reuse of recommendation letters?

Question

i have several recommendation letters from professors at my school. after the purpose of the letter is completed, can i use the letter again for another application? do i need the instructors permission? what is the proper ettiquete?

Answer 1

Generally it is considered bad form to use a letter for more than one purpose without asking permission. You may check with you professors to see if they can write a general recommendation letter, and if they give you permission to use it for multiple applications.

Also, from the hiring standpoint, letters of recommendation that are more than a year old are considered useless. Some employers will even reject them if they are older than six months.

For specific jobs, that you consider high profile or that need special attention, you can submit a letter yourself, along with your resume and cover letter, stating that you have additional reference letters coming. That will give you an opportunity to request letters from you professors.

Make sure that you give each person writing the letter the following:
1. Purpose of the letter (employment, credit, character reference, etc.)
2. Due date for the letter. (I usually give a date 3-5 days before the actual due date, this allows for the post office)
3. Address where it should be mailed. (It is considered bad form in some instances to send the letters yourself)
4. Whether it should be a personal reference or an official reference. (This will let them know if they need to use official stationary/letterhead)

Make sure you thank any and all of you references.

Good luck!!!

Answer 2

Just bare in mind that employers or creditors, parole officers or whoever is looking at your letter of recommendation may call the person who wrote the letter. Do three things if you reuse letters or recommendation: 1. Make sure the person who wrote the letter knows you're still very proud of the the letter and they might get a call about it. 2. Make doubly sure they still remember you, so they'll be prepared for the potential call. If someone calls them and they say, "Who?" it definitely won't work to your advantage. 3. Make sure that everything in the letter is still true. If you have been convicted of a felony, and the letter says you're of flawlessly good character, it will not be true and it would be fraudulent to use the letter.

Answer 3

It depends on the letter. If your professors addressed the letter to a specific individual, it is better to have them do another one. If you know you will need several letters, ask the professor to make the salutation "To Whom It May Concern", and to include their phone number in case the recipient would like more information.

It is now fairly common for applicants to put "References Available Upon Request" on their resume, and then their recommendation letters can be tailored to individual job requirements.