Experience letter
Confirms what someone did and for how long — what a future employer actually verifies.
When you would use this
An employee has left, or is leaving, and needs written confirmation of their employment. Often requested years later, for a visa or a background check, so keep a copy.
What goes wrong with this one
The document is the easy part. These are the things we actually see get it rejected or cause a problem later.
- State the dates and the role. Those are the two things a background check verifies, and a letter missing either is sent back.
- Keep an opinion out of it unless you mean it and would repeat it. An experience letter is a factual record; a reference is a separate document.
- Do not withhold it over a dispute about notice or dues. Those are recoverable separately, and withholding the letter is what turns a disagreement into a claim.
- Issue it on letterhead, signed, with a contact for verification. An unsigned PDF gets rejected.
The template
Every placeholder is written in [SQUARE BRACKETS] so an unfilled one is impossible to miss in a printed document.
Experience letter
[COMPANY LETTERHEAD]
Date: [DD MONTH YYYY]
TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN
This is to certify that [MR / MS] [FULL NAME], [son / daughter] of
[FATHER'S NAME], was employed with [COMPANY NAME] from [DD MONTH YYYY] to
[DD MONTH YYYY].
At the time of leaving, [he / she / they] held the position of [DESIGNATION]
in the [DEPARTMENT] department, reporting to [NAME AND TITLE].
[His / Her / Their] principal responsibilities included:
- [RESPONSIBILITY]
- [RESPONSIBILITY]
- [RESPONSIBILITY]
[OPTIONAL — include only if you mean it and would say it again on a call:
During [his / her / their] time with us, [FIRST NAME] was [a brief, honest
assessment].]
We wish [FIRST NAME] well in [his / her / their] future endeavours.
For any verification, please contact [NAME] at [EMAIL] or [PHONE].
For [COMPANY NAME]
_____________________________
[NAME]
[DESIGNATION]This is a starting point, not advice
It is a general template and is not tailored to your business. Requirements change, and some vary by state. Have the completed document checked before you sign, file or rely on it.