Professional reference letter, which is usually needed when starting a new job and is usually written by the employee’s employer (eg their line manager). Academic reference letter, which is usually needed during the university admissions process and some employees require one (eg for a graduate scheme). Character/ personal reference letter, which is about an employee as a person and includes information about their work ethic and personality. It should be written by someone that knows the person well (eg a mentor). This document in particular should be used for a professional reference.