Recommendation Letters

By Chase Pattison on November 21, 2011

Whether it’s for a job or graduate school, everyone is going to need a recommendation letter or three at some point or another.  It is important that you ask the right kind of person to write a good, hearty letter for you.  In order to get the best recommendation letter possible, think about asking these people:

Photo from Flickr.com. Uploaded by redspotted.

Your Boss

Get to know your boss—they are an asset!  If you work every day, every other day, or even just once a week, be sure to really get to know your boss.  Not only will this help you at work, but this will help you in any future ventures—like getting a new job or applying for grad school.  Almost any type of application will ask for a professional reference.  Who better to ask than your boss?

A Professor—Not a Teaching Assistant

Many TAs are much easier to talk to and get to know on a more personal level.  While this is a good thing for your time as a student in their class, it is not so helpful when it comes time to ask for letters of recommendation.  It is much more acceptable and preferable that your letters be written by someone with a doctorate degree.

A Professor You Know Well

Take the time to get to know your professors.  Not all of them, but the ones that really teach you something or are in your same field.  Building a relationship with a professor is actually a big part of college.  This helps you to know them a little better, know their teaching style a little better, and know their personality a lot better.  This will also give your professor a chance to know you better not only as a student, but as a person.  If you can find a few professors that you respect and can really get along with, this will ultimately help you when you need someone to write a letter on your behalf.

A Professor from Your Field of Study

If you plan on going to grad school in the same field that you are getting your bachelor’s degree in, many colleges will ask that at least one of your letters of recommendation be from a professor in your specific field.  Getting to know a professor in your field is extra helpful—have someone that you can talk to about your subject and academic and professional future, get to know someone with a full grasp of your subject, and better understand one of your professional options once you receive your masters/doctorate.

Someone You Can Ask for More Than One Letter

It is inevitable that you will apply to more than one university or grad school programs and be in need of multiple letters of recommendation.  In these cases, it is important that you have a boss or professor that you can ask to write multiple letters for you.  Most will not mind if you have taken the time to build a meaningful relationship with them so be sure to say hello when you can and always keep in touch.  You never know when you may need a professor from junior year to write a letter for you.

It’s very important that you ask the right person to write one or many recommendation letters for you.  Don’t be afraid to build a professional relationship with your favorite professor—they could be the best letter writer of them all.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format