By Megan Boone

No matter what point you’re at in your professional career, letters of recommendation are a staple when pursuing a new opportunity. 

Typically, letters of recommendation are needed when applying for jobs, but they can also be necessary when applying for Graduate School or continuing studies. 

That being said, it is essential to have a handful of individuals in your corner that you can call on when a recommendation is needed. 

Who are these individuals you may ask? Letters of recommendation can come from previous teachers, professors, managers of jobs, colleagues, or general professional contacts. When brainstorming who you may want to ask for a letter, it can be helpful to recall individuals from any of these positions that can speak on your academic achievements and success, work projects and advancements, and your overall character. Providing a diverse range of individuals that can write letters that speak on different aspects of you can provide a holistic background to those reading the letters to be sold on why they should hire or accept you. Some organizations or schools require certain types of professionals to write the letter, be mindful of these specifications prior to requesting your letters.

Once you have something specific you’re applying to, know deadlines, and have identified who you’d like to request a letter of recommendation from, reach out to your recommenders EARLY. Writing a strong letter of recommendation takes time, recommenders are also likely busy, give them ample time to write the letter.

Not sure how to request a letter of recommendation from the individuals you have in mind? Here’s a sample email template you can use and customize when requesting your own: 

“Hi _______, 

I hope you are doing well! How have you been? 

I am reaching out to you as I am currently in the process of applying for [insert opportunity applying to] and would love it if you’d be willing and able to write me a letter of recommendation. Your support through [insert relationship with recommender] has been integral to my interests in pursuing this opportunity and would appreciate your support in writing a letter of recommendation for me.

I am applying to [insert opportunity] as I am interested in [describe connection and interests to specific opportunity]. I have attached my resume/CV for you to get a sense of my background, recent experiences, and accomplishments. I have also included [insert job description or school] for more background information on the role/program.

Please let me know if you’d be willing and able to write this letter of recommendation for me and if you’d like any additional information or a meeting to discuss more. 

Thank you in advance for your response, I look forward to hearing from you! 

Signature“

Once you’ve gathered individuals that will write your letters of recommendation, it’s equally important to maintain these connections for future letters you may need. Especially for recommenders like professors, the more years out of school you get, the harder it will be to maintain these connections. That being said, it can be helpful to check in with professors occasionally to maintain that relationship. You never know when you’ll need a letter of recommendation, maintaining these relationships and connections can be beneficial at the time of need.

PRO TIP: Once you have a list of people you feel you could call on for a letter of recommendation, start a word document with the names and contact information of these individuals. In the future, you’ll have to request these folks to actually write the letter, but having a list of individuals you can reach out to eases the stress of determining who can write you a letter on the spot. 

Throughout your life, you’ll need letters of recommendation for new jobs, graduate school or continuing studies, or general advancement opportunities. It’s crucial to have individuals that you can call on who can speak on your work ethic, academic achievements, and general character traits. 

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Not sure who to ask for your recommendations? Looking to brainstorm your request emails? That’s exactly where we come in. Whether you’re a freshman or an alumnus, it’s never too early (or too late) to utilize our services. Book an appointment with Megan, or another member of the advising community through Handshake, or by calling the front desk at (773) 325-7431.