How to use AI to write a letter of recommendation

Dana, who volunteered at your food pantry for two years, needs a letter of recommendation by Friday. You’d be happy to write it. You also haven’t written one since a coworker named Gary needed one in 2014, and you’re fairly sure that one said “hard worker” five times.

AI can turn a few real memories into a clear first draft in about 30 minutes. The memories have to come from you. The AI wasn’t at the food pantry.

What you’ll end up with

A one-page draft letter (under 400 words) built only from things you saw yourself, plus a line-by-line claim check.

Before you start

Ask the person for:

What the letter is for (a job, a school program, a scholarship, a volunteer role) and the deadline
The posting or program description, if there is one
Their resume or a short list of what they did while you knew them
Two or three things they’d like you to mention, if you can speak to them truthfully
Their OK to share these details with an AI tool. Leave out their contact details either way.

Then write down two or three specific moments you remember. “She reorganized the pantry’s intake so families waited less” is a moment. “She’s great” is a vibe.

Step 1: Give it your real memories

Try This Prompt

Help me write a letter of recommendation. Use only the facts I give you below.

Who I am: [YOUR ROLE AND HOW YOU KNOW THEM, E.G. VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR AT A FOOD PANTRY]
Who it's for: [THEIR FIRST NAME AND ROLE, E.G. DANA, A VOLUNTEER]
How long I've known them: [E.G. TWO YEARS]
What the letter is for: [E.G. A SOCIAL WORK DEGREE PROGRAM]
What the program or job is looking for: [PASTE THE DESCRIPTION OR LIST THE KEY QUALITIES]
Specific things I saw them do: [TWO OR THREE MOMENTS, ONE OR TWO SENTENCES EACH]
What they'd like mentioned (only include what I can vouch for): [LIST]

Rules:
- Under 400 words.
- Use only the facts above. Don't add skills, numbers, awards, titles, or stories I didn't give you.
- Each paragraph should be built around one of my specific moments.
- Plain, warm, professional tone. No phrases like "I cannot recommend them highly enough" or "a true asset to any team."
- Leave [BRACKETS] for anything you need that I didn't give you, like a contact line or the recipient's name. Don't make it up.

What you might get back (example; results vary)

When families were waiting a long time at intake, Dana noticed the problem and suggested using numbered tickets and opening a second sign-in table. After these changes, the line moved faster. […]

Last spring, Dana trained three new volunteers on how we sort donated food. This was a concrete contribution to helping new volunteers learn our pantry’s procedures. Her willingness to share her knowledge also demonstrates her ability to contribute to a team and support the work of others.

ChatGPT, logged out, October 16, 2026

Check each line against your notes, even with these rules. When we tested this prompt, the AI added flattering framing we never gave it, like “calm under pressure,” tied to a story that didn’t show it. Small additions like that are still claims with your name on them.

The “a true asset to any team” ban is there for a reason. Left alone, the AI will describe every person on Earth as a true asset to any team, including people who have never been on a team.

Step 2: Check every line against your notes

Ask the AI to show its work.

Try This Prompt

Go through the letter above one sentence at a time. For each sentence, tell me which fact from my notes it's based on.

Then list, separately:
- Any sentence that adds something I didn't tell you
- Any sentence that's general praise with no specific example behind it
- Any [BRACKETS] I still need to fill in

Don't rewrite the letter. Only list the problems.

Then read the letter yourself, slowly. The AI’s check helps, but it can miss its own additions or file them under “general praise.” Cut or fix anything you can’t back up from memory. If you edit the letter and paste it back, run this check again: in our test, the AI suggested where to fit in a new claim instead of asking whether it was true.

Step 3: Swap generic praise for specifics

The AI will hand you some sentences that could describe anyone. “Dana is dedicated and reliable” fits Dana, your dentist, and a decent toaster.

Replace each one with a moment from your notes. Ask in plain language: “Replace the second sentence in paragraph two with the story about the intake line.”

Step 4: Handle a “write it yourself” request

Sometimes a busy recommender tells the applicant, “Write a draft and I’ll sign it.” If you’re the applicant:

Follow the application’s instructions on who writes the letter. If they say the recommender must write it, don’t draft it. Ask your recommender to write it, and offer your notes instead.
Use only true things your recommender saw, in their voice.
Hand it over as a draft. The recommender reads every line, changes what isn’t right, and decides what goes out under their name.

If you’re the recommender holding that draft, check every line. If you didn’t see it, take it out. Once you sign it, it’s your letter.

Step 5: Read it out loud, then send it

Read it aloud. Cut anything you’d hesitate to say to the reader in person. Add your contact details yourself, sign it, and send it the way the program asked.

When it goes sideways

It’s too long? Say “Cut this to 250 words. Keep the specific examples.”
It’s too gushy? Say “Remove any sentence that sounds like flattery and doesn’t include an example.”
It invented a detail? Delete it. Then say “Use only the facts I gave you. List anything you added.”

Where to go next

Filed under Everyday writing and email.