Requesting Letters of Recommendation
An application package for internships, jobs or graduate schools usually includes at least one recommendation from a professor who knows you well enough to comment on your academic abilities. These recommendations may be in the form of a letter. Alternatively, the institution may simply request the name and contact information for your recommender, who will be contacted by phone.
Do not overlook how significant a good recommendation may be for obtaining the position.
The quality of your recommendation will be affected if the professor is caught "flat-footed" when the institution calls. Here are a few ways you can help your professor to present your best attributes:
- Check in advance to make sure that the professor is comfortable making a recommendation for you. Recommendations by faculty are provided as a favor to students whom a professor views as worth recommending for that job or experience.
- Preparing these recommendations requires a fair bit of time, so it is best to make an appointment to come in to see the professor in person. Present yourself in a business-like fashion. Bring copies of any information that the recommender may need in order to write about you, such as your grades, outside interests, previous jobs, resume, etc.
- Knowing your personal history will help the professor write a letter more tailored to your individual skills and abilities. Be prepared to discuss how you arrived at your current career interests: include, for example, family background; awards; classes which captured your attention; or events which have changed your goals. Provide a written copy of your personal history for the person writing the recommendation.
- Each time you apply for a job or internship, remember to ask that person before you include their name in your list. Faculty see many students, and they may not immediately remember the specifics of your academic record or your goals. Asking in advance gives the professor time to prepare.
- For every position you apply to, provide the professor with ALL of the contact information so the letter can get to the right person: name and title of person to whom the letter will be sent, company name and the complete address - including buildings, office numbers and zip codes. This information is part of the salutation for any business letter. Even if you plan to pick up the recommendation letter and send it yourself, the professor must have this information in order to print out the letter.