I would be happy to write a letter of reference for you.  You may have my standard letter or a customized letter.  The standard letter can be prepared on short notice, with no effort on your part, and with very little effort on my part.  It is reproduced below.  If you want the customized letter, though, you must provide me with information which will help me include information pertinent to your application and to my experience with you.  It takes more effort and time, but it may also be more effective in obtaining a job or acceptance to a graduate program.

 

My standard letter is brief and to the point:

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

The person who sent you this letter asked me to write a letter of recommendation.  This is it.

 

Sincerely,

 

Elizabeth D. Scott

Associate Professor of Business Administration

Eastern Connecticut State University

 

If you would like a more customized letter, please send me the following:

 

  1. A copy of your most recent resume.
  2. A stamped, addressed envelope. (It’s best to send this to my office address:  445 Webb Hall, 83 Windham St. Willimantic, CT  06226.)
  3. Any forms required for the reference.
  4. Your answers to the following questions:

 

  1. Is there a deadline for submitting this letter?  If so, what is it?  If not, when would you like for me to submit it?
  2. To whom (Name, Title, Organization, Address) should I write the letter?
  3. What is the name for you I should use in writing the reference?
  4. If I knew you by a different name, what is it?
  5. When did I first meet you?  In what capacity?
  6. When was the most recent contact we had?
  7. What is the job/educational degree you’re seeking?  With what organization?
  8. Why do you think you’d be good in this job/educational setting?
  9. How would I be able to verify this from my experience with you?
  10. What courses, if any, have you taken from me?  Were any independent studies?
  11. How did these courses help prepare you for this job/educational setting?
  12. What other academic relationships have we had? (Advisor/advisee?  Research assistant?)
  13. What did I learn about you in those relationships which would attest to your ability to do well on the job/academic endeavor the reference addresses?
  14. What do you hope I’ll remember about you and mention in the letter?
  15. If there’s something you’re hoping I’ve forgotten, how might I assure your prospective employer/faculty that this will not be a problem in this new setting?