Experience Letter Format: 15+ Samples & Writing Guide

Experience letters are a basic HR responsibility. Yet even seasoned professionals often get them wrong.

Why?

Because what seems like a routine document is actually a legal, professional, and reputational statement about the employee and your company.

• Issue it late, and it damages goodwill.
• Miss key details, and it affects the employee’s next job.
• Use a vague or outdated experience letter format, and it reflects poorly on HR practices.

As an HR, you’re expected to get this right. Every single time. But without a clear structure or updated templates, mistakes slip in. You still have so many questions to answer:

• “Is this the same as a relieving letter?” → It’s not.
• “Should I mention salary or not?” → Depends on context.
• “What if they left on bad terms?” → You still owe them one.

So in this blog, here’s what you’ll take away:

• A crystal-clear understanding of what an experience letter is
• A standardised format that reflects well on your HR practices
• 15+ experience letter samples tailored to roles, industries, and situations
• Legal and practical do’s and don’ts to avoid compliance risks

So, if you want to build a reputation for clean, professional, and compliant documentation – this blog is your go-to.

What is an Experience Letter?

By definition, an experience letter (also known as an experience certificate) is a formal document provided by an employer to a departing employee.

But let us also tell you:

An experience letter is not just another piece of HR paperwork. In reality, it plays a silent yet powerful role in an employee’s career journey. It is a formal impression of how your organisation is perceived by the outside world.

Here’s what a work experience letter really does:

• Verifies employment and duration as they claim
• Acts as a formal, credible endorsement of their skills and performance
• Works as proof of employment for future jobs, visas, or legal verifications
• Showcases the company’s highest documentation standards that reflect professionalism

Here, let us make it clear that an experience letter is different from a relieving letter. Although the experience letter format and the relieving letter format are the same, they serve different purposes. A relieving letter simply states the end of employment; an experience letter is a summary of values, like what the employee brought to the table and how your organisation acknowledges that contribution.

Read more: Employee Relieving Letter Format

It’s often requested by ex-employees months or even years later to –

• apply abroad,
• complete immigration processes, or
• join a new company that demands proof beyond payslips and offer letters.

And while it might be a one-page document, it travels far and wide, representing your HR team and your organisation in places you may never see.

Why is an Experience Letter Important?

So far whatever we read may have indicated the importance of an experience letter. But, as an HR professional, you should know the crystal clear importance this document carries. It carries weight because:

• Proof of Employment – Verifies role, employment tenure, and contribution for future employers or government processes.
• Supports Employee Job Opportunities – Strengthens job applications, visa requests, and higher studies for employees.
• Reflects HR Sophistication – A well-written letter signals structured documentation and good offboarding practices.
• Goodwill Maintenance – Even after exit, your fairness and professionalism are remembered.
• Legal Clarity Assurance – Acts as a formal acknowledgement of employment in case of any future disputes.

All and all, it’s not just a letter; it’s also a brand impression, a compliance asset, and a make-or-break for your ex-employee’s next step in many cases.

What Should an Experience Letter Contain?

In order to actually write a professional-looking experience certificate, you must first understand the components a usual experience letter format has.

• Company letterhead
• Date of issuance
• Salutation (To whom it may concern)
• Employee designation
• Employee joining date
• Employee’s last working date
• Employee performance
• Closing statement
• Official stamp and signature
• Contact information

How to Write an Experience Letter?

Writing a perfect experience certificate is simple. Just add three things: clarity, formality, and structure. Next, we’ll show you how you can write a polished experience certificate in just 5 steps.

Step 1: Use Company Letterhead

Start by using official letterhead. If unavailable, simply write the full company name, address, and contact details in the upper-left corner. Just below company details, mention date of issuance. All these elements will make the letter verifiable and authentic.

Step 2: Add the Employee’s Details

Start letter writing with the employee’s details, like:

• Full name
• Designation (e.g.,Chief Meme Officer)
• Department
• Employee ID (if available)
• Exact dates of joining as well as resigning.

Example:

This is to certify that Mr. Japesh Mehra, Employee ID PQR640, was employed with PQR Pvt. Ltd. as an SEO Analyst from 3rd October 2021 to 31st February 2025.

Step 3: Letter’s Body

Now take your letter writing one step further by listing core responsibilities briefly. Keep it in 2 to 3 lines, in a formal tone, and avoid exaggeration. Write what valuable skill the employee brought to the table and how the company acknowledges those values. This section may include:

• Nature of duties
• Skills demonstrated
• General remarks about conduct and professionalism

Example:

• Japesh’s day-to-day responsibilities included creating SEO strategies, researching keywords for content creation, monitoring website traffic and performance metrics, as well as enhancing organic search rankings. His conduct was professional and his performance was satisfactory.

Step 4: Formal Closing Statement

Wrap up with a polite, neutral sentence that allows the letter to be used for future references.

Example:

We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

This letter is issued upon request and bears no objection from our end.

Step 5: Authority Signature

Include your name, designation, and official seal (if applicable) then sign the letter. This section will look like:

[Your Full Name]

HR Manager

XYZ Pvt. Ltd.

Experience Letter Format (Standard Template)

Below is a professionally accepted work experience letter format that HRs can use across industries.

Pro Tip:

Save this as a master template in your HRMS software or document management system. Update the variable fields, proofread once, and you’re good to go.

Up next, we’ll explore 12+ real-world experience letter samples tailored by industry, job role, and use case.

