Recommendation Letters- Requesting Recommendation Letters

A good recommendation letter can be an asset when applying to college or looking for a job. Recommendation letters provide people with information that may or may not be found in your job/college application. In general, recommendation letters include details about your personality, work ethic, and/or academic achievement.

Who to Ask

The person that you are asking for a recommendation should know you well enough to give you one. This will allow them to be honest and knowledgeable about you, giving the recommendation letter a much-needed ring of truth.

To begin, you should try securing recommendation letters from employers, professors, school administrators, business associates, or anyone else who is familiar with your work ethic. Try choosing someone who has a way with words.

If They Say No

It happens. Perhaps they feel that they don’t know you well enough; perhaps they feel you would be better served with another recommender. Whatever the case may be, try not to take it personally. Thank them for their consideration and move on to someone who is actually interested in writing you a recommendation.

If They Say Yes

Make sure that the person who will be writing your recommendation letter knows what it is for. This will help them gear the recommendation to the reader accordingly. If you want your recommendation letter to stress your strong work ethic and leadership qualities, say so.

The letter writer may have their own idea about what they would like to include in the recommendation letter that they are writing, but don’t hesitate to point out your needs. Also realize that a good letter of recommendation takes time to write. Make sure that you give the letter writer enough time to properly complete the task.

Offering Thanks

Once you have your recommendation letter, make sure that you thank the person who took time to write it. A short, but nicely written thank you note will suffice.