Hi, everyone, and welcome.
My name is Jenn, and I'm a career coach
at Indeed with over 10 years of experience in Career Services.
Over the years, I've personally worked
with hundreds of job seekers from a variety of industries.
Today, I want to share some advice
that I've refined over the years for how to ask
for a letter of recommendation.
You might have to submit written letters of recommendations
when applying to a school, a formal program,
a role in a new company, or even when you're applying
for an internal promotion.
At the end of this video, I'll share a template
for writing a thank you note after you've received
a letter of recommendation.
This is really important in preserving the relationship
with your recommender, so be sure to stick around.
Let's begin.
The first step in asking for a letter of recommendation
is picking the right person to write it.
To narrow down your list of potential references,
create a list of 5 to 10 individuals
that would be best-suited to write the letter.
You'll want to ask one or two more people
than required for the application, just
as a safeguard in case an unforeseen circumstance arises
and someone is unable to deliver the recommendation on time.
Find someone who is able to speak confidently,
accurately, and honestly about your professional talents
and abilities.
This person needs to give a strong endorsement in order
for you to reap the full benefits.
The writer of your letter should be familiar with your work,
have time to write the letter, and also be reputable.
Ultimately, who you choose may depend on the reason
you need the letter of recommendation
in the first place.
Typically, potential letter-writers fall into three
categories--
teachers or professors, managers or colleagues,
or friends and family.
Let's talk about these three groups,
what to keep in mind when deciding who to ask,
and when a recommendation letter from them
would be most beneficial.
High school and college students may
find it helpful to get a recommendation letter
from a professor or teacher.
When asking for a recommendation letter
from someone in this group, you should
consider who you interacted with the most, whose class you were
most successful in, or who was particularly involved
in your education in some way.
An example might be to ask a faculty sponsor to a student
organization that you led.
The more they can specifically attest
to who you are as a student, the better the recommendation
will be.
It could also be worth considering
the history the professor has with the institution.
For example, if they were a chair to a department,
that could give even more credibility
to the recommendation.
However, what's ultimately most important
is that your recommender has seen and appreciated
some of your strongest work.
If you're involved in sports or other extracurricular
activities in school, like theater, debate, model UN,
or band, you can seek letters or recommendations
from coaches or mentors.
Keep in mind that academic professionals and school
leaders may receive a large number of recommendation
requests at certain times of year in addition
to their already busy schedule.
It's important to ask these individuals for letters
as early as possible, giving them plenty of time
to complete them.
Recommendation letters when written from former colleagues
or managers can be most effective when
submitting job applications.
The best candidates to consider asking
to write your recommendation letters
are managers or coworkers that can attest to your work
habits, skills, and abilities.
You might consider only asking colleagues
with even more years of professional experience
than you have or with more tenure at a company,
especially if their letters will be used to support
an internal promotion.
As a general best practice, avoid
selecting family or close friends
for recommendation letters.
Readers could see them as potentially
having a biased view of your work ethic due
to the nature of the relationship.
There might be some situations where a family member or friend
can provide a useful letter of recommendation
with detailed and intimate testimony.
An example of this might be if you
worked for your family or a friend-of-family's business.
If that's the case, ask the person
who can provide an honest assessment of your skills,
abilities, and experience that are relevant to your position
or industry in some way.
If you're not sure who to pick, let
the specifications of the program or the job application
be the final decision-maker.
And be sure to follow the application guidelines
accordingly.
The next step in asking for a letter of recommendation
is to schedule a meeting.
Once you know who you want to request
a letter of recommendation from, send them
an email asking if they have a few minutes to chat with you.
Be sure to send a calendar invite for the meeting time,
and be punctual.
When possible, aim to ask for a letter of recommendation
in person or on a video call, as it
displays your professionalism and seriousness.
If a face-to-face conversation isn't an option,
you can always ask for a letter of recommendation via email.
Scheduling a time to meet ensures
that the person has time to devote to you,
and it allows you to explain why you've
selected them as the best person to write the letter.
One quick tip before you reach out--
make sure that you're planning accordingly
and you're giving the person ample time to write the letter.
Ask for a letter of recommendation
no less than two weeks before the application deadline.
This gives your writer ample time
to write it, make changes if needed,
and it ensures you submit your application on time.
Providing more time to a writer increases
your chances of receiving a quality recommendation.
You don't want to go through the process of asking someone
to turn around a letter in three days,
because they either won't have time to complete it
or it'll be less thoughtful.
In your meeting, you'll want to accomplish three tasks.
One, update them on your latest relevant achievements
and accomplishments so they can include this information
in their recommendation.
Two, provide all relevant content for the recommendation,
including what it's for, an overview of the information it
should include, and when you need it by.
And three, receive a commitment from the person
that they'll be able to write the letter of recommendation.
If they're not confident they're going
to be able to meet the deadline, be
sure to find a backup candidate.
Here's a quick pro tip.
Keep a running list of people who
have provided letters of recommendations for you,
or even people you've worked closely with on projects
or assignments.
They may also be good options to include on a reference list,
if you're ever asked to provide one.
