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? Should I ask 2-3 weeks from today or wait a little longer?

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 it is safe to say that the manager will write it? And when I am ready to apply, I will just have the manager actually write the letter.

In summary:
1) Verbal confirmation from manager
2) Ask few months down the line when ready to apply.

Thank you!

[Paxton Helms - Kaplan]

Hi and thanks for your question. This is certainly a delicate topic and you are right to be thinking about it carefully.

Here's how I would approach it (bearing in mind that I don't see it as an either/or)...

- Mention to your manager that you have enjoyed working for him or her and that, as the fall goes on, that you might be approaching them for a rec. Don't ask...just state, "I may be approaching you for a recommendation" and leave it at that. They will probably give you some kind of response which you, in turn, can use to...

- ...Approach them when the time is right. If you get a push-back-y vibe ("Uh...okay...that's an interesting thought...uh huh...yes...") then maybe you need to find somebody else but you will have found out in a low key way.

Let me know how you end up approaching this and what the response is.

Paxton