What To Do If You Were Asked for an Employment Verification Letter

What To Do If You Were Asked for an Employment Verification Letter What To Do If You Were Asked for an Employment Verification Letter So what is an employment verification letter?There may be occasions in life where you are asked to provide an employment verification letter. These letters are mostly requested as proof of your employment status when you need to secure a financial loan or may be requested by landlords when you want to rent a property. Sometimes mortgage lenders will need confirmation of your employment before they grant you a mortgage. Requesting a letter that clarifies your employment status and salary will act as proof that you are in stable employment and can comfortably afford your mortgage repayments.How to request an employment verification letter from your employerRemember that you will be requesting a formal for of correspondence from your employer. You need this letter to be drawn up properly and in an official manner to use it as proof of your employment with the company.The letter should detail such important points such as:• Your job title • The length of time you have been employe d with the company • Your current salary (if needed) • Any other information that a creditor may need such as details of an expense account or bonusesMake sure that your employer is aware of the details they need to include as a simple confirmation of employment will often not be enough to satisfy a potential creditor or landlord.What your employer needs to realizeYour employer needs to be aware that what they write in your letter can have a serious impact on what you intend to use the letter for.Should you need this letter to help you apply for some crucial funding for a mortgage on a new home, or to gain a loan at the most favorable rates that you can get to afford to buy a more reliable car, for example, your employment verification letter will have a great bearing on your success.There are many reasons for needing an employment verification letter, so being refused a mortgage, loan or a rental home because of a poorly written letter can seriously impact your well being and y our long term plans for the future.Asking for a Letter from a former employerThere are some circumstances where you may need to approach a former employer for a verification letter to detail your previous employment with them.Usually, these letters are needed when applying for a new job. You may mention in your resume or within your cover letter that your previous employer is open to receiving an employment verification letter. However, these are very different from letters of reference.Sometimes you can feel a little intimidated having to approach an old employer for a letter, especially if you didnt part under good terms.You need to make them realize that this letter is very different from a letter of reference or recommendation. You are not asking them to write anything about your personality, your performance or skills level during your time with them.Instead, they need to keep emotions and personal opinions out of the letter. Your verification letter is simply a statement of yo ur record with the company, your former position, time served with the company and any promotions awarded during that time.There is advice at hand to help you should your former employer give you a bad reference on our blog.Obtaining your letterYou can either contact your former boss, line manager or the human resources department from your old company. You can send them an email request, make a phone call or write a request letter asking them to supply you with a verification letter that states the details of your previous position.Clearly request the information that you need in your verification letter according to your needs. It may be that you only need official confirmation of your previous position, salary and time of employment. This is often the only requirement needed from a previous employer.Remain professional and respectfulRegardless of whether you are contacting a previous employer or asking your current employer for a verification letter, you need to act professionall y and ask politely.No matter whether you left on good terms with your previous employer or not, you still have a right to ask for an official employment verification letter. Try to keep all correspondence on a professional level.Online employment verificationMany larger companies have online verification request forms that you can fill out via their company website.Check with the human resources department to see if they have an automated system in place to enable you to do this online.Acknowledge their helpIt will always pay you to respect and appreciate the help given to you by your former or current employer.You will never know when you may need their help again in the future, so it is wise to keep a good relationship with them by thanking them for their assistance.How to write an employment verification letterIt may be that your employer has never needed to write an employment verification letter before so he may appreciate some guidance on how to go about writing one.The letter should follow a formal business letter format and style. So this means including the company contact information at the top followed by the date and the recipients contact information if that is applicable.Just like a regular business letter, you should include a salutation at the beginning and leave a space for a handwritten signature at the end.Employment verification letter tips and examplesYour employment verification letter need not be too lengthy. Remember that you just need a statement of facts here, so there is no need to go beyond including any information that isnt needed in the letter.For example, there is no need to write an evaluation of your work performance, personality or working relationship with others at the company.Here are some tips to help you prepare the letter:• Include the persons name • Include their specific job title and the department worked for • The amount of time employed with the company • The employee’s salary and payment terms (weekly, b i-weekly, etc.) • How many contracted hours a week they workYou should also provide your employer contact information so that the recipient can contact you for more information. It is always polite to end the letter offering to answer any further questions that may be needed.Sample letter templatesEmployment Verification Letter Example (basic confirmation information only):This is an example that can be used for a current employer to confirm your current state of employment with their company. Your name Your job title Company name Address City, State Zip CodeTodays dateThe Recipient’s contact name Company position/job title Company name Address City, State Zip CodeDear Mrs Smith,This is an official employment verification letter to verify that Jonathan Jones has been employed at Widget Industries for the past four years in our Sales Marketing Department. Jonathan began working with us on 1st December 2016.If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me at 123-456-789.Sincerely,(Handwritten Signature)Andrew Carlyle Director of Sales Marketing Widget IndustriesWhen the verification letter is needed to confirm details for financial purposes it may be necessary to also include salary details as well as any extra bonuses or regular expenses awarded each year.However, personal financial information may not need to be disclosed in all cases. Check the requirements of the letter recipient before releasing sensitive financial data within the letter.Employment Verification Letter Example (for a previous employer):This is a simple â€" fact-based only â€" verification letter template that can be used to confirm the details of your previous employment. Your name Your job title Company name Address City, State Zip CodeTodays dateThe Recipient’s contact name Company position/job title Company name Address City, State Zip CodeDear Mrs Smith,This letter is to verify that Jonathan Jones was employed at Storybrook Marketing from 1st April 201 4 to 30th November 2016.If you require any additional information regarding Jonathan Jones, please feel free to contact me at 111-222-333.Sincerely,(Handwritten Signature)Emma White Managing Director Storybrook Marketing previous article Fresty â€" A Clean Simple Resume Template next article Career (Con)Quest #1: Have You Got Any Question For Me? you might also like6 Online Gigs You Can Do During Coronavirus Outbreak (To Offset Your Lost Income)