Guidelines on Writing Reference Letters
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In the world of applications, a well-written letter of recommendation can make all the difference. This article offers a comprehensive guide on how to choose the right recommenders for your letters.
Choosing the Right Recommenders
When it comes to selecting your recommenders, it's essential to pick individuals who know you well and can speak specifically to your strengths, character traits, and relevant skills. Ideal recommenders include professors, supervisors, mentors, or staff members who are familiar with your work and personal qualities.
Highlighting Character Traits
To choose the right recommenders, consider the character traits you'd like to be highlighted. Recommenders who can honestly attest to qualities such as work ethic, interpersonal skills, leadership, reliability, and professionalism are ideal. For instance, a supervisor from a part-time job can address work ethic and teamwork, while a professor from a relevant course can discuss your academic abilities and intellectual curiosity.
Building a Relationship and Approaching Recommenders
To build a relationship with potential recommenders, engage meaningfully with them ahead of time. Attend their classes regularly, participate thoughtfully, or shadow/work under them for a few weeks or months to develop familiarity. When it's time to ask, approach them in person whenever possible. A face-to-face request shows sincerity and respect. If that's not possible, a clear, polite, and personalized email works.
Giving Plenty of Notice and Providing Supporting Materials
Request letters at least 3 to 4 weeks before the deadline to allow recommenders sufficient time to write thoughtfully. Share your resume or bullet points of achievements and qualities you want highlighted to help them write a detailed letter.
Meeting with Recommenders
Meeting with your recommenders in person to ask them to write a letter is crucial. Approach them after you have developed some rapport through interaction or relevant work, prepared what you wish to communicate about the purpose of the letter and what you hope they can emphasize, and pick a convenient and quiet setting.
Quality Over Quantity
Avoid asking recommenders who don't know you well or cannot provide a personalized and enthusiastic endorsement, even if their titles are prestigious. Quality and sincerity of the letter outweigh quantity of recommendations or recommender status.
Implementing Across Disciplines and Years
These tips can be implemented across all disciplines and can even be implemented across all years, since many internships and other summer programs require recommendation letters.
The Recommendation Letter Process
The first step in the recommendation letter process is choosing your writers. A great place to start when selecting your recommenders is coming up with five to six character traits that you want to be highlighted in your application. After your recommendation letters are submitted, send a handwritten thank-you note to each of your recommenders. Your letters should convey a clear picture of you in your application, so your writers should be able to speak about your academics and about you as a person.
The Importance of the Recommendation Letter Process
The recommendation letter process is important for various application processes, including internships, scholarships, and graduate school admissions. It's a crucial step in the "Plans After Graduation" section, helping you stand out from other applicants and make a strong impression.
This article does not contain any advertisements and is part of the Social Sciences section, written by Andrea Reino. It does not cover the topic of lab research or mention "The Fellowship Frenzy" or "Talk the Talk: Initiating Professional Conversations", which are presumably other articles in the same section.
In the process of showcasing academic and personal traits in application materials, independent work can be highlighted by a supervisor who has observed your dedication and self-motivation during part-time employment. Furthermore, education-and-self-development can be underscored by a professor who can attest to your intellectual curiosity and eagerness to learn during relevant coursework. Career-development, on the other hand, might be reinforced by a mentor or staff member who can speak about your professionalism, leadership skills, and reliability, particularly in a workplace setting.
