Asking For a Letter of Recommendation: Steps and Tips

A letter of recommendation, or a recommendation letter or personal reference letter, is a letter written by someone who can attest to your personality, abilities, and experience to a potential employer. People who often write letters of recommendation include teachers, clients, coworkers, and former employers. In the letter, this individual vouches for your ability to perform the job you’re applying for and expresses their belief that you’ll fit in well with the organization.

Learn more: What Is a Letter of Recommendation & Why Do You Need One?

The following are several tips to consider when asking for a letter of recommendation from someone:

Who to ask

The person or people you ask to write a letter of recommendation for you should be able to honestly vouch for your credibility as a viable applicant for the position you’re applying to. Good people to consider include colleagues, supervisors, professors, academic counselors, and other individuals who have worked with you in a professional setting. You should not ask a family member or a close friend to write a recommendation letter, as this could result in a biased or less accurate account of your abilities.

To help narrow down who you’ll ask, create a list of 10 or fewer people who are viable options. Then, make a check next to each person who has experience working with you in a capacity that most relates to the job you’re applying for. The people with checkmarks next to their names should be your first options when asking for recommendation letters.

When to ask

You should ask someone to write a recommendation letter on your behalf as soon as feasibly possible. So, if you just received a request for a recommendation letter from a potential job, you should ask the potential letter writer today or tomorrow. It’s important to give the individuals you ask to write reference letters for you ample time to do so. This ensures they have enough time to compose a quality letter and that they don’t feel rushed or pressured to submit something before they’re ready.

How to ask

The following are the steps you should take when asking someone to write a recommendation letter for you:

1. Meet with the individual in person. It’s important to speak with the person you want to ask face-to-face or at least on the phone. Asking for a letter of recommendation in person gives you the chance to provide the individual with any updated information regarding your work history, accomplishments, and achievements as well as iron out all of the relevant details they need to complete the letter.
2. Give them all the necessary information. If the individual you ask agrees to write a recommendation letter for you, provide all necessary information to them that same day. The information they may need includes the contact information and name of the potential employer, where and how to submit the letter, the position you’re applying for, your most recent resume, why you’re qualified for the position, and related work accomplishments or skills. You can attach this information to an email or deliver it to them personally.
3. Send a follow-up email. If the person agreed to write the letter and they have not submitted it after a few days, consider sending a follow-up email to find out if they still plan to write the letter on your behalf. If not, this should give you time to find someone else. If they do still plan to submit the letter, remind them of the deadline and thank them again for their time.

What to include in a recommendation letter request

If you’re unable to meet with the individual in person, you can also send an email or a written letter asking that they write a recommendation letter for you. Here are a few key components you should include when writing a request to someone to submit a recommendation letter on your behalf:

• Your name and contact information
• The name of the company you’re applying for a job with
• An introduction that reviews the relevant experience you shared with the individual
• A body that includes your recommendation letter request, why you are asking them, the position you’re applying for, and you relevant qualifications, skills, experience, and education
• The deadline you need the recommendation later submitted by
• A request that they let you know if they are willing to write the letter
• A thank-you for their time and consideration in the matter

You don’t need to worry about including information on where and how to submit the letter or your up-to-date resume until after they agree to write the recommendation letter.

Following-up after they submit a letter of recommendation

Once the letter or letters of recommendation have been successfully submitted to the potential employer, you should take time to individually thank each person who wrote a letter on your behalf. A handwritten thank-you note is a great way to show your appreciation and gratitude and provide any additional information, such as whether you got the job or not. Sending a thank-you letter after a person writes a recommendation for you both expresses your thanks and increases the likelihood that they will contribute to your success in the future.