Before I move on, let me know if this video is
helpful by liking and subscribing for more
career and job search advice.
And now for the last step in asking
for a letter of recommendation, follow up with an email.
After confirming your selected writers,
send each a personalized, formal recommendation request.
In your request, you should include information
with relevant materials that would help the writer feel
comfortable and prepared when writing
your letter of recommendation.
If the letter of recommendation is for academic purposes,
you might include your contact information,
an updated copy of your resume, your personal statement
portfolio and application, a list of colleges
you're applying to, their addresses
and relevant department scholarships
or programs, the instructions and contact
information for where and how to send the recommendation.
You should answer if they should be returning the letter to you
or submitting the letter directly
to the academic institution or program.
If you're not sure where to look,
you'll likely be able to find this information
in the application itself.
Also include the deadline to submit
the letter of recommendation, and when possible,
a stamped addressed envelope, just
in case they have to submit the letter to an admissions office.
Be sure to include the degree name and degree
path you're on, if applicable.
If you're asking a former professor,
it might also be beneficial to remind them
of the courses you took with them, what you learned,
and details of how you participated in class.
They'll also benefit from knowing any challenges
you've had to overcome and what projects you've completed
that you're most proud of.
The goal here is to make it as easy
as possible for the person to write a strong letter for you.
By sharing your resume and other relevant materials
and information, you support their efforts
and can help service what you believe
to be your most impactful contributions.
If the letter is for a job application
or internal promotion, you might include an updated copy
of your resume, the title of your current role
or what you've been working on, the reason
for the recommendation, two to three bullet points detailing
why you're qualified, relevant work habits, successes,
or skills, instructions and contact
information for where and how to send the recommendation--
and again, if you can't find it, just
check the job description-- and any deadlines related,
including when they have to submit
a letter of recommendation.
Most people who write recommendation letters
will appreciate the guidance.
And the updated copy of your resume
is a good attachment so that the letter writer can quickly
familiarize themselves and refresh their memory
with your qualifications.
It's common for the person to submit the letter directly
to the program or employer requesting the document.
In most cases, you won't ever read the letter before or even
after it's submitted.
Here's a quick pro tip.
Create an application tracker using a simple spreadsheet
to track important dates related to applications.
This can include the name of the program institution, the name
and contact information for the letter of recommendation
writer, a reminder date to set for one week
before the letter is due, and the final date for submission.
Don't be afraid to send a quick email reminder to the writer.
If you're sending to a professor or teacher,
they're likely writing many, so one reminder will do.
For a detailed email template to use
to ask for a letter of recommendation,
be sure to check out this Career Guide article.
And now for a bonus tip.
Here's an email template that you can
use to send a thank you note.
Once your letters of recommendation
have been completed, send thank you
notes to each individual who wrote a letter for you.
Sending your letter writer a handwritten note
is a great way to express gratitude.
Handwritten notes display thoughtfulness and care.
But if you don't have access to the physical address,
a thank you email can work just as well.
You want to ensure that the person feels appreciated
and knows how much they helped you
advance in your career or your education.
This shows your professionalism and can
increase your chances of receiving help from them
later on.
Try to send your thank you note one to three days
after you receive the letter of recommendation.
Your timeliness will show your appreciation, and again,
your professionalism.
You can also send a follow-up message
once you receive an update in the hiring process.
Try using this outline to draft your thank you letter.
Start with a polite greeting, such as, Dear Mrs. Diaz.
Include a clear statement of gratitude
like, thank you very much for your kindness in writing
a letter of recommendation to support my application with ABC
Company.
Include an update about the job application
that you applied for.
For example, I'm currently preparing
for my first interview, which is early next week.
And round it out with a formal closing and your signature,
like, thank you again for your strong recommendation
and I'll keep you updated regarding my interview process.
Sincerely, Jessica Carter.
Before you send your thank you letter,
be sure to proofread for any spelling or grammatical errors.
You want your final impression to remain professional.
For more detailed examples and templates for thank
you notes that you can send after your letter
of recommendation has been received,
be sure to check out this Career Guide article.
So there you have it.
As a recap, follow these three steps
when asking for a letter of recommendation.
One, pick the right person based on the role and the ability
to speak to your work.
Two, schedule a brief meeting.
And three, follow-up with an email
and keep track of their submissions.
And finally, send a handwritten thank you, when possible,
to let the letter writer know that you appreciate their time
and their kind words.
For more information on how to ask
for a letter of recommendation, be
sure to check out this Career Guide article.
Now I hope that these tips will help you
if you ever need to provide a letter of recommendation
for a job application or an educational program.
As a final reminder, always aim to be respectful of your letter
writer's time, and always give them at least two weeks
to craft a letter that highlights who you are
and what value you would bring to the company or program.
Don't be afraid to share resources on your work.
That makes it easier for them.
If you thought that this video was helpful,
please share it with others.
And if you'd like to see more videos like this,
please like and subscribe and hit the notification bell
down below to stay updated.
Thank you so much for watching.
We'll see you next time.