Experience Letter Format (Experience Certificate)
Confirms a period of employment, role and conduct after someone leaves.
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TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN
This is to certify that [name] was employed with [organisation] from [date] to [date].
At the time of leaving, he / she held the position of [designation]. During the tenure, his / her performance was found to be [conduct] and conduct was professional throughout.
We confirm that there are no dues outstanding either way. We wish [name] every success in future endeavours.
What is an Experience Certificate?
An experience certificate is the letter a former employer issues confirming that a named person worked there, in what role, and between which dates. Recruiters, background screening firms and visa officers use it to verify a claim on a CV. Without one, a period of work that actually happened can become the gap an employer cannot confirm — and screening firms do not take an applicant's word for dates they cannot check.
HR departments issue these on exit, usually alongside the relieving letter and the final settlement. Employees ask for them when applying for a new job, for a professional licence or registration, for a skilled migration assessment, or for a course that counts years of practice towards admission. The same document is called a service certificate, a work experience letter or an employment certificate in different organisations and countries. Whatever the heading says, what a verifier reads is the same three facts: who, what role, and between which dates.
Whether an employer must issue one, and what it may contain, is not settled the same way everywhere. Several European countries give employees a right to a written reference or certificate of employment on request, with rules about its content and tone. India commonly expects one as part of the exit process. In the US, UK, Canada and Australia many employers restrict themselves to confirming dates and job title as a matter of policy, to avoid disputes over a negative reference. What a skilled migration assessment needs is different again, and usually more detailed. Ask the body that will read it what it requires.
An experience certificate is not a relieving letter, not a reference and not a salary certificate, although employers often issue them together. A relieving letter confirms that the person has been released from their obligations and that dues are settled; a reference gives an opinion on performance; a salary certificate states pay. The experience certificate states facts about service and normally says nothing about why the person left. It also does not settle a notice period dispute, release a bond, or replace a no-objection letter where one is required.
What to put in an Experience Certificate
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issuing organisation | For example: Maple Grove Homeowners Association |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Designation | For example: Senior Assistant |
| Department optional | For example: Operations |
| Employee code optional | For example: EMP-20418 |
| From | Free text |
| To | Free text |
| Conduct | Free text |
| Signatory name optional | For example: K. Srinivasa Rao |
| Signatory designation optional | For example: Honorary Secretary |
How to write an Experience Certificate
Head it on letterhead with a reference
Company letterhead carrying the registered name, address, telephone number and registration or tax identification number, with a reference number and the date of issue. Title it To Whom It May Concern or Experience Certificate. Background screening firms check the organisation exists before they check anything else, so an address and a number that resolve to a real company do half the work.
Give the exact service dates
Day, month and year for both the joining date and the last working day, written so the format cannot be misread — 04 March 2021 to 18 August 2026. Those two dates are what a verifier compares against the CV, and a mismatch of a month is enough to flag an application. If the person is still employed, say so and give the date the certificate speaks as at.
List designations with their date ranges
Someone who joined as an analyst and left as a manager should have both roles shown with the dates each was held, and the department named. A single final title hides the progression, which is the part a new employer is assessing. Where the person moved between locations or business units, say so — skilled migration assessments in particular ask for that level of detail.
Describe duties in verifiable terms
Two or three lines of actual responsibilities, in nouns: managed a team of six in accounts payable, ran the monthly close, handled vendor reconciliation. Skip adjectives about character. A licensing body or migration assessor comparing the description against an occupation code needs tasks, not praise, and hardworking and dedicated tells them nothing they can map.
Sign with a name a verifier can reach
An authorised signatory — HR head, director, partner — with their printed name, designation, direct telephone number and official email, plus the company seal where that is the local convention. Verification is usually a call or an email to that address. A certificate signed by HR Department with only a generic mailbox is the one that stalls a background check for a fortnight.
Experience certificate samples
Two experience certificate samples, one from a company and one from a school, showing the dates of service, the designation and the signature block an employer usually includes.
Experience certificate sample from a company
KUSAGRA SUPPLIES LTD.
Plot 47, Auto Nagar, Guntur 522001
Ref: KSL/HR/EXP/2026/22 · Date: 12 October 2026
EXPERIENCE CERTIFICATE
TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN
This is to certify that Mr. Ramesh Kumar Naidu (Employee Code EMP-20418) worked with Kusagra Supplies Ltd. from 1 June 2022 to 30 September 2026.
At the time of leaving, he held the position of Senior Assistant in the Operations department. During his tenure his performance was very good and his conduct was professional throughout.
We wish him success in his future endeavours.
For Kusagra Supplies Ltd.
M. Anitha
Manager — Human Resources
Experience certificate sample for a teacher
SUNRISE PUBLIC SCHOOL
Civil Lines, Nagpur 440001
Date: 12 October 2026
EXPERIENCE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Ms. Kavya Deshmukh worked in this school as a Trained Graduate Teacher (English) from 15 June 2021 to 31 May 2026. She taught English to Classes VI to X and was in charge of the school’s debating club.
She was sincere and punctual, and was well regarded by students and colleagues. We wish her every success.
R. K. Kulkarni
Principal
Common mistakes
- Giving only months and years instead of full dates, which leaves a verifier unable to confirm a start or end date precisely and flags the record for follow-up.
- Showing only the final designation, so a promotion the employee earned disappears from the record entirely.
- Writing why the person left, which turns a neutral factual certificate into a reference and can create a dispute the employer did not need.
- Issuing it on plain paper with no seal, reference number or contactable signatory, so the screening firm treats it as unverified.
- Letting the certificate contradict the relieving letter or the payslips on dates, which is the discrepancy background checks are specifically built to catch.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct format for an experience certificate?
Letterhead, reference number and date at the top. A title such as To Whom It May Concern. A body naming the employee, the joining and last working dates, each designation held with its own date range, and two or three lines of duties. A neutral closing line. Then a named authorised signature with designation, direct telephone number, official email and the company seal where that is the convention.
What is the difference between an experience certificate and a relieving letter?
An experience certificate records service: who worked there, in what roles, between which dates. A relieving letter records release: that the person completed their notice, handed over their responsibilities and has been relieved from a stated date, with dues settled. A new employer may ask for both — the certificate to verify the history, the relieving letter to confirm the previous job is properly closed.
Can an employer refuse to give an experience certificate?
It depends where you are and what your contract says. Several European countries give employees a right to a certificate of employment on request. Elsewhere there may be no general legal obligation, though many employers issue one as standard practice and some restrict themselves to confirming dates and title. If yours declines, check your contract and the employment rule that applies locally before treating the refusal as final.
Should an experience certificate mention salary?
Usually not. Salary belongs in a salary certificate, which is a separate document issued for a different purpose. Keeping pay out of the experience certificate lets the employee share their work history without disclosing what they earned, which matters when a prospective employer is setting an offer. If the reader specifically requires pay details, issue a salary certificate alongside rather than folding the figures in.
How do I get an experience certificate from a company that has closed?
Work from whatever independent evidence survives: payslips, bank credits showing salary, tax records, provident fund or social security contribution statements, appointment and confirmation letters, and email correspondence from the period. A former manager or HR contact may sign a personal letter confirming your role and dates. Screening firms and licensing bodies generally have a documented process for a closed employer — ask them what they will accept before assembling anything.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.