Asking for a letter of recommendation can be tricky.
You may need one for graduate school, for a scholarship, or even for a
job. But you're not sure whom to ask or how best to approach someone
about writing a letter of recommendation.
By following the steps below, however, you should be able to set yourself up for getting a strong letter of recommendation from someone who can really speak to your strengths. (Because no one wants a weak letter of recommendation that was obviously put together at the last minute, right?)
Here's How:
Try to build a relationship early with a professor or other mentor. If you know you want to go to medical school, start getting to know a professor
or two as soon as you can when you're in college. You may also want to
consider working in an academic department, lab, or library where you
can start building connections. The more you get to know someone, the
better they can speak about your strengths.By following the steps below, however, you should be able to set yourself up for getting a strong letter of recommendation from someone who can really speak to your strengths. (Because no one wants a weak letter of recommendation that was obviously put together at the last minute, right?)
Here's How:
When you do ask, ask in person using very specific language. Try asking: "Would you feel comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation for (insert position/school/etc.)?" You want to make sure you get a good letter, not just any letter. And, while you may be a little nervous asking this in person, consider which is worse: having a moment or two of awkwardness if the person says "no," or having a bad letter of recommendation accompany all your job or graduate school materials.
Follow up soon after (within a day or two) with details and the same language. Send an email or leave a voice mail, thanking your recommender for agreeing to write a strong letter of recommendation to ABC place by XYZ date. Additionally, send your recommender (via email or hard copy) materials they may need:
- A copy of your resume
- Pre-addressed and stamped envelopes for them to mail the letter(s) in
- Information on the program or job you are applying for
- Contact information for whom the letter needs to be sent/addressed to
- Deadline by which the materials need to be sent
Send a thank-you note. It may sound old-fashioned, but sending a thank-you note is a must. Writing letters of recommendation take a lot of time, and you should let your recommender know how grateful you are for their efforts.
Call the graduate school, job, scholarship fund, etc., to make sure your materials were received. Sometimes, the unexpected happens: things get lost in the mail, lost in an office, or mislabeled. Make sure your letter has arrived at its intended destination so that your materials can be processed as soon as possible.
One last note: don't expect to see your letter of recommendation.
No matter how much you may want to see what your recommender wrote,
just let it go. Any letter you include in an application packet should
have a signature across the envelope seal; anything your recommender
sent in on their own probably won't cross your desk either. Trust that
your work has paid off and that your recommender wrote a great letter
(which is what you asked for, right?) - even if you never get to see
it.
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