Asking for a letter of recommendation from a colleague or manager whenever you leave a company is good practice. The letter of recommendation can be defined as a document or letter written by someone, who agreed to provide a brief overview of your proficiency, character, and achievements as known to the letter writer. Most employers want a list of references that they can contact to verify your employment record and information provided in your resume.

Many of the employers prefer written recommendations with full contact details of the person who gave the reference. You should also be asking a letter of recommendation from co-workers at volunteering projects, business acquaintances, lecturers, teachers and even your pastor.

Ask the person whether he will be able to write you a good letter of recommendation based on his knowledge of your work and character. If he agrees, you know that he will do his best to give a positive description of your abilities. You can help the person who writes the letter by providing an updated resume with all your skills listed.

You should be asking for a letter of recommendation that states at least some of the following:

• Period of employment or involvement with a project.
• Relationship: whether co-worker, supervisor, pastor, or teacher.
• Your position at the company or institute.
• Responsibilities: positive comments on for instance how you followed instructions, or used your own initiative, how contentious your are, or your ability to delegate, how well you handled conflict situations, communicated with fellow workers, handled pressure and deadlines, team performance and your biggest accomplishment during the specific period.

Asking for a Letter of Recommendation from the Right People
Make sure that you ask people who know you and are able to provide answers when an employer calls to verify your employment details. Ask relevant persons. Your mom may provide a good character reference but she lacks credibility. Likewise a subordinate cannot provide a letter of recommendation. A good letter of recommendation can help to get that job you always dreamt about, and for that reason you must select appropriate and credible persons.