Plan Ahead

 

Securing Excellent Letters of Recommendation

Whether you are a junior applying for a part-time summer job in Bowling Green, a new B.A. seeking admission to an innovative high school teaching internship program in New York, a senior applying for a graduate teaching assistantship, or an M.A. graduate applying for a teaching position at a community college, each letter of recommendation you request will need to be individually tailored to address the application requirements and to accommodate what your reference knows about you. The writer's task will be made easier and the likelihood of an excellent letter improved by three factors over which you have control. First, you should only request letters from references who know you well, which will usually mean that you have taken one or more classes with them. Second, you should make examples of your written work available to your references. If you can provide a copy of "A" papers written in their classes, so much the better. Third, even if you are an excellent student--and you are fairly certain that your professors can go on at some length about your good character, work ethic, analytic skill, writing ability, etc.--it is also crucial to provide them some information about which qualities the employer or graduate school is seeking.

Here are some suggestions about securing good letters:

• Remember me? Since you will probably need letters of recommendation, keep in mind that getting acquainted with your professors and letting them know you is important. This is assuming, of course, that you are making a good impression, not being chronically late in turning in assignments, unprofessional in your writing standards, or unresponsive in class!
• Would you feel comfortable writing a strong letter of recommendation for me? While asking this question may give you the willies, if the answer is no, the resulting lukewarm letter may do more harm than good.
• My resume: When applying for a full-time job or for graduate school, provide a brief resume of your accomplishments to jog your references'=memroies--of occasions when they have seen you read your poetry or a critical paper, for instance. The best letters of recommendation are persuasive essays that include specific details to make the case for you. Writing a great letter of recommendation is a sales job, and your references need to know the product they are selling.
• My grades: For the same reason, when you ask professors to write letters for you, it is a good idea to offer to provide some graded examples of work you did in their classes. This is especially important if your last class together was a year or more ago.
• My goals: Where appropriate, you will want to include some description of your goals. If the job you are seeking is only a temporary one, this will not be so important, but if you are applying for a teaching internship because you have belatedly decided that teaching high school may be just the thing for you, and that working with accomplished teachers in New York would be an exciting way to approach the field, your reference needs to know that.
• Key terms: If it would be helpful to have your references include key terms or qualities that the potential employer is seeking, or if you would like them to mention pertinent experiences you had in their class, a brief note of explanation may ensure that the resulting letter touches those bases.
• Timing: Since really good letters of recommendation take time to compose, you will want to make the request several weeks in advance. Once your references have agreed to provide letters for you, it is an excellent idea to send an e-mail reminder at least a week in advance of the due date. In addition, even after the letters presumably have been sent, you should check to see that they have been received.
• Thanks! It is important to send a thank-you note to each of your references, and when you have received good news about the application, be sure to share it.

 

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