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An Interview with a Professor: How to Ask and Get ReferencesSep 02 '06 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Getting a reference makes many people nervous. I hope this has helped. Relax, be yourself and if you can't then work hard to make a good impression. Who are the best individuals to ask for references, and what are the best ways to approach them? What should be included in these references, and how can you communicate that to your teacher or professor? The following is an interview with a College Professor. I play the student. My husband plays himself. Jo: Good morning Professor. I am coming to you because you are my advisor and I have some questions about getting references. Would you be able to help? Professor: Yes, Jo. No problem. Have a seat. First let me thank you for making an appointment with me during my office hours. Although you would be welcome to come by any time or during office hours the fact you made an appointment is a plus. I have scheduled the time we’ll need to make sure all your questions are answered. Jo: I am graduating next year. I’m not sure if I’ll be going on to graduate school or getting a job. I wonder if I could pick your brain so I’ll have the information I need whichever road I choose. Professor: Fine. Some of my tips will overlap. I’m glad you brought your computer to take notes. I have had students show up without anything on which to write. Of course I can give them paper and a pencil! You will have to contact former Professors even if you have never spoken to them outside of class. If I were giving a first year student advice I would say to make sure you have had contact with several Professors outside of class so you won’t be a stranger. All it takes is visiting during office hours and saying, “Hello, I’m in your English class and just wanted to tell you I enjoyed the first half of the semester.” However if you have not done that call Professor Brown and let her know that you’d like a reference. Start with “Hello, Professor Brown. My name is jo.com. I am applying to graduated school or getting a job after I graduate and would like you to write me a letter of recommendation. Could I use you as a reference? Tell her what course you took with her and what semester and year it was. Include what grade you got and anything memorable. Remember that unlike fourth grade when your teacher may have taken pictures of each student Professors don’t do that. Remembering an average student out of hundreds and hundreds isn’t easy. Perhaps you spilled your coffee. Though at the time it wasn’t funny it might be enough for Professor Brown to remember you and it won’t shed any negative light on you. It was an accident. Or perhaps although you never spoke outside of class you went up to her to ask her a question she thought was a great one. In fact maybe she even used that question in her next lecture. Remind her of this. Follow this discussion up with an e-mail. Jo: Should I visit Professor Brown in person? Professor: That would be ideal. I would suggest telling her the above and e-mailing the above to her. In the phone conversation ask if you could meet with her briefly. This will be both a physical reminder of who you are and also another chance to make a good impression. I was recently called by a student from 20 years ago! He lived in another state. I really didn’t recall him. He told me a little about himself and I looked back at his records. I told him that all I could do was verify that he was in my class, that he showed up for all classes and that he received a 3.4 in my class. Sometimes I’m very surprised that students who did very poorly in my class ask me for a reference. I, as most Professors I know, never say anything negative about the student, however it is what is unsaid that can say it all. So you want to be remembered in a positive way and make a good impression. Jo: Will an employer want a reference from a Professor? Professor: Some employers will. It is a good idea to have a couple on hand. Some Professors will put a letter in a students file until the student asks for it to be mailed. Some Professors will put a few copies in sealed envelopes because many employees and graduate programs want to see a sealed letter with the college logo on both the envelope and the paper. As a Professor I am very open to sharing letters I write with the student. If an employer doesn’t specify what type of references and you don’t have the opportunity to ask then plan on having references from Professors, former employers and perhaps someone in the community with whom you did community service, if applicable. Jo: What should I do when I go to see Professor Brown? Professor: I highly recommend that you have a resume in hand. You may be wondering what kind of resume that would be given you are just graduating. There are a lot of points you can make on a resume. You can write where you went to high school, extra curricula activities and work experience. Hopefully you did some sort of volunteer work so include that as well. Include with the resume some key points about yourself. For example on a separate sheet give Professor Brown something to work with. If you never missed a day of work at the ice cream shop near your house put that in writing. If you took advanced placement classes in high school and are getting a reference from one of your high school teachers put that in writing. You want to give her some key points about yourself written out in advance. Include to whom the recommendation letter should go, when, the address, and envelopes. Self-addressed stamped envelopes will not only be helpful but will tell Professor Brown that you are organized and thoughtful. If you are applying to graduate school and there is a form that the school wants the Professor to fill out make sure to bring it! The idea is to make it easy for the person who is writing a reference for you. Jo: I’d like to sum up what you have said and make sure I have your points correctly. ~I should highlight my important attributes and characteristics. ~I should reference leadership responsibility and reliability particularly if I am applying for a job but also for any future endeavor. ~I should put in writing my academic strengths and extra curricula activities. Professor: That’s correct and as I look over your computer I see you have everything I have said down which says a lot to me. By the way I’ll be glad to write you a reference! What you should know about medical school: Part I You're a Medical Student. Important information on the match and ranking process: Part II Care Packages: Wrap a Gift to Go My Guide to Choosing a College The Myth of the Party School They're Off to College My Guide to Acing a College Interview What Should I Do if My Student is Unhappy? What Should I Bring to School? Emory University Bentley College University of Massachusetts Medical School University of Pennsylvania  |
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