How to Get Letters of Recommendation Graduate School

Earning a master’s degree has the power to increase career salaries, on average, by 19% over a bachelor’s degree. With the competition of the current job market, having a master’s degree is an increasingly important way to make a resume stand out.

When you are certain that graduate school is a part of your education plan, there are a few steps that you should take to prepare for the application process.

After you determine which school to attend, the next step is getting letters of recommendation and determining who to ask. Generally, colleges ask for 3 letters of recommendation. The purpose is to give the admission’s board a glimpse into the candidate’s real life experiences. A strong recommendation letter can strengthen the college application by outlining how the applicant has utilized their education in a real world setting.

Use Real Associates: The strength of the best letter lies in the honesty of the recommendation. The person letter of recommendation must communicate that the person has knowledge of the candidate’s skills, work ethic, achievements and growth potential. The letter is easier to write and is more convincing to the reader when the association is genuine.

Know Them: Make sure that the person from whom you’re requesting a letter has the professional skills and interest, writing skills, and commitment to write the letter. Missing this could cause a delay in the application process if they a slow. Even worse, the college could receive a less than impressive recommendation letter, destroying that opportunity for acceptance.

Build Relationships: It is highly suggested to establish professional relationships with a few professors during the process of earning a bachelor’s degree, preferably in your degree field. This may also have the added advantage of opening the door to opportunities to collaborate on research that will provide direct input to the context of the letter. If your undergrad years are behind you, the next place to for the experience letter is in your place of work. The first choice would be to request the letter of recommendation from your supervisor. Another alternative would be to build a rapport with a co-worker in the career field that you would like to pursue.

Build a Network: Your work ethic should extend beyond the business and education communities. Regardless of your career interest, there is certain to be a way to share your gifts and interests in the community. Community group leaders will generally give excellent recommendation letters to dedicated supporters.

Honor Time: When you request the person’s time to write the letter, be prepared. Don’t wait to the last minute. As a courtesy, have a packet of supporting information with your skills and accomplishments available for their convenience. Be sure to thank them for their time and keep them updated on the status of your application. If they took to the time to write the recommendation, they will certainly what to know if they were effective.