Recommendation letters

REc letters

It is part of my job (and, thankfully, quite often a pleasure) to write letters of recommendation for people in the lab. Please give me as much notice as possible, and make sure I know the deadline, format (electronic? printed?), official name of the organization, what you are applying for, and so on. Please also send along a current CV.

If you are an undergraduate in the lab, I will write your letters on my own. For undergraduate who only take my courses (or are brand new to the lab), I will ask for much more assistance in preparing the letter. For more senior lab members, I will also write your letters on my own, but please send me a draft of at least a few paragraphs (which I will extensively modify) that you think should be in the letter. The first few times you do this it will probably feel awkward. However, keep in mind that your goal is to make it as easy as possible for a letter writer (in this case, me) to complete the task by the deadline and without error. Even though I will re-word a lot of the letter, it will still have the name of what you are applying for and details regarding how long I have known you, the projects you have worked on, and so on. This is extremely helpful in jogging my memory and will give me more time to focus on saying good things about you. Don’t worry about being too “braggy”; I have no problem toning things down if needed (but it probably won’t be needed). Also, you should get used to taking pride in what you do. Expressing how great you are in someone else’s voice will probably feel a bit awkward but hopefully also helps you appreciate your own greatness.

Like everything else, communication is key, and when in doubt, ask!