Ask for a Letter of Recommendation Through Email

Letters of recommendation are typically requested because they can set apart candidates who otherwise seem almost identical. Whether you’re applying for a scholarship, a degree or a job, you may need to ask for a letter of recommendation from a professor or a previous employer. If you want to ask for this letter by email, you’ll need to prepare your request, write it, and send it.

Steps

Preparing Your Request

  1. Confirm the application requirements. If you’re going to ask for a letter of recommendation, you need to double check where it’s going. Since letters are often expected to be kept confidential, the recipient of your request will need to know where to send the letter of recommendation; the last thing you want is to give them incorrect information. Also make sure to double check the application deadlines.
    • If the letter of recommendation needs to be mailed, you should consider providing the recipient with a pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelope.[1]
  2. Choose the right person. Before asking a professor or previous employer for a letter of recommendation, you should consider your relationship with them. Make sure to choose someone who you got along with and will actually remember you. Prioritize professors or employers who recognized your accomplishments and already seemed interested in helping you along your career. Whether they gave you great grades, helped you in your development or gave you a raise, they should be the first people you ask.
    • If you need to ask for a recommendation from someone you know outside the workplace or academia, you should be clear and upfront. Don’t hide your request under the pretense of meeting for coffee. Let them know they can refuse without damaging your relationship and always be understanding if they do.[1]
  3. Pick the right time to make your request. You need to be understanding in making your request. If you’re sending your request to a professor, you need to consider that they’ve received many requests just like yours around the end of the semester and near application deadlines. Plan to make your request at least a month before your application deadline, to give your professor enough time to draft a great recommendation letter.
    • If you’re asking a previous employer for a recommendation letter, try to avoid doing so during times you remember being busier while working under them.[1]

Writing Your Request

  1. Introduce yourself. The first thing your request should mention after your greeting is your name. Not only that, but your request’s first paragraph should help remind the recipient of who you are. This will be done differently depending on how close you were with the recipient and when you last spoke.
    • If you’re sending your request to a professor, try to outline the time you spent with them in their office. You can also mention the grade you received and the challenges you experienced. It might look like this: “Dear Professor X, I took your organic chemistry class last semester. While I found it challenging, I always appreciated how available you were and how you helped me understand any mistakes I made on tests.”
    • When dealing with a previous employer, your greeting will likely focus on projects you’ve worked on or responsibilities that were given to you. If there are any amusing anecdotes you can recall, consider including them. “Dear Mr. Y, my name is Jane Smith and I worked with you on the latest merger at XYZ company. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to learn more about this delicate aspect of the corporate world.” [2]
  2. Outline your reasons for choosing them. You should communicate clearly to the recipient the reasons you’re asking them for a letter of recommendation. Explain why you value their opinion and respect their qualifications. Your goal here shouldn’t be to flatter the person you’re sending your request to, but rather convey why they’re uniquely suited for writing your recommendation letter.
    • For a professor, here’s what this would look like: “As the department chair, you assisted me in my progress throughout my major, and were always available to help me when things proved too challenging. Your position within the department, as well as the close attention you paid to my academic career make you the ideal person to write a strong letter of recommendation.”
    • Here’s an example of how to do with with an employer: “As my direct supervisor for so long, you provided me with critical feedback that greatly helped me along my professional career. As such, I think you’re uniquely suited to write a strong recommendation letter.”[3]
  3. Mention that you won’t be reading the letter. An employer or professor might feel the need to embellish the letter if they know you’ll be reading it. This might even make them uncomfortable when writing the letter. Include a short sentence confirming that they can send the letter of recommendation directly, bypassing you.[1]
  4. Give them a way out. You shouldn’t write your request assuming that the recipient will agree to write a letter of recommendation. There are a few reasons why a professor or previous employer might not be able to or willing to write a letter. You need to respect this. Near the end of the letter, mention that you’ll understand if they aren’t able to complete your request for any reason.[3]

Sending Your Request

  1. Double check the receiver’s email address. Drafting the best request won’t mean much if it doesn’t end up in the right place. Confirm the recipient’s contact information. For professors, you can usually find this on the college or university website. Otherwise, you can ask common acquaintances or the recipient directly for their email address.
  2. Be ready for a back and forth. Your initial request is short on purpose. Its purpose is to convince your professor or employer to agree to write a recommendation letter; you don’t need to include all necessary information in your first contact. Be ready to answer any questions or concerns the recipient may have as soon as you can. If an email from them sits in your mailbox for too long, you may not get your letter of recommendation in time.[2]
  3. Send a thank you note. Once your professor or employer has agreed to write a recommendation letter, you should be ready to thank them. They’ve done you a great service that can advance your professional or academic career. Wait about a week or two before sending the note; they’ll likely be done with the letter and will appreciate the gesture.[4]

Warnings

  • Don’t be too pushy with your request. You’re less likely to get a letter if you make the process uncomfortable.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-request-a-letter-of-recommendation
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://edityour.net/rules-for-requesting-a-letter-of-recommendation-via-email/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://hbr.org/2010/04/how-to-ask-for-a-reference-let-1-2
  4. ↑ https://www.petersons.com/college-search/letter-recommendation-how-ask.aspx#/sweeps-modal

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