As you know, I have been helping our clients with their accounting systems, and I think this course will help me with that work.Getting a letter of recommendation can be embarrassing for even the best employees—with the easiest boss. For starters, you don’t want to give your boss extra work. And, in a way, you’re asking for compliments. Who feels comfortable with that? Besides, what if you and the boss have a rocky relationship? Well, don’t be afraid, embarrassed, or reluctant. Just use these perfect phrases.
Explain why you are seeking a letter of recommendation even if it is for another job but especially if it’s for a professional or academic program you wish to pursue:
As you know, I have been helping our clients with their accounting systems, and I think this course will help me with that work.
By going to graduate school, I’ll be able to excel in the organization. For example, …
This course provides information that will directly support our work on the …
The connection between the information I’ll get in this program and the direction our sales department is taking is strong.
This program supports my performance objective of …
I’ll learn strategies that will support our mission of …
Quick tip: The more specific you are about how the program will improve your performance, the better. So avoid lines like "This program will help me be a better employee," and focus on specific benefits for your employer.
I just need a paragraph or two.
If you could fill out this one-page recommendation form, …
All they need to know is what I have achieved professionally.
They need to know only about my accomplishments, and most of those were listed in my recent performance review.
If you can let them know about my work on the … project and my accomplishments with … that would be great.
They need only a letter—three paragraphs at most.
If you like, I can send you a letter of recommendation a past employer drafted for me.
I have a sample recommendation form. Would you like me to send it?
If you think your boss may not want to give you a recommendation for some reason, you can still ask for one if you frame your request with the facts and nothing but the facts:
During my time here, my team has increased sales by 20 percent in the first quarter, and 15 percent each quarter after that.
As you know, I have had numerous successes, including …
As an employee for almost 10 years, I have contributed to several key initiatives, including …
I have received awards for … and commendations from …
I was the first employee to apply the … and I helped implement the software system that employees rely on today.
Thanks to my analysis, the company saved over $100,000 a year on cycle time issues.
I have an excellent rapport with our customers, especially Ben and Sylvia, whom I talk to almost every day.
If you like, I can send a list of my accomplishments for you to include.
I can write up a quick list of points they need to know.
I can send along key points from my performance review. Since you wrote them, you may only need to approve them.
I can write the letter and then send it in for your approval.
I’d be happy to draft a letter of recommendation for you, if you like.
To make it easy, I can outline the points for the letter and give examples of major projects.
Quick tip: Yes, you will need to discuss your personal attributes—you know, how great you are with people, how responsive, proactive, and intelligent. You know the list. But be sure to follow each claim with a specific example. This will turn a claim into a fact. Here a few examples:
Claim: She gets along well with our customers.
Fact: We regularly receive e-mails of appreciation from customers, and she received two awards from our company complimenting her skills.
Claim: She comes up with unique ideas.
Fact: She proposed applying a knowledge management system from 10 years ago to solving our problem with … As a result, we were able to …
Claim: He is proactive.
Fact: Two years ago, he helped us avoid costly problems by anticipating cash flow problems and …