Rec letter and laid off.

[ketnet1]

Hi,

If I just got laid off today, when is the best time to ask the manager for a recommendation letter and in what way of asking?

For example, since i'm not sure if I will get a gmat score that meets the school's 80% range, I am not sure which schools I will apply to. In this case, should I have the recommender write a generic letter and keep it on hand or should I just verbally ask the recommender? ie. "In case I don't find a job and I might be considering applying to schools in the coming months (5-6 months from now), would you be able to write the recommendation letter for me?"

Once I get verbal confirmation- then this is safe right?

Thank you.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear ketnet1,

I'm sorry to hear you have been laid off from your job. If you believe your manager is willing to write a great recommendation letter for you, then you can either go ahead and ask now or wait until you are working on your applications. You will not get a letter from him/her at this time unless you think a generic letter will be helpful in your current job search. With regards to business schools, all recommenders are sent a form from the school to complete in addition to a letter commenting on you in the workplace. So, you would not need your manager to do anything at this time; you would just want to ask if he/she is willing to recommend you in the future.

Good luck,
Lisa