15+ Work Experience Letter Samples

Experience Letter Format Samples by Employment Type

1. Standard Experience Letter (Sample Format)

2. Experience Letter Sample for Internship

On Company Letterhead Date: 09 July 2025 To Whom It May Concern, This is to certify that Mr. Ankit Verma, a BBA student from Delhi University, interned at BlackCosmic Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Noida, from 10 January 2025 to 31 March 2025 as a Digital Marketing Intern. He was actively involved in campaign research, social media content planning, and analytics reporting. Ankit was enthusiastic, quick to learn, and showed dedication to assigned tasks. We appreciate his contribution and wish him the best for his future. For BlackCosmic Marketing Pvt. Ltd. Swati Bansal HR Executive

3. Experience Letter Sample for Volunteer

On NGO Letterhead Date: 09 July 2025 To Whom It May Concern, This is to certify that Ms. Nidhi Rathi volunteered with Jeevan Rakt Foundation, Jaipur, from 01 December 2023 to 29 February 2024. She assisted in our Women Empowerment Program, coordinating events and community workshops. Nidhi was committed and empathetic and worked diligently toward our mission. We sincerely appreciate her voluntary service and wish her well in her journey. For Jeevan Rakt Foundation Rekha Sharma Program Coordinator

4. Experience Letter Sample for High-Level Executive

On Company Letterhead Date: 09 July 2025 To Whom It May Concern, This is to certify that Mr. Arvind Sinha served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Pakora Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, from 15 March 2018 to 31 May 2025. He led cross-functional teams, scaled operations, and played a pivotal role in doubling revenue within three years. His strategic vision and leadership were highly valued. We thank him for his impactful service and wish him great success in his future ventures. For Pakora Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Manisha Kapoor Director – Human Resources

5. Experience Letter Sample for Freelancer

On Company Letterhead Date: 09 July 2025 To Whom It May Concern, This is to acknowledge that Ms. Tanya Joshi worked with us at PixelFour Studios, Mumbai, as a Freelance Graphic Designer from 01 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. She handled various branding and creative design projects for clients in the real estate and FMCG sectors. Her creativity, turnaround time, and communication were commendable. We appreciate her services and recommend her for future opportunities. For PixelFour Studios Aarav Mehta Creative Head

6. Experience Letter Sample for Contract Employee

On Company Letterhead Date: 09 July 2025 To Whom It May Concern, This is to certify that Mr. Deepak Nair worked with Reckvista Infra Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, as a Site Engineer (Contractual) from 01 September 2022 to 28 February 2024. He was engaged under a fixed-term contract and fulfilled his responsibilities with sincerity, particularly during the execution of our Pune residential project. We appreciate his contributions and wish him success in his career. For Reckvista Infra Pvt. Ltd. Sonal Reddy HR Manager

7. Experience Letter Sample for Part-Time Employee

Experience Letter Format Samples by Roles

8. Experience Letter Sample for Construction Site Supervisor

9. Experience Letter Sample for Software Engineer

10. Experience Letter Sample for Sales Executive

11. Experience Letter Sample for Customer Support Representative

12. Experience Letter Sample for Digital Marketer

13. Experience Letter Sample for Teacher

14. Experience Letter Sample for Accountant

15. Experience Letter Sample for CEO

Application for Experience Certificate from Employee

Sample format is here:

You can also use this experience letter format for requesting an experience certificate via email.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in an Experience Letter

An experience letter is an important document for an employee’s career. But sometimes errors slip in. And these tiny mistakes may result in a negative impact of the letter. Also, it can question HR’s credibility. Therefore, it is needed to know the common mistakes in experience certificates to avoid:

1. Vague Job Titles or Dates

You have to mention the exact designation, department, and start/end dates clearly. Words like “various roles” or “multiple projects” make the letter unclear. If info isn’t clearly mentioned, it may create trouble for the employee background verification process.

2. Use of Over-praise or Subjective Language

Some words like “valuable talent” or “best employee ever” sound good to hear, but it’s better to avoid such language in professional documents.

The tone should be neutral. You have to just write facts: what was the responsibility, how was the performance, what was the cross-functional capability, and what were the achievements? Praise should be subtle and specific. No subjective language.

3. Confusion: Experience Letter and Relieving Letter

Both documents serve different purposes:

• Experience letter tells employees their duty, responsibility, and achievements.
• Relieving letter just clarifies that the employee has resigned officially.

A mix-up of both will mess up employees’ careers—especially when applying for employee immigration.

4. Adding Confidential or Irrelevant Info

Do NOT write salary, internal ratings, or sensitive project details unless legally required. The focus of the letter should be: employment summary. That’s it. Write facts that are genuinely needed.

5. Typos and Formatting

It shows carelessness of the HR department if the letter has grammar mistakes, poor structure, wrong formatting, and/or the old company logo. Remember to always proofread the final draft. It’s better to get it reviewed by a colleague.

6. Missing Company Seal or Authorised Signature

A great letter loses credibility if it lacks a company seal or is unsigned. Many organisations unintentionally issue unsigned PDFs or forget official headers.

So, make sure:

• Authorised person signature (HR or reporting manager).
• Use the company’s letterhead and stamp properly.

Conclusion

At first, an experience letter might look like a one-page formality. But for the employee, it’s a smooth-career-transition document.

And for HR, a perfect work experience letter showcases their legal awareness and obligation toward employer branding.

However, writing an experience certificate doesn’t have to be time-consuming every time.

With NYGGS HRMS, you can generate all the HR letters—experience certificate, relieving letters, and offer letters—in a few clicks. It even comes with a pre-loaded experience letter format and other HR letter templates so you’re never starting from scratch.

Save time. Stay compliant. And always look professional.

Because a good HR process doesn’t just serve the company; it earns trust, even after employees move on.

Contact us for a personalised demo to know how NYGGS HR will work for you.

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