Requesting Letters of Recommendation: Some Things to Know
Letters of Recommendation will be an invariable part of any future application process for an academic programme and are often requested for job interviews as well.
You will need to ask a former Lecturer or Dissertation Supervisor (or both) for a letter. When doing so, here are some things to consider to make the process efficient and to avoid any mishaps that may delay your application:
- It is best to request the letter from someone you have worked with, preferably more than once—someone who knows your writing and research skills, who has seen your process of academic development, who has had a few conversations with you about your thinking and work.
- If you are considering applying for a postgraduate degree already in your Third Year, then do make it a point to visit your Dissertation Advisor and Lecturers regularly, so that they know you, your work, your thinking processes. The better a Recommender knows you, the more detailed and information-rich your letters will be.
- In addition to your submitted work, a Recommender takes into account your overall performance in a module, including your attendance record, your active participation in class discussion, your efforts and attitude as a student. That is to say, a recommendation is based both on course assessment and general impressions of the student as a learner, a peer, and a potential colleague.
When requesting a Letter of Recommendation, remember the following:
- It is common courtesy to give a Recommender at least 2 weeks before a deadline to write the letter if you are asking them during active term time. If you are requesting a letter outside of the immediate teaching period, keep in mind that Lecturers often leave Cork for research trips and you might need to give them more than 2 weeks notice. If you find yourself caught by surprise by a programme/deadline and need a letter urgently, realise that you are asking that Recommender for a pressured favor and behave accordingly. Ask politely, apologise for the rush request, and ask if they will be able to help you nonetheless.
- When sending a request for a letter per e.mail, do take care with spelling and punctuation. Write a proper e.mail request and not a text-message telegraphic request. You want to present yourself in the best, most professional light.
In that request, whether electronic or spoken, tell the Recommender the following:
- which postgraduate degree or grant you are applying for.
- the deadline(s)—best in bold or underlined so that they are not missed
- in what capacity you worked with them (give course number(s), dissertation, etc.)
- provide a current CV
- provide comments they wrote as feedback for any piece of work you submitted to them. If you are planning to be away from Cork when you are applying for postgraduate courses or grants, then have scans of all feedback sheets with you so that you can send them per e.mail if need be.
- remind them of your overall mark in their modules, or your overall mark in the course.
If your programme of choice ask you to provide the Recommender with a specific form, then make sure to fill out the parts that pertain to you—your name, the programme, and any other information to be filled out by the applicant.
In addition, as a courtesy measure, do provide a correctly addressed and stamped envelope to your Recommender.
Remember to thank your Recommender after the letters have been sent and to keep them informed about the status of your application.
If you have any questions or doubts about the procedure, do not hesitate to ask your Lecturers. Approaching this process professionally and well informed will not only make a better impression on your letter writers, but will make the experience easier and more efficient for you as well.
