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I learned it from an early age while I was finishing my BSc: I needed some "referral" letters from professors that I have worked with. They all told me to writ
by xtracto 3y ago
I learned it from an early age while I was finishing my BSc: I needed some "referral" letters from professors that I have worked with. They all told me to write something in Word, print it and they would sign it (it was back in 2001).
- singleshot_ 3y agoA tip to stack on the tip you provided: you know you’re going to need these references down the road, so ask for them when your peak performance is fresh in your professor’s mind. Throw them in a folder and pull them out when you suddenly need a reference.
- glitchc 3y agoNah, that doesn't work. Most reference collection mechanisms are online now and require the professor's email to generate a fresh referral at the time of application. This is to prevent fraud of course, which became very prevalent.
- tough 3y agoSounds like a great problem looking for a blockchain solution. The prof signs it once, you keep it forever.
- singleshot_ 3y agoIt may not work well for you; I cannot dispute that. This methodology works (very well) for me. Perhaps I do not submit references to people who think I am lying directly to their face, or perhaps you have tried this in a low-trust environment where it was not allowed.
- glitchc 3y agoWow, snark much? I assume you are young. Once you graduate and start working in your chosen field, those reference letters will be out of date in a few years, as propective employers don't give a hoot as to how well you did in your 2nd year data structures course. If it's for grad school, then it will be as I said in the vast majority of cases: A direct request soliciting feedback to the faculty member based on credentials you provide.
- singleshot_ 3y agoYou have assumed poorly. I’m about fifty and I’m a lawyer. I have also worked in tech. At every stage of my career I have collected letters of recommendation and used them to obtain my next certification or position. I’m not sure what to tell you at this point other than to mention that making assumptions is not a great habit. I don’t know too much about “grad school” unless you consider law school graduate school, and then I can assure you that zero direct requests soliciting feedback from any faculty member were made during my application process. I admit that very occasionally someone wants a directly submitted recommendation. When this happens, I email the old recommendation to the old recommender and just ask them to resend it.
- ketzo 3y agoGood for jobs, bad for schools, basically.