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Business Letters of Reference
Letters of reference are critical ingredients in your job search, yet
they are often misunderstood. A letter of reference serves as an
indication of your reputation among those you have worked with. It
provides an employer with an idea of who you are as a professional, and
how well you interact with others. While the value of a reference is
hard to measure, compared to objective criteria such as grades and class
rank, good references can add a great deal to your application.
Conversely, lackluster references will do little or nothing for you.
Obtaining a Quality Letter
It's not rocket science to get a good reference, but you have to go
about it the right way. In order to get quality references, you need to
select whom you want to ask for references, cultivate your relationship
with them, and then facilitate the process of getting the letters
written. It can take time to build a relationship with a potential
reference, and even longer to get an actual letter in hand. Don't wait
for employers to ask you for references to start requesting them! You
should have at least approached your choices for references before you
send out a single resume. Usually two references are sufficient but some
employers may ask for more - check to make sure you know the
requirements.
Who. The first and most important criteria for selecting a
person to write a letter on your behalf is that they know you. This is
actually more important than the prestige of the person writing the
letter. A reference from the Dean or a local judge, if they have only
met you once for a few minutes, is worth much less than a letter from a
junior professor or former employer who knows you well and has seen your
work. Obviously, the reputation of the person can help - a letter from
the Secretary of State carries weight even if the person has never met
you! For those who don't have close ties to Cabinet members, your best
bets are professors and former employers. The final criteria, if
applicable, is someone who knows you and has known you in a capacity
that is relevant to your particular job search - a former commanding
officer if you're applying to the JAG corps, a supervisor of a volunteer
program you've worked with if you're looking for a public interest
position, etc.
How. Cultivating a relationship with a potential reference
means talking to them. If it's a professor, speak up in class and ask
questions afterwards. If the professor has experience in an area of law
that interests you, try to make an appointment to sit down and talk with
them - they may have contacts or information to pass along. You want
them to know enough about you in order to say something about your
intellectual abilities, interests, personality and career goals, rather
than just your grades. If it's an employer, try to ensure that they've
seen examples of your work; in writing or in person, and again, that
they know enough about you to write about you with some detail.
When the time comes to ask a person to act as a reference, you should
understand that different people handle it in different ways. Some will
want to talk to you about whom the letter is going to and what you want
it to say; some will want you to draft a letter for them as a starting
point. Remember that the person providing you a reference is doing you a
significant favor, so be polite but be confident. Convincing your
reference that you are a worthy job candidate is the first step in
convincing a potential employer. Assuming that the person you've asked
has agreed to write a letter, offer to assist in any way you can. Always
bring a copy of your resume when you are requesting a reference!
Delivery. The final step is to make sure your reference
letter is completed. For certain judicial clerkships, letters of
reference are usually sent to Career Services, which handles their
distribution to judges. For other employers, follow their instructions.
If they do not provide you with instructions, ask them for their
preferred method of delivery. Some employers and references may request
that you not see the letter itself, others will be more open. Please
follow their lead. Be diligent about checking on your references to make
sure that a promised letter has been written; people get busy, deadlines
are forgotten, and ultimately it is your job to make sure that your
letters of reference are delivered properly and in a timely fashion.
As always, come to Career Services if you have any questions about how
to obtain letters of reference. Think of your references as a building
block to establishing your reputation as a professional and an attorney;
work to obtain quality references and you will likely attain quality
results. Next: How to
Request a Reference Letter |
