Occasionally, I’ll seek input from graduate-student mentors in my lab, or even faculty members if they can provide examples or comments.Ĭreating a process for my students to request a letter, and making sure they know about it well in advance, has been useful in allowing me to produce quality letters for students and to communicate clearly what I need to write a strong letter. I think these aspects of a student’s life are important to capture, and should be treated similarly to highlighting academic and technical achievements. For example, students who organize events demonstrate abilities in project management and troubleshooting that go beyond the prescriptive nature of most classroom assignments. In every recommendation I write, I aim to comment on the individual’s traits beyond the classroom or laboratory when I can do so meaningfully. Once I confirm that I will write a letter, students should send me an updated CV, a draft of their application essays and notes about why they are applying for this particular opportunity.Ĭollection: Coronavirus and scientific careers Students should ask me at least four weeks before the letter deadline - and I do not always say yes, because I might not know the student well enough to write something compelling. In preparing letters, I follow a defined process, outlined on my website, that I make clear to my students. I commit a significant amount of time to make each letter personal. ELIZABETH NANCE: Create a processĮlizabeth Nance, assistant professor of chemical engineering, University of Washington, Seattleįor the past five years, as an assistant professor, I have written recommendation letters for 15–20 students each year. Nature spoke to three experienced professors to get their tips for writing the perfect recommendation letter. And some might struggle to say the right things to support a former employee or student in their career move, while sounding original and unique. But writing an effective and personal recommendation letter can be time-consuming, especially for academics who must juggle grant applications, manuscripts, teaching and student supervision. Undergraduates need them for graduate-school applications PhD students and postdocs use them to apply for fellowships and jobs senior scientists often have to have them to apply for awards and promotions. Three scientists offer their tips on writing a stellar letter of recommendation.
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