How to get great recommendation letters

[AOx1]

It is that time of year, when student after student lines up to ask for a letter of recommendation. Here are a few tips from a nursing instructor that I hope will be helpful when you are the one needing a recommendation.

1. First and foremost: be respectful of your professor's time. Give as much notice as possible. Do not ask for a reference the same day you will need it. Do not ask for someone to write you a reference during a holiday break. And please, don't say: "I need a reference, can you do that sometime in the next hour?" Most of us have many, many students asking the same thing, as well as many other job responsibilities. I spend a lot of time trying to tailor the letter to the student, so it is not just a generic form letter. At least a month is a preferable time frame. Many will decline a request if made within the week that the reference is due.

2. Please ask a professor with whom you have developed a great rapport and in whose class you performed well. I have had students who were consistently late, did not meet deadlines, and performed poorly in the class ask me to recommend them. You want someone who can write you a letter that shows your best qualities, and my letter will represent my honest feelings about your potential.

3. Ask a professor with whom you have recently had a class. This is especially true if it is for a large, multi-section prerequisite class. If the class occurred some time ago, consider "helping out" our memory of you as a student.

4. Provide the professor with all needed information, which may include your curriculum vitae (detailing any relevant work history and community service), the name and address of the person that should receive the form, a stamped envelope with the appropriate address provided, and a deadline. This should all be in writing, as we receive many, many requests. Also, if the company or school has a mission statement, consider providing this. Provide this information all at once, not in separate e-mails, and ensure all information is spell-checked. Also, let us know if we are expected to use a certain form or school letterhead, and provide any needed forms.

5. Please ask, don't demand. A letter of reference is a kindness, not something that is owed.

6. Please ask during office hours, not as we walk down the halls, during class breaks, or when we are on the way to a meeting. There is so much to do during a day, and we are human. If many, many people ask this, we are likely to forget. Please place your request in writing.

7. A reminder a few weeks before the deadline is not a bad idea, if it is worded politely.

8. Realize, you may need to waive your right to view the recommendation, depending on the individual policy of your school.

9. Follow up to ensure that your recommendation letter has been received by the school/organization at least a week before the deadline. Postal errors can happen. Make sure you are covered. It is a good idea to have a back-up plan ready, perhaps even a back-up recommendation letter.

10. A thank you letter is appropriate. You never know when you may need another reference, and a letter shows that you appreciate your professor's efforts.

11. Let us know how things go! We are excited when you are accepted into a program or are hired.

In response to several student threads on this subject:

Faculty members are usually more than willing to provide a letter of recommendation when these guidelines are met. However, there have been a few instances noted in previous threads that make me sad for the students. If asked to write a letter of recommendation for a student, I make my best effort. I want you to get the job/be accepted to school, or I would not volunteer to write the letter. I believe it is a matter of trust that I will meet my end of this promise to my students. If I do not feel I can write a positive recommendation, I privately inform the student of my reasons immediately.

I am sorry that other students have not been afforded this courtesy. If a professor agrees to write a reference letter, and does not do so despite reminders, that is not professional behavior. I mean this to help those who may be new to the protocol of asking for letters of reference, not to address those who are already doing everything they should and yet still have not received their letters as promised. I hope that this posting will help some of those who need recommendations at this time of year.

[an6el177]

Thank you for the advice LiveToLearn.

I was offered an interview for a New Grad RN Program and need two LOR's by the end of May. I moved back to SoCal but got my BSN at UofMichigan. How should I send my LOR request to the professors? Should I just send a stamped return envelope with my address to the professors?

I was going to email a LOR request and include my Resume and what I have been doing while the New Grad Programs in most hospitals have been reduced to 2-3 times a year. What else should I include? I understand they may be busy during this Spring Semester so asking them for a LOR on short notice may be denied.

Thanks for your help!

[sugaray]

Thanks!