Letters of Recommendation: Our Tips To You

As you students prepare for graduation, job interviews, college applications, and more, one common thing will come up that you will need- Letters of recommendation. 

What is a letter of recommendation? It’s when a teacher or mentor writes a letter to advocate for you as you apply for whatever it is you’re trying to get into. Obtaining these letters can be as easy as contacting trusted teachers and mentors asking for a letter. However, here are a few tips to keep in mind. 

  1. Consider what you need the letter for- is it to get into college? Is it for a scholarship? To get into a specific group, club, or program? 
  2. Utilize this in who you ask for a letter from. For example: If you’re applying for a business school at your University, talk to past teachers in subjects related to business. Economics, finance, business, etc. 

One of our past scholarship winners came to us asking for a letter of recommendation for a similar scholarship geared towards college students. Keep your letters similar to what you are needing them for. 

  1. Ask for letters from teachers and mentors that know you well and will have plenty of positive points to talk about for you. 
  2. Let them know what you need the letter for, giving them some background on what the letter is for/ who their audience is can help them in writing it.
  3. Give them plenty of time to get the letter to you, they may not have time the night before to get it done for you! 

Asking for letters of recommendation doesn’t have to be daunting and can help your application be taken to the next level. Good luck! 

Video Call Interview Tips

I’ve written posts about each type of interview- 

Phone Interview Tips

In Person Interview 

Today we will be covering video call interview tips. Virtual meetings are the new normal, so why not embrace video calling? Whether it’s Zoom, Google Hangouts, Teams, Skype, or another video chat platform, these tips are sure to help you in your interview. 

  1. Test out your wifi connection before the call! 
  2. Pick your spot for your video call before the interview. Test it out to make sure it’s a plain background. A plain, blank wall is best! Take down any decoration if needed. 
  3. Make sure you know how to join the video call before it begins, the day before if possible. 
  4. Be on time! 
  5. Be honest with the host if your wifi or video platform is having problems or if you have questions about how to use it. 
  6. Verify the links to the interview and verify how to join the room, who will send the link, etc.
  7. If possible, use a microphone of sorts for the interview. This can be on your headphones, or just a microphone plugged into your computer. It will give better sound and the interviewer can hear you better. 
  8. Sit somewhere you can plug your computer into a power source, or have a fully charged computer before your interview. Don’t let low battery tank your interview! 
  9. Dress professionally- even your pants! I know the popular thing right now is pj’s on the bottom, dress shirt on the top. But what if an emergency happens or they ask you to grab something that’s not right next to you and you are wearing sweats when you stand up? 
  10. Confidence!