Nelson Said:

I would like to know how to write a good personal reference letter ?

We Answered:

Lie convincingly! ;-)

Leonard Said:

How do you write a good teacher reference?

We Answered:

1294 had some good points, and if you want to make a recommendation very strong, add some personal touches to it.

How has this person affected you? Give a specific example how this person's dedication or insight improved an aspect of your life. Especially worthy: a quality that this person has that is rare in others.

For example: A group of us nominated our advisor for a graduate student advising award. (By the way, he won!) Here are some of my points:

Some of his outstanding traits include:

1. Setting boundaries for his role as advisor: reminds me that he is my advisor and not my “boss”. This is an important aspect as he conveys the message that the education belongs to the student and the advisor makes recommendations instead of giving orders.
2. Getting excited about my successes…even when I’m frustrated by my perceived lack of progress; he points to a nugget and praises to reinforce the desired and continued behavior.
3. Absolutely loves his role as an advisor: On the rare occasion his energy is flagging, an hour of student advising brings him back to life. I can watch his energy build throughout a mentoring session.
4. Understanding the importance of a high-touch advisor. Each of the members of the product development team clambers for a coveted weekly meeting with him. He somehow finds a way to give us the individualized attention that we want and sometimes need. Our individual access to him ensures we stay on the critical path to completing our educational goals.

In conclusion, I have mixed emotions about nominating him for this award. I am positive about nominating him because he is very deserving because of his focus on advising. However, if he wins, I can only assume that his style will be publicized and many others may try to rush to his fold. Therefore, for very selfish reasons, I want to keep him our secret. But, I know that if he wins, more professors will take him as formal and informal mentors in their pursuit of imparting education. Perpetuating his style of advising and mentorship models within the halls of XXXXX and other academic institutes would improve the education experience for countless students.

Jessie Said:

how long is a letter of reference good for?

We Answered:

It's only good from your most recent employer, if it is a business reference. A personal reference should be either from the person who has known you the longest, or who would engender he most respect (ie, a pastor/rabbi maybe or a teacher)
Good luck

Natalie Said:

How to approach/ask someone for a reference letter for Professional school?

We Answered:

Before asking for a recommendation you should have a letter prepared. I always wrote a letter that included what I was asking, my acedemic background, activities, and internships that related to my major field. You should always give the recommenders a pre addressed letter w/stamp. When giving this information to the recommender you should talk to them first. Go to their office and ask if they would feel comfortable in writing a letter of recommendation for you. Tell them that you would understand if they did not feel they could do this for you and that you have prepared a letter that explains what you have done acedemically in your pursuit of your goal of your professional school. It is expected that more than one letter will have to be written by each recommender. Just tell them the number of schools and give them a list of schools too.

Now this is important. Make sure to tell the recommenders that the due date for the letters is at least a month earlier than it really is. Some people tend to get busy and forget a lot and wait to the last minute to write these things. I had a professor that I had to remind every week for the last month before they were due. He said he would do them and then forget every time. That experience taught me to always be on top of everything and don't take the first answer as truth. Follow up on everything and give yourself time to fix any problems because of other people's mistakes.

You can ask for letters of recommendations anytime but many recommeders will tell you to come to them when it is closer to when you need the letters. Usually 6-3 months before you want the letters you should ask the recommenders. One thing to keep in mind. You should always stay in contact with possible future recommenders. If you think there is any chance that you will need or want their recommendation keep in contact with them at least by email. Throughout the year just let them know what is going on in your life acedemically or experiences.


Hope this helps out.

Nancy Said:

my letter of reference?

We Answered:

Writing the letter depends on what its for, i.e. school, church scholarship etc.

Generally you want to state your positive qualities such as: dependable worker, team player, willing to go the extra mile, list some of your extra curricular or volunteer activities, how long you have worked for the company shows stability.

Basically the letter should be a reflection of who you are, and what you are about. Without going overboard, you should be able to sum up everything in 2 - 3 paragraphs.

Good luck to you.