A few weeks ago, when I applied for a prestigious fellowship, I called a former boss who is now a well-known author, and asked him if he would write me a reference. He immediately agreed, asked me a few questions about my work after I had left his organisation and told me to forward him my resume. I did so with diligent detail and waited for him to respond. After all, he is a busy man and I did not want to badger him with incessant calls or question him on what he intended to write. One hour before my application was due, he sent me a short letter of reference, spanning not more than eight lines, and perfunctory in detail. I was stumped. On the one hand I did not want to insult him by asking him for a better reference, while on the other hand, what he had written just did not suffice. It was too late for me to find another recommender and needless to say, I did not get the fellowship.
The omnipresent letter of recommendation (LOR) is often relegated to the last minute because we assume that we have no control over how it shapes our application, since we obviously have no control over its contents. The good news is that the admissions officers also understand that you cannot dictate terms when someone writes you a recommendation, but the bad news is that it is not a good enough reason to relegate it to the end of the application process. Most admissions blogs swear by the letter of recommendation and quote, “Admissions officers pay as much importance to the choice of your recommender as they do to the content of the recommendation.” It is absolutely vital to find someone who will be able to speak about you, beyond what is said on your resume or statement of intent.
If you are applying for a Masters in Business Administration or for a professional course, it always makes sense to get your letters of recommendation from an employer or client, as most business schools look for an insight into your professional capabilities. Ask your recommender to focus on your leadership skills. If there was an event where you went above and beyond your call of duty, or an innovative project which you conceptualised, politely ask your supervisor to include it in your letter.
“The better letters of recommendation always have a professional incident or example which brings out the candidate’s personality,” says Reema Shah, a private education consultant based out of Mumbai. Aside from these examples, it is important for the letter to convey your ‘unique personality trait’. While adjectives like sincere, honest and charming are all great in a recommendation, make sure that there is something more which speaks about your personality. Words like self-motivated, empathetic and driven are better choices but always back these with more detail as to why your recommender believes you have these qualities, else they will seem to be mere platitudes.
For academic options which include PhDs, MPhils, or even law, getting a letter from someone who can speak of your academic prowess is essential. Quoting best-selling author Anna Ivey from her book, The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions, “Many law schools state an express preference for academic recommendations, meaning someone who has taught you in college and can speak of your strengths as a student and a scholar. The reason they do that is because they look to your recommendations to try to predict, as best they can, how you’ll do in law school, so they want to get a sense of your talents in the classroom.”
Several experts agree with Ivey’s view. Browse the internet and you will find a wealth of advice on what information a well-written academic recommendation should contain. “You are looking for people who can comment sensibly on your overall academic record. It is obviously better to chose someone from whom you have taken two or three courses and has a good idea of your abilities than someone from whom you have taken maybe one introductory course where you were one of 200 students,” says About.com, on their wiki dedicated to recommendation planning.
Four steps to a well-written recommendation
*Select the right person for the job.
Do not jump at the first person who offers to write you a great recommendation, but at the same time, don’t get enamoured by ‘big names’. The Tuck Business School admissions blog says, “Choose someone who has worked with you closely and can really speak of your work experience. The recommender doesn’t need to be the CEO or head of the company, especially if he/ she has had little direct contact or interaction with you. It is more important to have someone who has worked directly with you than someone with an impressive title.”
*Be straightforward with the commitment required to be a recommender.
Ask your potential recommender if he is willing to write you a positive recommendation and if he has the time to write a detailed one, which will take a minimum of an hour. If your recommender says this is not possible, look for someone else. Most well-written recommendation letters take at least a couple of hours to compose. If you are applying to business schools, the question-answer format of the recommendation is quite comprehensive and requires a significant amount of time.
* Discuss your letter.
It is always a great idea to take your potential recommender out for coffee to discuss your ambitions and ideas so that he will understand how to relate your goals to your work experience and skill sets. If your recommender asks you to write your own letter and agrees to sign it, beware — most schools can easily spot a self-written letter from a genuine recommendation.
*Thank your recommender.
For the time he/ she took to write you a glowing recommendation. After all, you might need one again in the future.