Looking for a Recommendation? Things you Should Be Aware Of

Looking for a Recommendation? Things you Should Be Aware Of

Have you ever been asked to seek a recommendation from a person who knows you in an important capacity? This is likely to happen when applying for jobs or educational opportunities like scholarships. I want to provide an exciting exercise because it helps think across your connections and remember professionals who can support your growth. However, it is also a challenging one because it will be hard to know who will be willing to provide one, who really knows you better, what the person’s availability is, and so many other key details necessary to decide who can do it, and actually obtaining your recommendation. 

Why a Recommendation?

As aforementioned, recommendations are likely to be asked for when applying for jobs and scholarships. Yes, you have already applied, submitted your CV and Cover Letter for job applications, submitted your transcripts, Letter of Purpose, Career Goals and other requirements for scholarships, but a recommendation is still required. The purpose of a recommendation is to have a professional providing positive details on your skills, knowledge and habits in professional contexts, and serves to confirm the skills and experiences you mentioned in your application packets. For this reason, a recommender needs to be someone who has experience interacting with you professionally, working with you, supervising you, educating you or providing you with training, and knows you in  other contexts that gives a recommender a chance to learn about your potential. With this, the recommender will be genuinely able to speak of you positively, and give a clear picture of what a great candidate you are for the opportunity you seek. 

What Should I Expect and Do?

After identifying the individuals who will influentially speak of your capacities and being in touch with them, your experience and the recommender's feedback will vary. Key things to expect are as below:

• Immediate/Delayed Feedback: If you were fortunate enough to have selected and contacted someone who checks email frequently, and can immediately notice your request, and get back to you with clarification on when your request will be addressed. If this happens, then this is the best experience you can ever have when it comes to seeking recommendations. However, you might happen to select a person who is extraordinarily busy, doesn't check email frequently; then your wait is going to be long and sometimes frustrating. This can happen when you select individuals who are busy, overwhelmed, or lack effective communication (they elect forgo getting back to you), or simply fail to get back to you because of other reasons. If this happens, then it means you will have to get back to the recommender regularly, asking if the recommender is able to help with your request. Be sure to mention the deadlines for the recommendation so the recommender can plan to provide the recommendation before its deadline. This should always be done with a high level of effective communications, patience and professionalism, so you don't appear negative to the recommender.

• Write The Recommendation on Your Own/They Help Write the Recommendation: In most cases, you will realize that many professionals are requested to recommend people frequently. Recommenders may create generalized templates for their recommendation letters. Whenever asked to recommend someone, they immediately share the template, and request that you do it on your own. So, you will have to share the draft, they edit (if necessary) and sign and stamp. The benefit of writing your own recommendation is that you will be able to align the recommendation with what you have said throughout the application packet. This will, in the eyes of your application reviewers, prove that the recommender really knows you, and you have told real information in your application. On the other hand, some people don't have these pre-designed templates/drafts, and will have to write the recommendations themselves. In my experience, I have learned that some people will be able to speak of you more positively than you could. I had a personal experience when I asked a lecturer at Kepler for a recommendation, and I was surprised by how well he talked about me, the strengths he described, which were true of me, but ones I wouldn't have thought of on my own.. This is a little bit challenging because it takes time. These people might be busy, and fail to help within the recommendation's deadline.

• Accept/Reject the Request: Needless to say, it is possible that your request gets rejected. Not because the person isn't willing to help, but probably because they're too busy to help, or because they think they don't have a great knowledge about your professional capacities. If this rejection is communicated right after seeking the request, it gives you time to look for someone else who can help. The chances are that you will always find a recommender. If you are so fortunate, your very first request will be accepted. 

Advice on Requesting for Recommendations

Based on the foregoing points, here are some tips that can save you time in the process.

• Request your recommendation as early as possible: When it comes to requesting for a recommendation, the earlier the better usually works. Everyone is busy with daily work, dreams and plans. So, your request was basically expected. Therefore, if you ask for a recommendation just before the deadline, the probability is that the recommender will not have time. Do your best to reach out to the person as early as possible, for them to plan on how they will help you. This also helps you to be able to change a recommender, in case the first person fails to respond to your request. 

• Effective Communication: Whenever you write an email requesting a recommendation, professionalism needs to be manifested. You need to be polite and clear. Make sure the recommender knows what you're applying for, what you want them to focus on as they recommend you, the deadline for the recommendation, and the submission process of the recommendation. The recommender may then be able to avoid having to come back to you with clarifying questions. Be sure to tell all the necessary details in very concise but adequate words; the shorter the better.

• Follow up: Remember, the person you are reaching out to has other plans, probably more important than your request. They might unwillingly forget about your request. It is a good idea to remind them after a couple of days/weeks about your request if they are not helping, but have agreed to do it. You can politely communicate with them, remind them of the deadline (when it's approaching), and appreciate their time you expect them to take to help you.

• Keep the Connection Alive: If someone helped you once, the person may be willing and able to help you again. Circumstances that require recommendations are so many as a person goes through life. Don't break the relationship/connection. Let the person know you appreciate their support, and would like to reach out to them in future for the same help. 

• Keep Them Posted: Your recommender will be excited to know about the results of your application and their recommendation. If it turns out positively or negatively, let them know. If it's positive, they will be excited for your success and be proud of you. If it's negative, they will be there to encourage you to move forward, and show you other possibilities around you.

The experiences of requesting for recommendations vary depending on why you are seeking the recommendation, from whom you seek it, their availability, and so many other factors. However, you are likely to experience some difficulties. Be patient and keep trying.

                                                          All the best!!