Letters of Recommendation¶
Letters of recommendation are extremely important for your career and somewhat more complex to navigate, as there are several moving parts. First and foremost, Vicky must know you well enough to write a strong letter. In most cases, this requires working with you for at least one year, though of course, students or postdocs who are applying for fellowships shortly after joining the lab are an exception. Generally speaking, here are some suggestions with regards to asking for recommendation letters (useful for both our lab and generally):
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As early as you can (i.e., when you find out that you will need a letter), reach out to the recommender and ask if they can write you a strong letter, along with the following information:
- what are you applying for? why are you applying for it?
- when is the deadline?
- what are the important qualities this opportunity is looking for?
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Once the recommender agrees, also send along the following information:
- your CV / resume / biosketch
- any other application materials (e.g., research statements, teaching statements, essays)
- specific qualities / points that you would like emphasized about yourself
- any information about how the letter needs to be submitted (if relevant, also how the letter should be addressed)
Tip
Note that from time to time, letter writers may ask you to draft a letter for them. This is a normal occurrence, though it naturally may feel very awkward. Try to pretend like you are writing about a close colleague and not yourself. The recommender will edit the letter appropriately, but the more information you include, the less work they will have to do. If the person has written a letter before, they are likely to use the original letter as a template, so be sure to send them any updates that may be relevant to the application.
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Reminder emails: it is common for letter writers to procrastinate and submit very close to the deadline, but it is a good idea to send reminder emails. And when done appropriately, this is very helpful. Specifically, if nothing has been submitted a week before the deadline, do not panic, send a friendly reminder, once again attaching all relevant information from 2. Repeat again 2 days prior to the deadline. If the day before the deadline, the letter still has not been submitted, it is okay to start bombarding the recommender and trying to contact them by other means, emphasizing the upcoming due date.
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Don’t forget to thank the letter writer after everything is submitted and follow up to let them know how things turned out once you hear back. They will appreciate it!