Written by Chris Drew (PhD)
Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]
| October 23, 2022Asking a professor for a letter of recommendation can be nerve-wracking. It’s always awkward to ask for letters of recommendation, especially if you don’t know them well! But, your job or graduate school may insist on receiving this letter.
As a professor, I get requests to write recommendation letters all the time. I like to do it, because after all, I got into this career because I want to help to see my students succeed.
To ask for the letter or recommendation you should keep a few things in mind: Which professor to choose? Should I get them a thank you gift? And how should I write the email? This article will help you navigate the etiquette behind requesting a letter from a professor.
If you can lay some groundwork early on it’ll really help you out. So here’s when to ask for a letter of recommendation:
As soon as your potential employer asks for a letter of recommendation, send a quick email to your professor and let them know. It only needs to be a small, polite email that lets them know that you have found a job or graduate school that you’re interested in and would love their support.
The more advance notice you give them, the better. You don’t want to be squeezed up against a due date. So send them that email – Now! I’ve provided a few email templates at the end of this post that you can copy and alter to make sure you cover all the important bits.
Occasionally, I have students email me once they’ve graduated to let me know they really felt they got along with me well, and wanted to see if I could write a letter for them.
These students are about to go on the job hunt or are about to search for a graduate school and want to line up some letters of recommendation in advance. Clever strategy!
This is a really good strategy because you can get them to write a general letter that would work for any future employer. This prevents you from having to repeat the request for every employer.
It’s best to lay some ground work. If you have some time and are still in your final semester at university, I have some important recommendations for you:
Firstly, to ensure your lecturer or professor knows your name, make sure you make good contributions during class. Next, I recommend emailing your professor with relevant questions about once every two weeks.
I have a few students each semester who email me friendly, relevant questions about once every two weeks and I always respond. I also end up knowing them the best and respecting their commitment to their studies.
Then, straight after you hand in your final assessment piece, ask your professor in person or email them that day. Try to secure a general letter that’ll work for any future employer. This is the best strategy because the professor has you fresh in their mind. They’ve just taught you, so they remember everything about you!
The TL;DR answer? Ask the one who knows you best and will be able to attest to your personality. The long answer? Select a professor based on these criteria:
I share an office with two other professors.
One of them stands at arm’s length to the students. He teaches, he does his research and he goes home. When students send him emails, he sends pretty curt (short) answers and usually tells them to go figure it out for themselves.
The other is a professor who has dedicated her life to her students. She has coffee with them, books one-to-one tutorials with them, and celebrates their successes with them.
The second one is the one who will craft recommendation letters that are meaningful. She’ll think about your strengths and highlight them for the employer. The second one will write form recommendation letters outlining what grade you got in his course. It won’t have a personal touch, and the letter won’t stand out amongst the crowd.
Choose the professor who seems to care about their students. Their letter will be more personal and more powerful.
You’ll need to get a letter of recommendation from a lecturer or professor who actually knows a little bit about you. I’ve had students ask for letters of recommendation and I couldn’t have picked them from a crowd.
If your professor knows a little bit about you, they’ll be able to make the letter more personal. They can actually talk about your traits, whether you make a big effort in class and how punctual you are.
If the professor doesn’t know you too well, you’ll be stuck with a bland letter of recommendation that simply mentions your grade and that’s about all!
The last thing to think about is getting a professor whose name might carry some weight.
Keep in mind whether the prospective employer might know their name or what contributions they have made to your field. Has the professor written an influential book, been on TV, or been an active member of the community?
At the very least, consider their rank: a tenured full professor will outrank an associate professor, who will outrank an assistant professor or lecturer. In England, Australia and New Zealand, we usually use the term ‘lecturer’ rather than ‘professor’. The ranks go: lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor and professor. A ‘professor’ is much more prestigious in England than in North America, because it’s significantly harder to achieve this title.
If you’ve chosen to email a professor you don’t know well and ask them for a letter of recommendation, you should try to do the most to help them write their letter.
Here are some recommendations I have for you:
Personally, I like a student to do both if possible.
I like a student to send an email that:
I don’t like getting approached after class about it without prior warning. I prefer being prepared for this sort of discussion and organizing an office hours time for discussion. A preliminary request via email saying “Is this OK? Can we meet up?” works well.
Personally, I’m also okay with a student just sending the email without arranging to meet up during office hours. Sometimes I’m frankly too busy to have meetings with my students. So just contact me via email and ask for the letter of recommendation – It’ll be fine.
But, that in-person follow-up is a nice personal touch.
I mean really easy.
Your lecturer or professor is a very busy teacher. They’re doing you a pretty big favor. So, make it as easy as possible.
Let your professor know as many details as possible. Also provide:
If your professor asks for money in order to write the letter of recommendation, I strongly advise you to say ‘No.’
It’s an abuse of power. Even if a professor says “I need to cover expenses”, say No.
You can offer to provide paper and a stamped envelope if need be, but don’t exchange money.
A professor who asks for money off a student is corrupt. It’s an abuse of power. They’re in the business for the wrong thing. It’s unethical. End of story.
I take a hard line on this. I don’t even think a professor should ask a student to buy their textbook. It’s coercive. It’s wrong.
Seek out another professor.
Lastly, it’s important that you let your professor know your appreciation. You should always follow up to let the teacher know that you appreciate their efforts.
Here’s a few things you can do:
Dear [Name],
It’s [Your Name]. I was in your class, [Name of Class] last semester. I’ve just graduated and am on the hunt for some work in the industry. I wanted to get in touch and ask you for some support.
I’ve recently applied for a job for a position as a [Insert Job Title]. They seem interested and have asked me to send them a recommendation letter from one of my professors.
I was wondering whether you would be able to write a letter of recommendation for me?
I’ve asked the prospective employer what they want from a letter of recommendation and they’ve mentioned they want to see:
Would it be possible for you to put together a recommendation with a few words about me and my potential aptitude for a job in the industry?
I’ve attached the job description so you can see what I’m applying for and the feedback you wrote on my essay last semester. I thought that might come in handy for writing a letter of recommendation.
I’m more than happy to come in to meet with you if you want to discuss it any more! I would also like to come in to drop off a stamped and addressed envelope for you too to make that step easier for you.
[Your Name]
Asking a professor for a recommendation letter can be nerve wracking. But professors are used to getting requests for recommendation letters. We get a whole stack of them for people wanting to get into graduate school, for example. So don’t be shy about asking … but be prepared to be rejected and make it as easy as possible for them to write the letter for maximum success.
