institution, therefore it must contain the name of the person to whom it is addressed: a potential employer or a university. That is, not “Sasha Petrov is a good guy”, but “Dear Mister Muller, I recommend you Sasha Petrov as an excellent candidate for a DAAD scholarship”.     The name of who is recommended;     Short reviewer presentation; Describe the relationship of someone recommends with a valued person (professor and student, boss and subordinate …).     The reason you are no longer cooperating; For example, they graduated from the university, changed the company.     Qualification;     Achievements in work; It is worth pointing out specific examples from your common professional past. Say what success in work deserves mention and praise.     Subjective recommendation; Here you need to assess personal qualities (literacy, diligence, ability to work in a team) and skills that can be useful in a new place.     Date and signature. Now you know how to create the perfect package of documents for applying for a job.