Letters Of Recommendation (Page 2 of 3) in pdf

allow sufficient time when asking for a follow-up letter for a different opportunity. Many faculty members like to tweak their

letters to make them specific to the opportunity for which you are applying. Be thoughtful of how many letters you may be

asking one individual to write.

Always notify your references each time you list them on your graduate/professional school or internship/employment

applications. Provide them with a description of the opportunity or program you are applying to as well as an updated resume. I

If you are requiring your recommenders to mail their letters, be very organized about this process and provide them with

stamped and addressed envelopes as well as multiple copies of any forms that are needed.

EEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR RECOMMENDERS

This is especially pertinent if you do not plan on asking for recommendations before graduation. By keeping in touch with your

recommenders after you graduate (or after you have worked for them in an internship, for example), it will help jog their

memory of you when you ask them for recommendations later. Realize that some faculty write over 100 recommendations

annually! Send an e-mail when requesting a letter of recommendation with all the pertinent details and ask the faculty member

if anyone else should be copied on your request (e.g. the departmental administrative assistant). Ask your recommender how

she/he would prefer to handle reminders if they become necessary.

T WHAT POINT SHOULD A FORMER STUDENT NO LONGER RELY ON

UNDERGRAD COLLEGE PROFESSORS FOR REFERENCES

If you've had experience after graduation, realize that employers will expect to speak with your current and former supervisors.

In this case, faculty at Swarthmore may not be the most relevant reference to list and certainly won't be in a position to talk

about your post-grad work performance as an employee. If you are applying to graduate or professional school many years after

graduation and you are seeking a faculty member's reference, be sure to ask if the faculty member feels comfortable writing the

recommendation letter and update her/him on recent happenings in your life, including why you are pursuing an advanced

degree. Send her/him an updated copy of your resume -- it might also be helpful to send a paper you wrote for her/his class so

she/he can remember the quality of your work.

OW CAN

AREER

ERVICES HELP

Career Services maintains files for students and alumni containing letters of recommendation. The first letter we receive for a

student creates his/her file. These letters can then be sent to employers and graduate schools at the student’s request.

ELEASING LETTERS FROM YOUR FILE

The law states that a student’s written request must be provided to release letters from your file. On the back of this

form you will find our

Recommendation Release Form

which simplifies the request process. Students/alums send

this signed form to the Career Services office for processing.

Request must include a signature. Requests are accepted in person, by mail, by fax -- email only accepted when attaching a

PDF.

Requests will be processed in two working days. The service provided by this office is limited to hard copy

mailings. It is not our practice to express ship, email or fax letters of recommendation. Please allow enough time for

your request to be processed to arrive in good time.

EQUESTING A

ECOMMENDATION BE WRITTEN FOR YOUR FILE

When requesting that a professor/employer write a recommendation on your behalf, we recommend using our

Recommendation

Form.

This form includes a waiver of access which, once signed, indicates that the letter must

remain confidential. Letters can be placed in your file without a signed waiver form. Graduate schools may assume

letters without a waiver have not been kept confidential. Confidentiality is required by graduate schools.

NOW THE CONTENTS OF YOUR FILE

It is up to you to know what is in your Recommendation file. You can log into

eRecruiting

at any time to check the

contents of your file. All letters received are recorded in the Continued Academics section of your eRecruiting profile. To

obtain your eRecruiting login or have a staff member check the contents of your file, contact Career Services.

Letters of recommendation will always be kept on file and you may continue to add to your file after you graduate. Be

mindful, however, that letters lose some usefulness after five years or so. Should future needs for these letters arise, you

may want to ask the writers to update the recommendation or get new ones from current employers or professors.

Swarthmore College

CAREER SERVICES

Letters Of Recommendation Page 2

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