What is a recommendation letter? When do you need one, and how to ask for a letter of recommendation? Asking for a recommendation letter or reference can be a huge challenge. However, it is important to learn the tricks, because these letters are required for many occasions, such as a new job or admission to a program or school. This post lays out the most important points you need to get the perfect recommendation letter that can ultimately make or break your chances of getting that job or school admission.
Letters of recommendation are important because they add credibility to your application. If an applicant claims to be smart, that does not give much information. If a respected and trustworthy person like a teacher states that the applicant is smart and backs this up with ‘evidence’, then it actually becomes reliable.
1. Ask early
Ideally, you should ask your referee around 2 months before the application deadline. First of all, it is polite to give them enough time to write the letter, as their schedule can be very busy and if you only ask a week or two before, they might not have enough time to do it, even if they wanted to. Also, there will be sufficient time for changes if needed. For example, the teacher might give you your reference letter to read and you might want to comment on some things they should put more focus on. In some cases though such as applying to certain colleges, you are not allowed to read your own letter. When you have asked them well enough in advance, you can follow up throughout the process to make sure they will finish the letter by the deadline.
2. Decide carefully who you are going to ask
There is no definite right and wrong answer to who you should ask to write your letter of recommendation, but there are some strong and other not-so-strong reasons to pick a reference person. Make a list of several people who you could ask. You’ll probably only need three or even fewer, but it is always a good idea to have backups in case something falls through. If you are applying to college, you will ask your high school teachers and a school counselor. If you are applying for graduate school, you will ask your college professors. If you are applying for a job, the best people to ask are your former supervisors from other jobs, if you have had any.
++ An excellent reason to pick someone:
They know you well and have a close insight into how you think and engage with content, your peers, and your community. This happens often when they have taught you for a long time, they have witnessed your strengths, and they taught you engaging subjects where they learned a lot about you. They are also reliable and care about you: you can count on them to submit your reference in time and invest a lot of work in it because they truly want to help you. If you think someone will just view the reference as an additional burden – think twice about asking them.
+ A good reason to pick someone:
They teach a relevant subject – this is good but not necessary. Having a reference letter from a teacher from your favorite subject can show your best strengths, but often a solid student can show strengths in multiple areas. Ultimately, it all boils down to what a teacher can say about you. If you want to study math but your math teacher only taught you for a semester and all they know is that you got a good grade, you might be better off picking someone else.
– A bad reason to pick someone:
They are “a big name” such as the CEO of a big company you have worked at or the headmaster of your school. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you can get a letter signed by Barack Obama, you’re all set. However, prioritizing seniority often implies trading off familiarity: the CEO of your company surely knows you less well than your supervisor, and the same holds for your headmaster vs teacher. They’ll often have less to say about you. Although, if a big name really was your supervisor and you got to closely work with them for a long time, it won’t hurt, it should not be your priority.
3. Provide your referee with a cheat sheet and resources
Depending on your teacher or the culture you are coming from, you may or may not have much say about how your teacher is going to write your letter. If they are unfamiliar with the task, you should provide them with good online resources for tips and templates to write a good letter.
Good news – I have created a carefully crafted resource post here. It includes the best tips for writing a recommendation letter and a template for inspiration.
Either way, you should provide your referee with a list of things you want them to focus on. These include your class performance, your voluntary engagement at school, a specific project you worked on, any competition placements, and so on. Especially if your referee has worked with you for many years, they might not remember everything you have achieved. Sit down for 10-15 minutes to brainstorm your achievements and performance at school.
4. Thank them later
This is very important! Your referees put a lot of time and effort into the letter without personally getting anything out of it. Remember to thank them in person, if possible, or at the very least send them a thank you note. Once they have invested their time into helping you get into your dream school or job, also keep them updated about the process. Once you get the result, thank them again.