Well, it’s not easy as it sounds to be to ask for a letter of recommendation. You could be working in an organization, studying in a school and now you want to switch. To prove your integrity, you’d have to ask for a letter of recommendation. Generally, teachers don’t refuse to write a letter of recommendation for their student. Why would they? Only, if you were naughty and disrespected them.

Once you have completed your school, you’d need a letter of recommendation to get admission in a college. Or, you have completed your tenure in a reputable organization, you need a recommendation letter to switch.

Therefore, a recommendation letter is important. But how to get it? What’s the right time to ask for a recommendation letter? Also, what to know before asking for a recommendation letter?

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What To Know Before Asking For A Recommendation Letter

Remember, wherever you were, in school or job, you weren’t the boss. So, bossing around to get a letter won’t help. Instead, it will land you in trouble.

For instance, you have completed your school. And now you need a recommendation letter. What would you do?You’ll go to your professor and say in a commanding tone ” I need a recommendation letter”. Tell me honestly, will this help? A big no! Because you didn’t ask for it the right way. Or, you want to switch company, you go to your boss and remind him of your services assertively. Your assertive tone, drive him nuts. And he refuses to give you any letter. What can you do now?

Hence, your way of asking matters here. At the same time, when to ask for it, is also important while asking for a recommendation letter.

Perfect Time To Ask For A Recommendation Letter

Well, it depends on your situation when should you ask for a recommendation letter. For an office employee, it could be when his boss is happy. He has signed a lucrative deal or the employee himself has done a marvelous job. There are a few occasions when you shouldn’t ask your boss for a recommendation letter:

• When he is angry
• He is busy and snowed under work
• When you have messed up something

 However, you may ask your boss for a recommendation letter when :

• He is in a happy mood
• Your boss has signed a lucrative deal
• He appreciates your efforts

For a school student, his punctuality and manners in school life will count here. But some professors tend to take pity on their students and grant them a recommendation letter anyway.

If you are going to take admission in a graduate school, never ask your current school professor for a recommendation letter when;

• Your professor is in bumpy mood
• He is snowed under work
• When he is with other teachers

How To Ask Your Boss For A Recommendation Letter

Also keep in mind, its a privilege to get a recommendation letter, not a right. When you go to ask for a recommendation letter to your boss, be polite. You are the employee and he is the boss. You only worked here because he hired you. Here are some appropriate ways to can ask your boss for a recommendation letter:

Choose Opportune Moment

Choose an opportune moment to ask for it. As mentioned above, wrong timing will spoil your efforts. Never disturb him for it, when he is indulged in some important work. Choose your moment cleverly and make it happen!

Be Polite

Be polite and thank him for his cooperation with you. Your asking tone should be full of thankfulness. Because it was his trust that he put on you, to choose you for a certain position in his company. Consequently, he will agree to give you a recommendation letter.

Be Positive

Although, they might feel bad if you tell them that you are switching to another company. But, if you show them the positive side, how their company helped you to excel, that will help! Stay positive, tell them what you learned here and thank them for everything.

Provide Documents

In order to write a detailed letter, your boss would need your resume and some of your recent work. He will praise your work in the letter, that you have shown as sample work in another company. In this way, your credibility will further improve.

How to ask for a letter of recommendation for graduate school

In general,this is the phase of life, we all have to go through. After enjoying our time in school, without worrying about the world outside, we then move to a practical world. So, How do you ask for a recommendation letter for graduate school? What’s the formal way to do it? Of course, you need it to build your credibility.

In many graduate schools, a letter of recommendation is necessary. Your credibility is built on it. You have to provide it at any cost. That’s why it’s important to know about formal ways of asking for a recommendation letter. But firstly, you need to know whom to ask for a letter of recommendation?

Whom To Ask For It?

If you don’t know the right person to ask for it, you will mess it up. Remember, ask someone who knows you for some good time — or at least, someone who keeps in you in his good book. Not everyone is ready to vouch for you. So, make sure, you are approaching the right person in school! And when you have found the right person, keep these things in mind to make your request, worth answering.

• Try to ask for it, when your professor is free or your conversation wouldn’t cause any disruption in his work.
• Also, you can arrange an appointment with him and explain your wish. Tell him why it is important for you to get a recommendation letter. In order to convince him, you might have to do a bit of flattering!
• Explain to him the type of degree you want to seek in college and your future goals. This will give him a better idea about what kind of letter he should write for you.
• If he seems busy, provide him a recommendation letter template. Consequently, This will save him time and make it easy.
• Lastly, don’t forget to tell him the due date.

How To Ask For A Recommendation Letter Via Email

Write It Like A letter

Write your email, in the same way, you write a letter.First of all, put an appropriate subject, title and introduce yourself. Then, Introduce yourself, and tell your designation if you were working for a company. For instance, if you are writing it for graduate school recommendation, write a brief introduction, mention the year your batch passed out. You can also attach a snap of your school id card.

Jot Down Your Purpose

Then,In the second paragraph, mention the purpose of writing this letter, including the reason for you are asking for it. This will give them an idea why are you writing because nobody vouches for unknown reason. Why do you need this letter and how it will help you to get a new job or admission in graduate school. Be brief, no fluff or irrelevant details.

Mention Your Achievements

In the third paragraph, mention your achievements, the competitions you won and your punctuality. In case of switching job, you may include your sample work and your job tenure. Remind them how you serve their company with your knowledge and dedication. Or if you are writing it to your professor, mention your academic performance and school etiquettes you followed. Then, If you ever represented your school in a sports competition, add it to it. Your achievements will convince them to vouch for you. With your services as an employee/school performance in mind, they’d be able to write an appropriate letter, that fulfills your purpose.

Tell Him When & How You Need it

In the fourth paragraph, tell them how you need it. In case, you need to send it digitally, you may send them the link and instructions on how to send it. Be brief and clear, while sending them instructions.

• For example, “The letter of recommendation is due January 1, 2019. You can send it to abcd@emailaddress.com.”

On the other hand, if you need to send it to a physical address, don’ bother them. Pick yourself from their place and post it your self.

Thank Him

Then,In the fifth paragraph, thank them for giving their time to read it. Furthermore, thank them for teaching you everything that has to leverage your performance in professional life. Mention it, how their small lessons have yielded big results in your practical life. Lastly, end the email with a professional close such as “sincerely”, “your former student/employee. Then, to end things up,, move to next line, write your name and you’re done!