Letters of Recommendation
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 When I apply for jobs, how many references will I need?

That can vary, but typically three are needed. These should be from people who can evaluate your work and fit with the position you hope to hold.

Who should students ask?

The best references will be professors whose courses you've taken or with whom you have worked in some capacity. Similarly, administrators or FSC staff who have supervised you in some manner are appropriate references. For employment-related references, internship or volunteer work supervisors, as well as your immediate supervisors where you have been employed, are good choices.

Who is not a good choice?

Your friends, parents, high school teachers unless you have kept in touch and they are up-to-date with your career goals and experiences, employers to whom you failed to give adequate notice or for whom you performed poorly, or professors with whom your only contact is a course or two. Personal references, such as family members, are relatively useless in assessing a prospective employee or graduate student. Having such people write letters may be perceived as naive. Asking people who have been out-of-touch with you or your skills for several years is also not advisable. They cannot really assess your talents and may make some inappropriate statements about you, not knowing your goals have changed. Asking someone who has been dissatisfied with your performance or behavior is never a good choice! Lastly, asking professors who have had little contact with you for recommendations will not be of much use. All they will be able to write is which course you took and your grade. An employer or graduate committee can get that information from your transcript.

How do I go about getting people to give me recommendations? Should I ask for a letter?

Although some people may recommend asking for letters of recommendation that can be placed in a file or portfolio, this is not really the best advice. Letters in such files tend to be generic and quickly become out-dated. Rather, before graduation or appropriate resignation from job/internship/volunteer positions, ask people of interest if you can give their names as references. For those who say yes, prepare the following information: referees' names, positions/titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. Place this list at the end of your resume, on a separate page. Be sure to up-date your listing as you make new contacts.

Most people prefer to tailor their letters to the position the person is seeking. A letter of recommendation for graduate school may be very different from one sent to an employer. The receivers of such letters also prefer it when writers directly address issues important to them - can the candidate meet the demands of the particular position for which he/she has applied?

How do I ask?

Asking someone face-to-face is best. You will get immediate feedback - yes or no. Writing is fine if a personal contact cannot be made, especially because of distance. Simply putting someone's name on your listing of references is really not appropriate. Notification of a possible future request allows the person to consider what they might say or write about you. Catching someone off-guard is never desirable.  

What if I ask someone and he or she says no? I'd be so embarrassed.

There's no reason to be embarrassed. People refuse requests for any number of reasons, few of which are probably related to disliking someone. Most commonly, people refuse because they do not feel they know the person well enough to write a fair assessment. People with whom you have a strong working relationship rarely refuse. Occasionally, people refuse because they feel they won't have the time to write and don't want to offer to do something they know they will not follow-up on. Especially for those in academics, new course preparations, submitting grant applications, preparing manuscripts or conference presentations, and other professional activities may make certain time periods very difficult. Occasionally, professors also get overwhelmed by the sheer number of requests and may refuse less familiar students. This is especially true for department chairs and popular faculty members.

So, I ask and get a "yes."  What next?

When a reference is needed, contact that person and let him or her know a reference is needed, the type of position applied for, and with whom. It's also helpful to know if the reference needs to be written or to expect a call. With respect to written references from professors, provide some basic information: Your name (clearly spelled), address, phone number, courses completed with that instructor and grades, any honors and years (e.g., Dean's or President's lists, awards), campus-related activities (e.g., clubs, student government, sports teams), and career-related employment, internship or volunteer experiences. With a graduate school application, include a paragraph about why you have chosen the degree program.

It sounds like a student could complete 4 years of college and leave without anyone willing or able to write a solid letter of recommendation. Even a student with a 4.0 GPA could be lacking references. Is that true?

Absolutely. Students who do not take the time to get to know faculty or who do not get involved in the college community may not fare well when it comes to getting the best jobs or into the graduate programs they want. Letters of recommendation are very important. All students need at least 3 people who know them well enough that their true strengths and weaknesses can be addressed. This requires that students cultivate relationships. Visit during office hours, show interest in classes, have great attendance records, join clubs, attend campus functions, etc. Make yourself visible and distinguish yourself with hard work. Building quality references takes time and effort.

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