Essential life skills: recommendation letters

Thursday, November 5, 2009

It’s easy to let them slip through the cracks, but recommendation letters are definitely not something to procrastinate on. The right recommendation letter can be key in landing you internships, jobs or other opportunities.

Photo illustration by Andrea Olsen

Ready to recommend: Choosing a professor or supervisor who knows you well to write your recommendation letter is vital.

Lori Reesor, associate vice provost for student success, says time is the biggest thing to remember — you should give people plenty of time to write and submit their letters for you, but you also need to take the time to get to know the people writing them.

The first step in preparing recommendation letters is gathering your materials. Look at the application and see how many letters to submit, where to send them and whether you need any special forms. Once you know what format the program wants, you can approach your references. It’s best to ask them at least two weeks before the due date, that way they have plenty of time to work.

It’s important to provide the writer with all the necessary criteria when you request a recommendation letter. Let them know what you are applying for and why, as well as information they should include pertaining to the program. You should also clearly state the instructions about how and where to submit the letter. Include a resume and provide the writer with a stamped and addressed envelope to use. And most importantly, tell him or her when it’s due.

One of the biggest mistakes Reesor sees students make is requesting letters from faculty members who don’t know them well. She says it’s important to make relationships with professors early on and continue them through your college career so you will have strong references. Resumes can only offer so much information; you need to have that personal connection to really make an impression.

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