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Reference letters and recommendation letters are a major component of a successful job search.  If you are looking for a new job or new career, you will need to have reference letters to help to sell your competencies, job skills and qualifications.  Be careful who you ask to write a letter of reference to support your candidacy.  To know if the letter of reference you received is a good one, look for these nine components.   

1. Stay positive, honest and personal. 
2. Make sure the writer qualifies himself early in every reference letter. 
3. Clearly state the nature of relationship with the jobseeker. 
4. State why the opportunity to support this job seeker excites the writer and say how they feel about being asked to support the jobseekers candidacy. 
5. Identify 2 or 3 specific behaviors and qualities which will be most meaningful to the employer. 
6. Say why the job seeker is a good fit for the organization in question.  How could they bring value to the bottom line?   
7. Write about a willingness to work with the job seeker again.
8. Let the employer know how to contact you directly in order to follow up.
9. When writing a reference letter, it is not the time to err on the side of brevity.  Be superfluous and be long winded. Be relevant.

Career advice is courtesy of Marcia Franklin-Robinson's career blogs at BullsEyeResumes (http://bullseyeresumes.blogspot.com)