How to Get a Letter of Recommendation

So you need to know how to get a letter of recommendation from your previous employer, co-worker, associate, or business person. Well, it's actually very easy and it could be the key to landing your next job faster. And in these days of a questionable economy and uncertain employment, a good letter of recommendation is a must. Here's how to get a letter of recommendation:

Get 3 Strong Letters of Recommendation.
Ideally, you'll want to have three exceptional letters of recommendation. You can have more, but pick the top three to use in your job search.

Get Recommendations From People Who Know You.
Talk to the people who know you best and to those who know about your professional capabilities - your previous employers, coaches, teachers, leaders in your community, corporate leaders. In the case of those who have no knowledge of your work history, you'll want to have them write about your character, integrity, and overall assessment of the type of person you are.

Talk to Those Who Will Recommend You.
Tell them about what your goals are, what you've done in past jobs. Ask them what they might say about you to help you get your next job.

Ask Them to be Specific.
General praise is just going to take up space and waste your time. What you want here is specific details that will brag about you to a potential employer. Consider this a sales letter that is selling you. Ask the folks who write these letters to say good things and specifically list why they say those good things. Details are what you want here.

Follow Up.
Carefully review each letter and if needed, follow up with some specific suggestions and changes to their letter. It's OK to ask them to make some changes, or even suggest some specific qualities or aspects of your work they may have overlooked or forgotten. You may even want to tell them what you want them to write. Be sure that you're not asking them to be untruthful or deceptive in any way. Honest assessment is what you're looking for.

Establish a Deadline.
Be sure to start this process at least 3-4 weeks ahead of the time you're actually going to need the letters of recommendation. Allow folks time to put their thoughts together and to write the best letter possible. Be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope to make it easy for them to respond quickly.

Relatives Don't Count.
Sorry, but as much as you are liked and known by your family members, their letter of recommendation doesn't really carry much weight - unless your dad is the President, then maybe.

Be Sure to Say Thank You.
It's always s good thing to show gratitude, especially with people who are willing to help you. Send a quick, hand-written Thank You note and tell them how much you appreciate their help. if you land the job, be sure and tell them that as well.

If you get a letter or recommendation that doesn't work for your purposes, simply say "thanks" and move on. When you do land a great job, and it was due to a letter of recommendation, you may want to buy a gift for your letter writer.