Recommendations can be an important factor when it comes to looking for a job, applying for graduate school, or looking for a scholarship. Making sure that others can attest to your knowledge, skills, and attitude will not only help your credibility, but will ensure the interested parties that you are a candidate worthy of what you are looking for.

Recommendations often help solidify the type of person that you are and whether or not you would fit in the culture of the team or the organization. It’s much more than just letting an employer know that you are capable of inputting numbers into a computer – it’s a way to let them know your energy, your tenacity, and your quality of work. However, that’s not to say that asking for and a receiving a recommendation is an easy process. It takes a lot of tact and effort to ensure that the person will not only give you a recommendation, but an honest one that will help your application.

Question: Is there a difference between a recommendation and a reference?

A: Yes! A recommendation implies that you are willing to actively support someone for a position or an application.

They are supporting your personality and truly believe that you are capable of the opportunity that you are asking for.

A reference, on the other hand, usually validates objective information about you, such as your job status or dates of employment. People tend to select their references as a recommendation (which is not necessarily a bad thing), but often times people expect a glowing account of themselves in this instance when, most often, the reference is just used for verification rather than validation of our capabilities.

Q: Who should I ask to provide me a recommendation?

A: Students are encouraged to pick someone who has worked with you and really knows your style, work ethic, and whether you would be capable of the opportunity in which you are applying. Students often times ask their professors for recommendations, which is fine, but they need to make sure they have a good relationship with the professor and that the professor truly knows how they work and their capabilities. If you are accounting student, for example, it may not make much sense to ask you HR professor for a recommendation in an accounting job. That’s not to say there aren’t exceptions here. Some positions like variety in their recommendations and, if the skills can translate across fields and you have a strong relationship with this individual, then their recommendation can very well help you. Just make sure it is relevant to the opportunity!

Q: When should I ask for a recommendation?

A: Whenever the opportunity arises, ask as soon as practical. It is better to give the recommender time to come up with their letter and not rush their good words about you. Not only will this increase your chances of getting the document in on time, but also it will ensure that your relationship with this person remains positive! Most people don’t like to be pressured into doing something!

Q: How do I ask for the recommendation itself?

A: You want to assess your relationship with the person that you are asking. How close are you? How much work have you done together? Is it a peer-to-peer relationship, or something more hierarchal? It is best to take a more humble approach when asking for the recommendation. Chances are if you are asking this person for a recommendation, you know in the back of your mind that it’s going to work or they are going to say yes, but the way you approach them about it could make or break whether or not they do this for you. Approach them kindly, when it is a good time for them, and make sure to show your appreciation constantly for what they are doing for you (even if they haven’t agreed to do it yet!).

You can ask for a recommendation in-person or via a written medium as well. Usually it is better to ask in writing, as it is easier for the recommender to reference the information that you’ve provided while they are working on the recommendation. This will also depend on your relationship with the person.

Q: What information should I provide when asking for the recommendation?

A: Everything that you know about the opportunity. First and foremost, tell them what the opportunity is. Are you applying for a job? School? A scholarship? In addition to that, what kind of opportunity is it? A recommendation for a mathematician is going to look different than a recommendation for a trainer. The person who is writing your

recommendation will cater what they say to what the opportunity is and what field it focuses on, so make sure to make that clear up front.

Secondly, make sure you let them know the specifics of where the recommendation is going. The name of the institution, the reviewing official, and the address are all fairly standard information for the recommendation. It is not wise to suggest that the recommender write an open-ended letter (i.e. To Whom It May Concern), as this implies a blanket recommendation which may not be to your best advantage. Customization is key!

Q: Should I follow-up with the recommender following their recommendation?

A: Absolutely! You should always follow-up with the individual and say thank you once they are complete with the recommendation. It is also a good idea to follow-up with them after you’ve heard about the opportunity and restate your appreciation, whether you were accepted or not. If you skip this step, it could be a detriment to your relationship with them, and they may not want to provide you with another recommendation down the road!

Q: Would someone ever provide a poor recommendation?

A: Chances are that if someone would not give you a positive recommendation, they would simply decline to provide one for you. Again, it is important to assess who you are asking and whether they would truly be able to do this for you. You may have seen examples of poor references in movies and television, but in real-life, companies fact-check these poor references to determine the truth about an individual.

Q: Sometimes employers ask for a “personal” recommendation or reference. What should I do in this case?

A: Personal recommendations/references are no stranger to the business world, but often times they are fairly pointless as, let’s face it, these references are often your friends. And unless you live in a teenage drama film, they aren’t going to bad-mouth you to your potential employer. If the employer requires a personal reference, give it by all means, but make sure that this person knows your work ethic and can truly speak to whether or not you can perform the job. If they allow a personal reference (there is a difference), err on the side of providing more professional references. These are ultimately more effective.

Q: What should I do if an opportunity doesn’t ask for a recommendation?

A: Usually recommendations are utilized more in school and scholarship applications, and are less utilized by businesses looking for candidates. However, that’s not to say that you can’t still ask for a recommendation from someone and submit it with your application, much like a cover letter. Providing a recommendation without being asked for one is often seen as proactive and dedicated to getting the position. If you cannot get a full recommendation, you can even provide the contact info for this person (just make sure to ask them first!). It gives the employer one addition avenue of meaningful information, more so than a standard reference would be able to give.