Education/training
Asking by e-mail doesn't cut it; a phone call will do, but a personal visit to the prof is preferableHow to get a glowing reference letterThe long slog is almost over. Graduation isn't far off and the prospect of being paid helps you forget late nights, endless bureaucracy and a diet of noodles and rice. |
|
 [ 2007-09-07 ] |
Speak up and go to class: Professors can only write a good letter if they know who you are.
But not so fast. Before there's a salary, there's a job and before there's a job, there's a reference letter.
So where does the first-time job seeker turn for that sheet of paper that might make all the difference?
The right place to look for a reference letter is among soon-to-be former instructors, the experts say.
Susan Thomas, acting manager of Career Services and Pathways at Seneca College, recommends approaching the person who knows you best. That could be an instructor who's taught you several courses, or someone you worked closely with on a term project.
It doesn't have to be a department head or anyone else with a business card full of print. "You want a reference that is glowing," Thomas says. "It's not going to sing great songs because it's got a great title."
Aino Lokk, an employment counsellor at Ryerson University, says the best person to ask for a reference letter is an instructor the student has had a "good connection" with. That's because after a while, unfortunately, students' names and faces tend to blur into one, Lokk says.
So, having picked out the instructor most likely to remember you and, you hope, give you a good reference, what next? Cathy Boyd-Withers, a learning skills counsellor at York University, suggests some common sense courtesy. A student who wants a reference needs to be considerate, says Boyd-Withers, so asking by e-mail doesn't cut it. A phone call will do, she says, but a personal visit is preferable; and offer the prof some reminders about who you are and which courses you took.
REFLECT ON SPECIFICS
With a target instructor firmly in sight, it's now the job of students who want references to reflect on the specifics, says Gina Marshall, a student employment advisor at Centennial College.
Is the letter intended for a potential employer? Is it for a chance at further education? Do you need to describe particular skill sets? The student has to answer all these questions and more, Marshall says. "Be a specific as you can. You want to be as relevant to the job as possible."
The next step is giving your chosen instructor /professor some time to actually write the thing. Don't spring a reference request on her when she's up to her eyeballs in end of term marking, for example, or when he's already talking about summer conferences he's taking in -- it's guaranteed neither will pay your query much attention.
The length of the reference letter is also important. Just as a one-page resume is generally the standard, so too is a one page testament to your skills and abilities. "I don't think I've ever seen a reference letter that's longer than one page," Lokk says.
But even more important than length and relevance is, of course, honesty. If you've had to prod your instructor on certain details, be sure to tell the truth: being caught lying is one thing, having an angry instructor -- who has a hard won reputation to protect -- breathing down your neck is quite another.
MAKE COPIES
When you do get a reference letter, make photocopies or scan it into your computer. That way it's always available, even if the writer gets hit by a bus or heads off to Tahiti to live under a palm tree.
Opinion is divided about when to hand over a reference letter to a prospective employer. Much will depend on the job, the industry and just how close you think you are to landing the gig. But don't be profligate: reference letters are a bit like high denomination currency, so treat them that way.
Do you aspire to appear on reality TV?