2.
ASK EARLY
College and Graduate
School Applicants: Don't wait
until the last minute. Instructors
are invariably flooded with recommendation
requests at the end of the semester
(as well as near application
deadlines), and you don't want
your letter to end up just one
more item in a long To Do list.
Likewise, be sure to take into
account foreseeable busy periods
at work and common holidays such
as end-of-the-year vacations.
If you approach
your instructor a few months
before the deadline, you will
avoid putting him or her under
undue pressure, and you give
him/her plenty of time to ponder
your performance. As the deadline
approaches, you can always send
the letter of recommendation
writer a friendly reminder of
the impending deadline. A quick
email or phone call should do
the trick -- but don't err on
the side of pestering your letter
writer.
A note on timing:
it's never a bad idea to begin
cultivating relationships with
key instructors early on in your
academic career. Participate
in class discussions, visit your
instructors during office hours,
and show an active interest in
their research. Catching your
instructor's attention doesn't
necessarily make you a sycophant,
and standing out among your peers
might prove very useful later
on when you actually request
letters of recommendation.
Whether you are
in high school, college, or graduate
school, don't wait until your
last year to ask for letters.
If you took a fascinating course
your sophomore year and did particularly
well in it, ask your professor
for a letter at the end of the
semester -- even if you don't
plan on filling out applications
until your senior year. Most
professors (or rather, their
secretaries and assistants) keep
copies of letters filed or saved
for future reference; if you
show up two years hence requesting
a recommendation, that professor
will already have a written record
of your accomplishments.
Business School,
Professional School, and Job
Applicants: Whereas academic
letter writers usually have a
great deal of practice writing
letters of recommendation, company
employees -- even in the higher
echelons -- vary widely in their
experiences with recommendations.
This is one among many great
reasons to get the process started
as early as you can.
In addition, it's
a good idea to continuously build
your recommendation portfolio.
Ask your employer or supervisor
to write you a letter whenever
you leave a job, branch, or office
(assuming you are leaving in
good terms) where you have a
made a considerable contribution
to the firm. A copy of the letter
will prove invaluable later on
if you ever decide to go for
an MBA or apply for a position
that requires such a letter,
and it will help your by-then
former employer to remember your
specific qualities and accomplishments.
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