Tips On References And Letters Of Recommendation

References and Letter of Recommendation are important statements which supports the person who is applying for a job, internship, volunteer work, fellowship or graduate school.

A reference can be your manager or colleague who will give a clear idea about your skills, qualities, abilities and your overall personality for a job, whereas letters of recommendation is a statement which is given by your professor that includes your strengths, qualities, achievements etc. and this supports your application for a fellowship program or a graduate school.

While asking for a reference or a letter of recommendation it is necessary to have the conversation with the person, it can be direct or indirect. Direct approach is when you are meeting in person and indirect approach is via email or text. Since it is you who needs the favor for your job or fellowship, so it is recommended to meet in person rather than sending an email.

The person who is going to be your reference for a job or your fellowship program should have a positive impression of you. It is better to ask the person atleast two weeks before giving their name in your reference list and one month time for the letter of recommendation to get prepared.

Criteria for Selecting A Reference

Since you already have 3-4 people in mind who can be your reference or can write a letter of recommendation for you, it is essential to ask some questions and be sure before talking with the person to be your reference. Here are some list of questions which can help in getting a clear picture as to who should be your reference-:

● Whether the person is willing to be your reference?● Does the person know you well enough that they can give a balanced perspective

about you?● Does the person has time to be your reference or write a letter of

recommendation?● Is the person willing to say things which can help in forming a positive

impression of you?

Points To Remember

● Prepare a list of job description, fellowship program to which you are applying with a copy of your resume indicating your achievements, projects, skills qualities etc. and then sending it to the person who will write the letter of recommendation or be your reference for a job or fellowship program.

● Ensure that the person has given the permission to be your reference.

● Confirm their contact information.

● Informing the person and update them about the progress of your job and letting them know if they will get a call.

● It is advisable to have atleast 2-3 references.

● Sending a thank you note to all the references gives an indication that you acknowledge their support.

These are suggestions which are useful for a person asking for a reference or the letter of recommendation.

● It is advisable to have atleast 2-3 references.

● Sending a thank you note to all the references gives an indication that you acknowledge their support.

These are suggestions which are useful for a person asking for a reference or the letter of recommendation.