How to ask for a letter of recommendation

Applying for a job, an internship, a fellowship, a scholarship, college admission or graduate school can be a big step. Asking for a recommendation letter may help you get where you want to go. Sometimes, it’s even a required part of job and school applications.

What you’ll learn: 

• Some job and college applications may require letters of recommendation.

• The letter could come from a trusted teacher, colleague or community leader.

• Asking in writing and providing the writer with documents and information could help them tailor the letter.

• Asking for letters from multiple people—and doing so well ahead of any deadlines—could ensure you get what you need and have flexibility.

A recommendation letter is a document written by someone with a personal, professional or academic connection to you. It can be written by anyone who can vouch for your character and qualifications to provide an outside perspective on your work experience and skills that go beyond transcripts, test scores and application forms.

Some employers and academic programs may require them. Even if they don’t, a letter of recommendation could give you a competitive advantage.

A reference letter gives a more general, informal, multipurpose overview of your character or abilities. It generally isn’t addressed to a specific person, so you can use it whenever you need it. 

A recommendation letter, on the other hand, formally backs your qualifications for a specific job or college application. Typically, it’s addressed to a particular person, like a hiring manager or a college admissions recruiter.

Here are a few steps to consider taking to request a letter of recommendation:

When considering whom to ask for a letter of recommendation, think about the people who know you best. To start, you could make a list of trusted people who have mentored, supported or had positive experiences with you. 

To narrow down your list, you could think about who has the most impressive credentials, years of experience and relevance to your job search or school application. You could base your final choice on how recent your relationship with them was. 

Your references can be:

• Professional: employers, managers and respected colleagues

• Academic: teachers, tutors, other faculty members, guidance counselors, school administrators, club organizers and athletic coaches

• Personal: club, church, civic, community and volunteer organization leaders

It might help your reference to see the other documents you’ll include with your application. You may want to spend some time updating your resume with your current goals, accomplishments and experience. 

You could also send other documents, like cover letters, awards, work samples, academic transcripts, a list of volunteer or extracurricular activities and even the job description or college application requirements. That way, the person writing your recommendation letter has information to pull from. 

A face-to-face meeting, preferably made by appointment, can be a courteous and respectful way to ask for a recommendation letter. If that’s not possible, a phone call can be more personal than an email or a text.

Be prepared to explain what you’re applying for, why you think you’re a good candidate and why you’ve chosen this person to recommend you. 

It’s always possible that the person you ask to write the letter of recommendation says no. Try not to be discouraged or take it personally. They may be too busy or feel unqualified. Or their employer may not allow it. You can still thank them for their time and consideration.

If your reference agrees to write you a recommendation letter, send them an email—or a handwritten letter for a more personal touch—to thank them and provide a formal request. You could include:

• The key points you want them to make about your goals, strengths, experience, capabilities, accomplishments and potential. The more personal they can make their letter, the better you may stand out.

• Your resume and any other documents you’ve prepared for them.

• A due date that’s preferably before the application deadline.

• The preferred or required length and format of the letter—e.g., email, PDF, text document.

• The contact’s name, title, and mailing and email addresses.

• A postage-paid envelope if the letter of recommendation needs to be mailed.

Consider following up with a polite reminder one to two weeks before the due date you provided. You can thank them in advance and remind them of any key points you want them to include.

Once you have the letter, a handwritten note or email of your own could show your gratitude and provide a way to stay connected.

If you landed the job or were accepted to your school, why wouldn’t you want to share the news? If the outcome wasn’t what you hoped, explaining your next steps and asking to use the letter again could get you ready for what comes next.

Some employers and academics may have experience writing recommendation letters. Some may not. One way you can help is to provide them with a letter of recommendation template. They’re pretty easy to find with an online search. Sharing one with your reference could give them a head start and create less burden.

Some employers and admissions recruiters require letters of recommendation. Strong recommendations can make you stand out in a crowded field of applicants.